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StrategyDriven Management and Leadership Article |Intrinsic Discipline|The Single Military Strategy Every Business Needs

The Single Military Strategy Every Business Needs

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StrategyDriven Management and Leadership Article |Intrinsic Discipline|The Single Military Strategy Every Business NeedsWhat comes to mind when you hear the word discipline? Most people think of punishment. They view discipline as a way to gain compliance and turn people into unquestioning automatons. This type of discipline is extrinsic, and it’s common in many compliance cultures.

But there’s a second form of discipline, one that you’ll find in the best military units: intrinsic discipline. Intrinsic discipline occurs when people advance the common good voluntarily. It comes about when people understand the difference between right and wrong and do what’s right—even when the boss isn’t watching or when times are difficult.

Intrinsic discipline is a powerful tool. It creates the trust that’s needed to promote organizational initiatives, it empowers your people, and it produces a durable competitive advantage—all factors that lead to success in business and on the battlefield.

However, intrinsic discipline doesn’t happen by accident. As a leader, you must develop it intentionally, or your teams will get stuck in extrinsic compliance. But where should you start?

1. Define and explain the common good.

The first step to gaining your team’s commitment to the common good is to define and explain it so your people understand what it is, why it’s important, and how the organization will get there.

Xenophon, a pupil of Socrates and an experienced military commander, was the first great thinker in the Western world to outline this component of discipline. According to Xenophon, the first step to intrinsic discipline begins with the leader, who must possess areté—a combination of character and competence—to gain support from followers even in times of great danger.

Xenophon explains that leaders must teach their followers the common good and the difference between correct and incorrect performance and behavior. Defining and explaining the common good will create clear expectations and explain why you’re asking people to do what they do.

“Obedience,” Xenophon tells us, “must be given voluntarily rather than under compulsion.”
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2. Gain buy-in by building trust.

The second step is to gain buy-in by building trust. People need to trust their leader, the desired outcomes (your organization’s vision, mission, and goals), and how they’ll reach these outcomes (through values, expectations, and strategies).

As so many studies of human decision-making attest, people make choices based on emotion and then rationalize those decisions. Trust and mutual respect are what create this emotional connection.

Exceptional military leaders understand this. While admonishing the United States Military Academy Corps of Cadets to end the practice of hazing in 1879, Academy Superintendent General John M. Schofield crafted what’s now referred to as “Schofield’s Definition of Discipline,” which still must be memorized by all West Point cadets:

The discipline which makes the soldiers of a free country reliable in battle is not to be gained by harsh or tyrannical treatment. On the contrary, such treatment is far more likely to destroy than to make an army. It is possible to impart instructions and to give commands in such a manner and such a tone of voice to inspire in the soldier no feeling but an intense desire to obey, while the opposite manner and tone of voice cannot fail to excite strong resentment and a desire to disobey.

The one mode or the other of dealing with subordinates springs from a corresponding spirit in the breast of the commander. He who feels the respect which is due to others cannot fail to inspire in them regard for himself, while he who feels, and hence manifests, disrespect toward others, especially his inferiors, cannot fail to inspire hatred against himself.

The takeaway? Leaders who are trustworthy and treat people with respect create an environment in which intrinsic discipline can emerge.

3. Strengthen accountability.

The third step is to strengthen accountability. Accountability means to be answerable. It’s a four-way intersection: up, down, and lateral. Everyone on the team needs to be answerable for doing the right things in the right ways.

Importantly, this includes you as a leader; accountability begins in the mirror. Leaders need to walk the talk and enforce standards consistently so that everyone sees that the standards are essential rather than arbitrary.

As Greek military leader Xenophon explains:

Good workers get depressed when they see that, although they are the ones doing all of the work, the others get the same as they do, despite making no effort and being unprepared to face danger, if need be.

Playing favorites and haphazard enforcement are morale killers—they indicate to everyone involved that the standards and expectations are arbitrary and unimportant. And Xenophon is quite clear that the leader, not the followers, is to blame if the expectations and their importance are unclear or selectively followed.

To illustrate this principle, Xenophon provides examples in his famous work Anabasis of two commanders during the expedition with Cyrus against the Persian king Xerxes in 401 B.C. Both commanders failed in different ways.

Clearchus, a Spartan commander, took pride in his severity, believing that soldiers should fear their superiors more than the enemy. Because his rule was considered arbitrary, many of his men deserted.

In contrast, Proxenus, a Boeotian and a friend of Xenophon, sought to win the love of his soldiers by withholding praise from wrongdoers instead of punishing them. He became an object of contempt, and his soldiers ran roughshod over him.

The bottom line

These three steps—clarity, buy-in, and accountability—are the foundations for intrinsic discipline. They interact like a Venn diagram: Clarity and buy-in without accountability mean that any good results are a matter of luck. Clarity and accountability without buy-in creates compliance only, and people won’t contribute their best. Buy-in and accountability without clarity creates the hamster wheel effect: a lot of activity but no movement toward your goals. Having all three in place helps organizations move from compliance to a deeply inspired culture.

About the Author

Christopher D. Kolenda, Ph.D., founder of the Strategic Leaders Academy, works with leaders who want to apply insights from history and military operations to take their businesses to new heights. He is a West Point graduate, internationally renowned combat leader, retired Army colonel, and former trusted adviser to three four-star generals and two undersecretaries of defense. He’s the author of Zero-Sum Victory: What We’re Getting Wrong About War and Leadership: The Warrior’s Art, a trusted anthology that’s been in print for over 20 years and helped tens of thousands of leaders succeed in combat and business. Learn more at StrategicLeadersAcademy.com.

Relational Leadership and Employee Retention – A Match, part 3

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This series of articles explores the connection between relational leadership and employee retention. I discussed creating a ‘learning – thinking’ organization in the first article and a trusting organization in the following two. This final article examines creating a respected organization.

Respected organizations are often marked by the depth of esteem in which the community holds them. Because the community embraces the company, it produces a deep sense of pride in the employees. Community Marketing becomes strategic to a respected organization.

Relational Leadership is people-centric. People are defined in the relational diagram as employees, vendors, customers, and community. Many business plans leave out the community component or treat it lightly deeming it disconnected to the business purpose. Actually, a Community Marketing strategy helps define the business purpose and elevates the concept.

Figure 1: The Community Marketing Strategy

The relational diagram involves the entire spectrum of people. Just like the Building Blocks of Trust, you can’t skip a people component and be truly relational.

[wcm_restrict]Community Marketing is a strategy where you purposefully involve your company in outside activities. Your brand is promoted by the organizations that you support. You become ‘known’ because of your concern and support for civic out-reach. Your employees are proud to work in an organization that is viewed big-heartedly and respected by friends and neighbors. People learn about who you are and what you stand for interactively. Finally, it is a lot less expensive than radio, TV, and print advertising and, ultimately more effective.

Entrepreneur Alan Burkhard’s highly successful career was built on the foundation of Community Marketing. He serves on multiple boards and encourages his people to do the same. He donates money, time, and expertise to better the causes he believes in. He and his companies are recognized as community builders. He will tell you that Community Marketing is a long term strategy and over time, it builds business through a sustainable, ever-increasing customer base. People do business with people they trust and the companies they represent.

Studies consistently show that respect is an important factor in consumer or commercial purchases. Studies aside, common sense confirms this for most of us. ‘Word of mouth’ is considered an ideal method to build a business base. So, to generate profits for your company: produce a reliable and useful product or service and marry it to a respected organization that regularly is seen doing good deeds for the community. It’s a winning formula!

Concomitantly, hiring the right people is a critical success factor. This job is made easier when your pool of applicants is deep. Community Marketing is not only a sales strategy, it is also a recruiting strategy. When you are recognized as a respected organization, you naturally attract people to you for potential employment. It’s the place to be! When people talk about your company, they often comment about how great it would be to work there.

Having lots of applicants is only part of the equation. You must take the time to determine the kind of person you want to hire. Do they have the skills that you need; do they fit into the value system you have articulated; will they bring a relational attitude to the job? Personally, I believe in spending a lot of time up front in the recruiting process and being sure to enable the potential employee to see what the company is all about. You don’t want surprises, you want a match, and so does the employee.

Now you have the complete picture of a relationally led organization and its impact on employee retention. If you create a ‘learning – thinking,’ trusting, and respected organization you will always have the best of the best in your employ and you will always attract the best of the best.[/wcm_restrict][wcm_nonmember]

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About the Author

Frank McIntosh is author of The Relational Leader (Course Technology PTR, Cengage Learning 2010). During his 36 year career, Frank has worked with many of the most recognized companies and executives in the world. He has provided consulting services for peers across the country and helped initiate Junior Achievement programs in Ireland, the Ivory Coast, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Uzbekistan. Frank was inducted into the Delaware Business Leaders Hall of Fame in October 2008, one of 38 individuals so honored and the first not-for-profit executive to receive this distinction in Delaware’s 300 year business history. To read Frank’s complete biography, click here.

For more information regarding this subject, visit Frank McIntosh at his website www.FJMcIntosh.com.

Relational Leadership and Employee Retention – A Match, part 2 (Segment Two)

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In Part Two – Segment Two will complete the discussion on a trusting organization. These 10 principles of trust when employed consistently to your entire organization without bias will build a bridge of loyalty that will stand against the elements. People do not willingly leave organizations built on moorings as strong as trust.

This article will examine the last five Building Blocks of Trust. All of the building blocks are important and it is essential to note that you cannot selectively skip one in favor of another. Companies that score high in the Trust Index will see lower turnover and greater productivity.

Figure 1: The Second Five Building Blocks of Trust

[wcm_restrict]In the workplace very little goes unnoticed. What is celebrated an expression of what you value as a leader. You always want to be careful to send the right signals to employees. If you say everyone matters in the business’s success, then your celebrations must include the potential for all employees to be recognized for their efforts. Celebrations do not have to be elaborate or costly but they must be broad, sincere, and meaningful. By their nature celebrations often include fun, thus if well thought out, you are able to reinforce two building blocks at a time.

For example, Discover Bank held monthly meetings of all staff by location and shift. Relevant information was shared, birthdays, anniversaries, births noticed, accomplishments cited, and volunteerism recognized. Senior leadership was always present and involved. A party atmosphere was created with balloons and music. Everyone in the company looked forward to these meetings and they set a tone that everyone was respected and valued. It reinforced all the people-centric policies of the company.

Leaders sometimes forget that new hires are a reflection of the belief systems they established. Every attempt must be made to integrate the company’s value system into its hiring profiles. New hires must reflect the company’s core beliefs.

I once hired someone with excellent “pedigree” i.e. fine university training, JA program volunteer, excellent work record in finance and extraordinarily enthusiastic about Junior Achievement. I was blind to the fact that he was a bit “uppity” and often talked down to people. He used words that most people never heard of. When I discussed these observations with him, he said it wasn’t up to him to lower himself to others’ level. That’s when I knew I had made a mistake. So I said, “I made a mistake, I own this, I am going to fix it, and I am not going to do it again.” I gave him 4 months to find a new job.

To some, saying your business philosophy includes connecting with people and caring about them sounds soft. It just doesn’t project the hard-nosed, thick-skin vision that many have of the successful business leader. You connect with people by demonstrating that you are sincerely interested in them and helping them in a time of need. It is possible to be hard-nosed and caring.

Charlie Cawley, legendary leader of MBNA (the credit card giant) is an excellent example. He drove hard bargains and held exacting expectations but he also let newlyweds borrow one of his antique autos for their wedding day or provided for funeral cars and the funeral meal for grieving employees. Contradiction in terms? I think not; he demanded the best for his business and supported his employees in times of great joy or sorrow.

If you allow the “Golden Rule” to be your guide and measurement in your dealings with people, you will likely pass the many tests of trust that will confront you daily. If you are viewed as a trusting organization and a learning, thinking organization you are well on your way to being a relational organization. People who are fortunate to work in these environments are energetic, enthusiastic and loyal.[/wcm_restrict][wcm_nonmember]

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About the Author

Frank McIntosh is author of The Relational Leader (Course Technology PTR, Cengage Learning 2010). During his 36 year career, Frank has worked with many of the most recognized companies and executives in the world. He has provided consulting services for peers across the country and helped initiate Junior Achievement programs in Ireland, the Ivory Coast, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Uzbekistan. Frank was inducted into the Delaware Business Leaders Hall of Fame in October 2008, one of 38 individuals so honored and the first not-for-profit executive to receive this distinction in Delaware’s 300 year business history. To read Frank’s complete biography, click here.

For more information regarding this subject, visit Frank McIntosh at his website www.FJMcIntosh.com.

Relational Leadership and Employee Retention – A Match, part 2 (Segment One)

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In my previous article I discussed creating a “learning – thinking” organization. Part Two will be presented in two segments and focuses on creating a trusting organization. To be trusted is to be authentic, a trait of a relational leader. Authenticity emerges from The Building Blocks of Trust as the foundation of the leadership quotient.

This article will examine the first five Building Blocks of Trust. Companies that score high in the Trust Index will see lower turnover and greater productivity.

Figure 1: The First Five Building Blocks of Trust

[wcm_restrict]Consistency is essential to trust. It’s the cornerstone. Consistency establishes the baseline for expectations. People’s work style flows directly from this information. Leaders, whose actions are scattered, cause workers to become disconcerted. This trait is among the most challenging because performance can’t be part-time, it must be all the time.

Baseball provides an excellent example. Umpires determine that a pitch is a ball or strike based on what is called the strike zone (roughly from the chest to the knees and over the plate). While the area is defined, umpires will tend to establish their own version of the zone, usually close but not always the same. Batters accept the difference as long as the umpire is consistent with his calls throughout the game. Players adjust and the game goes on without strife.

One view of fairness is that workplace practices are sensible for all parties. Also, it is important that individuals feel that their views are heard and listened to by someone in authority to act. It is not about getting your way. The individual believes that her perspective has meaning and is respected. Organizations like this are thought of as open.

For instance, at WL Gore and Company, any associate can call and talk with another associate (even if their last name is Gore) to discuss a thought or issue that bears on the success of the company. There are no boundaries and no closed doors. Gore is a very successful company specializing in its world renowned fabrics and becoming increasingly successful in medical products.

Words will always infer what actions will be observed. This alignment is a critical success factor in any human endeavor. If you are misaligned or inconsistent, you sow the seeds of mistrust, immediately. Be mindful that most people have not worked in a relational organization, so there is a built in sense of wariness that you must overcome as a relational leader.

To the above point everyone is human and thus will make mistakes. Typically making mistakes is OK; what‘s not OK is when the leader doesn’t admit to the error. Sometimes the nature of leadership requires decisions be made quickly, often in a crisis mode. These situations carry with them the highest degree of potential for error. Leadership’s big test is how it responds to mistakes.

True leaders can stands up and say, “I made a mistake, I own this, I am going to fix it, I’m not going to do it again.” I offer the difference of the public’s reaction to Tylenol versus British Petroleum, two CEO’s – one believed and one not so. One led their company to greater heights, while the other was pulled off the job.

The leader actively listens and observes. She is open to the thoughts of others. It is arrogant for an individual to believe she possesses the only good ideas. The conundrum for leaders is they are expected to generate the ideas, when they know there are other thinkers in the organization. Systems that are open to “creativity anywhere” will outdistance those in a closed system.

Next week we will complete our examination of the remaining Building Blocks of Trust.[/wcm_restrict][wcm_nonmember]

Hi there! This article is available for free. Login or register as a StrategyDriven Personal Business Advisor Self-Guided Client by:

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About the Author

Frank McIntosh is author of The Relational Leader (Course Technology PTR, Cengage Learning 2010). During his 36 year career, Frank has worked with many of the most recognized companies and executives in the world. He has provided consulting services for peers across the country and helped initiate Junior Achievement programs in Ireland, the Ivory Coast, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Uzbekistan. Frank was inducted into the Delaware Business Leaders Hall of Fame in October 2008, one of 38 individuals so honored and the first not-for-profit executive to receive this distinction in Delaware’s 300 year business history. To read Frank’s complete biography, click here.

For more information regarding this subject, visit Frank McIntosh at his website www.FJMcIntosh.com.