Leadership is easy, don’t be a dick
Ahoy there, and welcome
Who am I and why am I writing here? Well, I am a Maritime Warfare Officer, Management Consultant, Leadership Instructor, Husband, Father and Ordinary Golfer. I have a passion for…
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Applying Submarine Command priorities to organisational leadership and culture
A submarine at sea is a uniquely dangerous, complex and inhospitable environment to inhabit. Operating blind, in hostile environments without any outside contact it is a lonely and stressful existence.…
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Command Delegations – a tool to drive autonomy, eliminate micro management and turbo-charge engagement
Insufficient autonomy, or at worst micro-management, is a critical impediment^ to building the engagement required to achieve sustained organisational success. ^“Seventy-nine percent of survey respondents (see bottom) had experienced micromanagement.…
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Command State OSCAR: Build your legacy through developing others
Personal development and professional mastery, making someone feel as if they are making progress personally, building their skills and equipping them to handle new and challenging situations is a key component of building engagement.
Despite this ambitious and hungry people are seldom adequately prepared for their future role. Understandably focus is placed on greater competence in the current role or increased volume of output sought.
Force multiplier – be Patient Zero in the viral spread of positive culture
How can you influence the culture in your team when you aren’t occupying the leadership position? How can you become a force for good culture when working for a bad leader or within a team with poor or even toxic culture? Become a Force Multiplier: Positivity, Enthusiasm, Humour and Kindness
Lead by example? You’re better than that.
It’s probably the most well known adage about leadership – lead by example.
It is as true today as it ever was and must be a foundation value of your own leadership ethic, whether you occupy a leadership position or not. In fact if you are a team member rather than the leader, it may be one of the few tactics you can employ to influence positive behaviours within your team.
But is it enough? Can leading by example be a weak cop-out that you use to justify not addressing poor behaviours in your co-workers?
Clarity: organisational purpose and individual responsibilities – Build willing accountability, pro-activity and ownership in a lean, flexible and collaborative team
Unlike the military organisations often lack clarity of purpose (mission and/or strategy) and individual responsibilities – ambiguity and lack of accountability reigns. People do not take ownership, are unable or unwilling to make decisions and pro-activity is absent.
Clarity of purpose and responsibility throughout an organisation will drive: willing accountability and decisiveness; ownership and pro-activity; collaboration; lean and more effective teams; greater opportunity for flexible work practices, and superior results
Are you surrounded by Panic and Hysteria? Try these methods to remain calm in a crisis
Are you surrounded by Panic and Hysteria? Try these methods to remain calm in a crisis
What’s not to admire about a military leader under real and imminent risk of death acting like they are popping down to the shops to pick up a loaf of bread?
Captivating and inspirational stories of calm under fire are told and retold across generations.
How do they do it?
1. Go back to basics and do it right, trust your training and experience;
2. Do something, even the wrong decision is better than none at all. The wrong decision implemented immediately typically reveals the right decision quickly. Have the confidence to act and be prepared to get it wrong. Indecision and searching for the perfect solution is not the way of the calm operator;
3.Get your risk management right. Have a plan for the most dangerous and most likely courses of action;
4.War-game how you are planning on reacting to these situations and work on the numerous ‘if this-then that’ scenarios, and
5.When something totally unforeseen inevitably happens, think about how you want to behave. Are you going to fire-fight to save the current quarter or put your people first? Putting your people ahead of results is the best way of business and you will come out of the crisis with true loyalty
Self Interest and the Common Good align in the fight against Corona Virus. It’s a beautiful thing and a win/win
Self Interest and the Common Good align in the fight against Corona Virus. It’s a beautiful thing and a win/win.
The mission as I understand it is to:
Minimise the rate of infection across the populace whilst protecting the most vulnerable and maintaining the critical services that they (and everyone) relies on.
If this is indeed the mission then looking after yourself and your family by minimising the risk of infection by isolating etc. also benefits the rest of the community.
A very rare and beautiful instance of self-interest and the common good aligning and something that will surely dramatically boost the fight against Corona Virus.
No go look after yourselves and by doing so, look after each other and stop hoarding stuff you don’t need.
That is all
Dickie
The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is today. (Chinese Proverb)
Cheesy or beautiful? It doesn’t really matter. What are you going to do cooped up this long weekend? TikTok and Memes or something awesome? Have a great weekend. That is…
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Give up more autonomy than feels comfortable
Give up more autonomy than feels comfortable
Now more than ever leaders need to embrace this idea1. Decentralised and flexible working prevents the close and constant contact you might have had prior to the enforced home working.
Greater autonomy and decentralised decision making authority has been a recurring theme of my writing and is an outcome, I believe, we could all embrace more.
It is no longer an option, it is a necessity.