2) Planning the Work of a Team, 3) Managing a Project Team
http://www.ted.com/speakers/stanley_mcchrystal
So I openly admit bias on my inspirational and informative reference (but in fairness most of my other Military Officer vets have incredible admiration for the guy). The former commander of US and ISAF forces in Afghanistan, General Stanly McChrystal, gave an incredible lecture via TED that is applicable to anyone wishing to take on a leadership role in a not just challenging environment but seek to implement transformational changes to said organization. As with many of my peers, I too have been in (and will seek post-MBA) leadership positions that have entirely different duties and responsibilities than my previous roles. From the transition from a Platoon Leader as a Second Lieutenant in a Sapper Platoon (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp5LqGCtzYI ) to my other less interesting (and more plans-oriented) positions I realized that there are certain traits that make leaders excel in any field or organization that they are placed in.
One of the common themes at the US Army Officer Candidate School is leadership is leadership: irrespective of your specialty or organizational level responsibility. It has taken years for me to develop (and am still learning in the corporate world now) but the key traits I have observed and am now especially cognizant of are best summed up by General McChrystal:
Listen, Learn and then Lead.
Reflecting on all the skills one learns during his or her MBA experience I believe it to be equally important to understand how to implement your ideas to fully utilize lessons learned from classes such as Management Practice. In the course of leading often skeptical clients or coworkers (or Soldiers and civilians in the General’s case), McChrystal suggests to first listen. Listening is quite possibly the most difficult task leaders have, particularly as we are prone to defaulting to preconceived notions on how the role and responsibilities should play out before we even arrive; this is especially difficult when compounded with issues such as generational differences, prior experiences and job diversity. Throughout the learning phase (continuous) the main goal is to build trust and rapport; people tend to work harder and with more conviction when they believe someone has their best interest in mind; this is particularly true when it comes to leading higher risk maneuvers or actions where the natural tendency is risk-aversion to prevent failure / negative performance reviews. Finally there is learning when to fully lead. “When in charge be in charge” is one of the idioms always taught to military officers; when you have demonstrated the listening and learning traits to your group this becomes significantly easier to execute. I have found these leadership maxims to be of extreme value regardless of leading Soldiers in warzones or my peers when implementing a new sales strategy as a novice to seasoned sales representatives.
The “Listen, learn and lead” design is paramount to a leader’s success, particularly of importance when leading teams with informational and generational differences.
Listen, learn, and lead.
Patrick, how are three little words so simple, yet so difficult for so many? Each builds on the previous and the most difficult is the first. I have found that many people in management roles have failed (and continue to fail) to effectively listen. Truly understand what they are hearing and how it may impact the decision being made. Listening and learning requires one to truly be attentive, in the moment and present to engage with another person. As the managers, I am interacting with daily are often fighting to get a word in edgewise with their leaders I spend a lot of time listening. And I have to say, I have learned how I chose to lead and I am much more intentional about how I listen.
As technology is prolific and it is more and more difficult to tear people away from the iPad/Phone (in our work and personal lives), I challenge myself to disconnect and engage with my team (and family) on a personal level. While it initially took my colleagues aback when I asked for people to unplug for a team meeting, we engaged in a rich dialogue that included contributions from all members of our team.
On a personal note, I try to spend a few hours a day unplugged and when they happen they are both the most productive and relaxing. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the reply @Carey! Unplugging is extremely difficult to do but completely necessary!
I find that the more you listen (especially with difficult customers or even coworkers) the more you learn about their position and the better you can respond or even anticipate their reactions. This is extremely helpful when it comes to building relationships with people who can be otherwise difficult to work with.