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Character
and Caring: Business Lessons from Three Military Leaders
Military
metaphors abound in the world of business.
Companies rarely enter new markets; they usually “invade” them.
When businesses ponder geographic expansion, they make “forays”
into new territories. Consultants
no longer speak of assignments for clients – the preferred term is
“engagements.” All this martial lingo serves a purpose:
At a time when global business rivalries are intensifying,
competition often resembles combat. This
fact was forcefully borne home to the CEO of a high-tech company who
recently sold his start-up to Microsoft.
Speaking to the Wall Street
Journal about his reaction when the Seattle-based giant let 50 of his
100 employees go, he said: “Though I felt that we had won, some got
killed, [and] some got wounded...”
Such
parallels between warfare and business formed the theme of a recent
seminar at Wharton. Titled “From the Battlefield to the Boardroom:
Applying Military Leadership to the Corporate World,” it featured three
former military officers who spoke about their experience in the armed
services and how it prepared them for their present roles in corporate
America. What they said might
surprise those who may have expected to hear about guerrilla strategies or
take-no-prisoners tactics. Their
fundamental message: Character
counts; leadership means caring for your troops; and those who accept the
status quo will probably die.
General
Charles Krulak, a former Marine Corps commandant who once led troops in
Vietnam, is now senior vice chairman of MBNA Bank, an independent
credit-card issuer that manages more than $70 billion in loans.
He spoke about character as the most important trait of a leader.
“It doesn’t make a difference whether you are in the boardroom
or the battlefield,” Krulak says. “Many people are brilliant,
articulate, charismatic, innovative and tough. But if they lack character,
they will not succeed as leaders.”
But are there not instances of leaders – including presidents of countries
– who seem to succeed despite their apparent lack of character?
True, admits Krulak, but their power is fleeting because success
without character rarely stands the test of time.
“It doesn’t serve to inspire anyone – and as leaders, you are
in the inspiration business,” he says.
Unlike talents such as intelligence, which is a “God-given gift,
character is a choice,” says Krulak.
“And it’s not an easy choice like whether you should have Pop
Tarts for breakfast – it’s the kind of choice where your palms get
clammy, sweat pops out on your brow, your guts begin to turn, and you know
that the decision you are about to make will have an impact that people
will not want to hear. But it
is the right decision.” When
people learn to make right decisions over and over again, no matter how
difficult they are, that process helps build character.
If character matters, caring is character put into action, according to
General Thomas Draude, former assistant commander of the First Marine
Division in Desert Storm, who is now senior vice president of USAA, a $40
billion financial services company. “Early
on, marine officers are taught to do two things: Accomplish your mission,
and take care of your troops,” he says.
How does an officer take care of troops? By showing that he or she
cares about them – which involves knowing their names, their
backgrounds, and even what makes them tick.
Quoting Sun Tzu, author of the Chinese classic The
Art of War, Draude says: “Regard
your soldiers as your own children, and they will follow you into the
deepest valleys. Treat them as your own beloved sons, and they will be
with you even unto death.”
Does corporate life lend itself much to caring? Draude believes it does.
“The attitude of caring is important because, first, it is the
right thing to do,” he says. “Your character is demonstrated by the
way you care about those for whom you are responsible.
Caring cannot be delegated…it is not an HR requirement.”
Secondly, as the U.S. economy changes from one that was dominated
by manufacturing to one that is driven by services, a caring, nurturing
environment is crucial to engage the minds and hearts of all employees.
“How can managers expect employees to care for customers unless
they feel cared for?” he asks. “You
can’t become a leader unless you care for your troops.
You can’t fake it.”
Colonel
Robert E. Lee, former commanding officer of the Marine Corps’ officer
basic school, is now an advisor to the Secretary of the Navy.
He points out that business is changing so rapidly that all leaders
need to ask why they are doing things the way they are.
“If you accept the status quo, you will die,” he says.
“When you ask why something is being done in a certain way, you
are not belittling tradition or the past – you are learning something
new.” Asking such questions
helps create agile organizations that can respond quickly to changes in
the market.
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