Core Leadership Qualities

[SecTrainer]

Interesting seminar discussion today with a Marine colonel as guest host who had served 3 tours in Iraq. The subject was "Core Leadership Qualities". Many times when you see lists of "leadership qualities" you see things like "integrity", "honor", "fairness" and other ethical qualities. However, he defined core leadership qualities as those that would be required to lead any organization regardless of any ethical considerations - whether a military unit, a business, a Mafia family or a terrorist cell. They are also qualities that apply up and down the organizational hierarchy at all levels from first-line supervisor up to CEO.

After a spirited discussion, he laid down his list of just four core qualities of successful leaders - with some explanatory notes:

1. Situational awareness. (Always synthesizing new data into a dynamic map of the battlefield. Not getting "stuck" on old information. Seeing what is, not what you'd like things to be.)
2. Courage. (Help isn't coming. The mission is yours, not someone else's. Get it done.)
3. Decisiveness. (Makes timely decisions and sticks by them unless/until new information - see #1 - dictates the need for a new decision. Speed, not haste.)
4. Skepticism. (Things might not be what they seem to be on the surface. Dig deeper.)

What do you think?

[shadowmib]

Well crap..

I had a big long response to this typed up, and explorer crashed and I lost it all.

I'll try to summarize what I said.

Basically, this guy is spot on.

I had a paragraph response for each item, but this is essentially it.

1. If you don't keep constantly rechecking your surroudings, you will make bad decisions, and get blindsided with preventable emergencies.

2. Not only physical courage like saving someone from a burning building, but mental courage to do the right thing in the face of possible backlash.

3. if you doubt your decisions, everyone else will to, and no one will follow you.

4. The common English idiom "Never judge a book by its cover",

"Question everything, Learn something. Answer nothing." -Euripides
"People Lie." - Dr. Gregory House MD (TV Character)

The truth is rarely readily apparent, even when things seem obvious. Always check facts.

There is a saying in the military "When your attack seems like its going well, it means you are heading into an ambush"

[Sgt.Campbell]

This colonel has a fantastic grasp on the real world. I wish I could have been there to meet this man. I'm going to integrate that into my own leadership talks with my troops. Thanks for posting it, ST!

[Bill Warnock]

SecTrainer, a man of that insight will I hope land in the "funny sided building" in Arlington. Hopefully there are military tacticians who listen. There is a new breed taking shape in the military establishment, one can only hope he or his kind will be included.
Enjoy the day,
Bill

[Tsalla Apopka]

When, or if, you really think about it, these are four of the key qualities you need to get through life. Apply to military but also security and even driving your car or walking down the street at night.
Those that don't have situational awareness are the ones that have been mugged on the streert or the ones that have wrecked their car or don't get a deer on the hunt, etc.

[5423]

Having worked, over the decades, for some fantastic leaders, a few atraocious leaders, and a lot of mediocre leaders, I have to say... Yep.

[Bill Warnock]

Having worked, over the decades, for some fantastic leaders, a few atraocious leaders, and a lot of mediocre leaders, I have to say... Yep.
Some leaders were you to shoot them, you'd be charged with wasting ammunition which is an unforgivable transgression.
Enjoy the day,
Bill

[OramSecurityConsultants]

Trust a Marine to break it down to the bare bones answer. Spot on.

[5423]

Like I said in another thread (this is a subject near, and dear, to my heart) The Marine Corps is now turning out some of the best leadership study material, in my opinion, in the world.

One of their more fascinating concepts, which came out of their Air Wings, is the High Reliability Organization philosophy. Basic idea is that any accident is, ultimately, the senior officer's (management's) "fault" ( a dirty word in HRO-think). In other words, the manager is to ask "How did we let this happen? Where did I fail you?".

The origin of the whole idea was that there was a large percentage of fighter planes crashing, due to poor visibility from the cockpit; the Corps/Navy concluded that the appropriate fix had nothing to do with retraining, or snazzy little posters and slogans, but to rebuild the ****ing cockpit. Problem solved.

Sounds pretty touchy-feely, expressed that way, but analyze it out, and it makes more sense.

For more info, go to www.justculture.org Well worth a look, if you're in a high-risk, or high-stress work environment.