What can corporate leaders learn from the military?

I was recently asked to give a talk by a corporate leader on this question and spent a great deal of time thinking about it. Having spent over thirty years in the US Army and commanded at several levels to include leading soldiers in combat, I hoped that I would have something useful to share. Since retiring from the military I have had the opportunity to speak on leadership and conduct many leadership workshops, so the question intrigued me.

One thing that makes examining the military organizations interesting is that they are all the same. A mechanize infantry or artillery battalion is designed respectively to have the same number of soldiers, same equipment, and an equal number of junior leaders. Each of them is supposed to have specific training and experience that qualifies them for their position. Despite this fact, some units perform better than others even if they are in the same location and have the same mission. The difference is often leadership throughout the organization. President Dwight Eisenhower defined leadership as “the ability to decide what has to be done, and then get people to want to do it.” This power is often the ingredient that separates success from failure. So what can corporate leaders learn by looking at the military?

Tanya McCauslandOctober 22, 2014Comment

Critical Thinking and Myanmar

Last week I travelled to Myanmar as part of a US Track 2 negotiation team to discuss weapons of mass destruction with a group of senior retired Myanmarese officers. Prior to my departure I also taught a seminar to my students on critical thinking. It was a pretty eclectic week, and as I flew home it occurred to me that my trip to Yangon, Myanmar had expanded my understanding of critical thinking and its importance.

If you look for a definition of “critical thinking,” you may very likely find the following:

“Critical thinking is the ability to effectively receive information, evaluate the information, recall prior information, assimilate information by comparing differences and determining cause and effect, and evaluating the information to make decisions and solve problems”. It is closely related to the scientific method in our approach to problem solving and has been identified as a crucial aspect of any education.

Tanya McCauslandSeptember 30, 2014Comment

Teambuilding

If you are a sports fan like me, you were enthralled by the performance of excellent teams during the World Cup. Everyone who follows the so-called beautiful game marveled at the teamwork exhibited on the playing field. Americans were delighted at the efforts of the U.S. national team, who proved the old adage that the total is greater than the sum of the parts.

As the summer progressed, sports fans were engrossed in speculation about what NBA team LeBron James would join, as his addition would make them a future contender. While his decision to return to Cleveland may or may not result in a championship, most sports fans appeared somewhat pleased that his decision was motivated at least in part by a desire to return to his hometown team. As the summer wanes, baseball fans like me are engrossed at decisions by major league teams to move young players from the minors to the major leagues or seek last minute trades to improve a team’s chances for a final run towards the World Series.

Tanya McCauslandSeptember 2, 2014 Comment

CBS News – U.S. mission to rescue refugees unlikely

On a recent episode of CBS’s “Up to the Minute” Diamond6 CEO Jeff McCausland provided some keen insights into the current problems that the Iraqi military faces, especially in light of the strengthened ISIS forces. Jeff also discussed the challenges faced by refugees and the United States governments, proffering some enlightening thoughts on how the situation is developing. Take a minute and follow the link here to hear Jeff’s thoughts on the situation.

Tanya McCauslandAugust 19, 2014Comment

Leadership for What?

I frequently begin leadership workshops with the following question: “how do you define leadership?” I find this an intriguing way to start a conversation as it gets a new group to begin to think about this complex topic and it ignites a broad discussion. In response you could Google the word “leadership”, but you will get a large and varied number of definitions.

After a while I tell the group that I prefer the definition provided by President Dwight Eisenhower. Eisenhower once observed, “Leadership is the ability to decide what has to be done, and then get people to want to do it.” I find this particularly fascinating. Eisenhower was one of only a handful of five star generals in the history of our nation and subsequently served two terms as President. He was also President of Columbia University. You might imagine that having held these lofty positions Ike would have been use to just giving orders and expecting them to be carried out immediately and vigorously. But he was wise enough to realize that to get the maximum effort from any follower or team meant getting them to want to do it.

Tanya McCauslandAugust 4, 2014Comment

The Doomed?

George Santayana’s enduring quote has been seen, or heard, by many of us since we were in secondary school. Understanding these words is one thing, but understanding, learning and acting based on this statement could be the single act of courage that transforms a leader from ordinary to extraordinary.

History is replete with the names of leaders who “set the example” they demanded their colleagues follow. Hitler, Saddam Hussein, James Jones, Kenneth Lay, Bernie Madoff. But these “leaders” lacked important qualities — ethics and integrity. How might history have been different if enough courageous people in these circumstances had stood together against the tide? While that takes extraordinary fortitude on the part of the participant, is there a viable, acceptable alternative? Martin Luther King said about a particularly challenging period in our national growth, “History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.”

Tanya McCauslandJuly 15, 2014 Comments

Understanding Lincoln – Presidents at War: Conflicts with Generals

If you hadn’t heard, our colleague and resident Abraham Lincoln expert Matt Pinsker has been conducting an incredible on-line course titled “Understanding Lincoln.” Diamond6 CEO Jeff McCausland was asked to participate. This most recent session focused the conflicts Lincoln faced with his generals. The responses to the discussion from grateful teachers has been incredible so far, all of them along the lines of this excerpt:

– “I thought yesterday’s discussion was incredibly intelligent.”

Tanya McCauslandJuly 1, 2014Comment

Understanding Lincoln

Our colleague and resident Abraham Lincoln expert Matt Pinsker is conducting an incredible on-line course titled “Understanding Lincoln.” Diamond6 CEO Jeff McCausland was asked to participate. The responses to the discussion from grateful teachers has been incredible. We’ve included some below:

Tanya McCauslandJune 24, 2014Comment

Leadership Insights from “A Day of Infamy”

This past summer I was fortunate to conduct a leadership seminar for a corporate group in Honolulu using the attack on Pearl Harbor our case study. This encouraged me to do extensive background reading on the tragic events of December 7th 1941 and the days immediately following. I also visited the sites in Hawaii that were attacked. The effort reaffirmed my belief that during crises the best (and sometimes the worst….) about leadership in any organization is underscored at such moments of great stress. Clearly, this consideration is not in any way meant to glorify war, as I have personally seen far too much of war’s horror and destruction. But it is rather to consider the day of infamy (that is so remembered by nearly every American and others around the world) from the perspective of what can any leader learn from this tragedy that might well resonate today? As we approach the seventy-second anniversary of the attack there are a large number of important insights that can be taken from this iconic event. The following are just a few.

Tanya McCauslandDecember 5, 2013 Comment

Your 3-step crisis management plan

As Henry Kissinger famously said, “There cannot be a crisis today; my schedule is already full!”

Unfortunately, crises have no respect for our busy calendars. That is why it is of utmost importance that every organization, big or small, have a crisis management plan.

In mental health terms, a crisis refers not necessarily to a traumatic situation or event, but to a person’s reaction. One person might be deeply affected by an incident, while another person suffers little or no ill effects. Furthermore, the Chinese word for crisis presents a good depiction of its components. The word crisis in Chinese is formed by two other characters — danger and opportunity. A crisis presents an obstacle, trauma, or threat, but it also presents a chance for either organizational growth or decline.

Tanya McCauslandNovember 21, 2013Comment

Battle of Yorktown Leadership Workshop

The Battle of Yorktown was the decisive victory that led to American victory in the Revolutionary War and our independence.The Battle of Yorktown serves as a perfect “leadership laboratory” to consider enduring principles such as ethics, strategic planning, team building, decision-making, and conflict resolution to name but a few.

The Watergate Crisis Leadership Workshop

During a fateful few days the nation faced not only a political crisis brought about by President Nixon’s firing of Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox but also the Yom Kippur war in the Middle East that brought the US into direct confrontation with the Soviet Union. Historians refer to this as the “Saturday Night Massacre”, but it was truly a “crisis within a crisis”.

The Attack on Pearl Harbor Leadership Workshop

December 7th, 1941 is an iconic date marking the attack on Pearl Harbor. The actions of leaders on both sides of this historic battle made the difference in the turn of events on that day, for better or for worse.

Battle of Gettysburg Leadership Workshop

The Battle of Gettysburg was the largest battle ever fought on the North American continent. This workshop begins with an overview of the battle, providing the historic background essential to understanding strategic leadership decisions that were made by both the North and South, setting the stage for this iconic event.

Battle of Bull Run Leadership Workshop

The Battle of Bull Run was the first major battle of the American Civil War. This workshop begins in Washington, DC. A brief introduction will provide a leadership overview and historic background essential to the Battle of Bull Run.

Battle of the Alamo Leadership Workshop

The Alamo is a timeless event shrouded in legend and lore. The struggle of 189 Texans against over 2,000 Mexican soldiers for 13 days is a tale that inspires Americans even today and has been captured in several films. But underneath the iconic, legendary figures and the constant retelling of the story by Hollywood is a classic case study for leadership which is relevant for all modern-day leaders.

Battle of Antietam Leadership Workshop

The Battle of Antietam is the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with a combined tally of 22,717 dead, wounded, or missing. In order to understand how and why battles are fought it is important to first understand the larger operational, strategic, and political context in which they occur.

experiential workshopTanya McCauslandNovember 20, 2013antietam

Churchill Leadership Workshop

Sir Winston Churchill The Battle of Gettysburg was the largest battle ever fought on the North American continent. This workshop begins with an overview of the battle, providing the historic background essential to understanding strategic leadership decisions that were made by both the North and South, setting the stage for this iconic event.

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