Issue 50: Weekly Training Tips Newsletter
ByIssue 50: August 9th, 2012
Inside this Issue:
- Thought for the Week
- Quote of the Week
- Video of the Week
- Book of the Week
- Leader of the Week
- Final Thoughts
Thought for the Week
My thought for the week this week is about leadership. It can be said that you won’t ever know how good of a job you did as a leader, until after you have left the duty position. In other words, your effectiveness is determined by how STRONG of an organization you built, and how many leaders you built.
If your organization relies solely on you, it is in trouble, especially if you are the leader. You need to focus your time and energy building an organization that thrives without you. That is the true measure of your effectiveness. During your time as a leader, make sure you develop systems and make sure you develop your people, so your organization can continue to grow for the next 1, 3, 5 or even 10 years, without you at the helm.
In order to do so, you must spend lots of time mentoring your people. Conduct one-on-one coaching, OPDs and NCODPs, group training and whatever else you can to help your people develop their skills. Teach them to be independent thinkers who can make their own decisions. Send them to schools and challenge them. In addition, make sure you establish SOPs for everything your unit does. As you do this, make sure your followers are trained on the SOPs.
If you can do this, you will be well on your way to building a winning organization that will thrive with or without you.
Quote of the Week
My quote for the week this week is “I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.” ~ Ghandi
My take: Back in the day, leaders led with brute force. In modern times, that strategy is pretty much outdated. Leadership is about influence. I think it’s much wiser to lead with passion, integrity and fairness, than it is to rule with a clinched fist!
Video of the Week
In this video, you will hear from General Colin Powell. He talks about the “Essence of Leadership.” It’s a short video, but really hits home. He highlights the importance of trust.
Book of the Week
My featured book of the week this week is my new eBook “How to Mentor and Develop Your Subordinate Officers and NCOs: A Practical Guide for Military Leaders.” I just published this eBook a couple days ago. If you want to become a better leader and better mentor, this is the book for you. Check it out here!
Featured Leader of the Week
My featured leader of the week this week is SGT Dakota Meyer. He is a United States Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in Afghanistan. The video is his interview on 60-Minutes. It’s absolutely amazing. Check it out here.
Final Thoughts
I’d like to close today’s post by offering you a fitness challenge. If you’ve struggled with your weight, or you simply want to improve your health, you should check out the Team Beach Body Program. My friend Toby is a “Beach Body Coach” and he can help you reach your fitness goals. You can check out his website to learn more about his products and services.
Have a great week. Talk to you next Thursday. Thanks for your service.
It’s awesome when people get awarded The Medal of Honor. The guys who win those are real heroes. I like the conversation that is going on here about the roles of leadership. You don’t think of leaders as there to serve their subordinates, but I guess it really is true. As a leader you want those working for you to perform at their maximum level. You can’t do everything yourself and it’s your job to help people rise to the occasion.
Your Thought for the Week made a lot of sense to me. Sometimes I’ve run across people who thought that leadership was about brute force and exercising their power. Of course, leaders have to exert authority, but there are more effective ways of doing it. It was good to hear the thoughts of Gandhi and Colin Powell on the subject! I’ll check out your eBook now.
Our jobs as leaders is to serve people, not dominate them. If you have people working for you, give them a purpose, help them, and you will have a very rewarding career in the process. The days of brute force are long gone, even in the military.
I agree with you both 100%. Brute strength may be required for the physical qualities of a member of the military, but in leadership? Not a chance. More important is the charisma, the attitude, and the drive of the leader in question. Can they get what they promise accomplished? Can they lead their group effectively and with a drive that inspires their team? Those are the questions we should be asking of our leaders
The best leaders I know are those who taught me the most. Sharing your knowledge and educating your subordinates is the best way to gain more yourself. Leaders can learn as much from their subordinates as they can teach if they allow themselves to. I learned something from every leader I’ve had, either how I want to lead, or how I do not want to lead.
Great point. I’ve always believed that the teacher learns more than the student. In addition, I’ve always believed that everyone we meet is superior to us in at least one thing. That means we can learn something from every person we meet, if we keep an open mind and don’t act like a know it all.
Chuck
Leaders sometimes think that they have their position due to their knowledge, and so they try to keep all that knowledge to themselves to protect their position. Instead, they should be sharing everything they know in order to develop their subordinates to eventually take their place. As I’ve told people in the civilian workplace, if we can’t replace you, you can’t go on vacation and you can never be promoted.
So true. The best leaders surround themselves with people smarter than themselves and they teach their subordinates who to do their job. You should always share your knowledge and try to work yourself out of your job. That way you can advance and the people working for you can replace you.