A couple of years ago I noticed that I needed to slide my glasses down my nose to read. The optometrist I spoke with told me that I was going to run out of nose before this normal process of aging ended (“presbyopia” comes from Greek, “presbus” and “op” or literally “old man’s eyes”). As I left the Army, I was fitted with bifocals. They made it easier to look through the otoscope and to read the Kindle, but the middle distance was still blurry (e.g. looking at the computer screen). The next time I ran into an optometrist I asked whether I needed tri-focals. With age I have noticed the need for a “tri-focal” approach to leadership as well.
If we are paying attention, the first thing we learn in leading is judgment. We begin to recognize patterns in the behavior of superiors, peers and subordinates and we develop sets of responses to those patterns that have the probability of a favorable outcome. Bad judgment is almost always retrospective. Good judgment is the product of perception, understanding, knowledge and experience combined with flexibility and agility in crafting a response. The first step in the evolution of effective leadership is knowing what needs to be done.
The second step is execution. I used to tell new staff members that what I was looking for was people who have the ability to finish what they started. At the lower (tactical) level it takes an ability to prioritize, not to over-commit, to persevere, and to follow-through. With more senior positions (operational) it takes an ability to coordinate with different teams for tasks that cannot be accomplished alone. At the highest levels (strategic) it requires delegation, clear group goal-setting, and the ability to hold subordinates and peers (even harder) accountable to accomplish their tasks. This second step often distinguishes truly effective leaders. It is the ability to get things done.
Leaders with judgment and the ability to execute act in ways that affect others. The more senior the leader the more critical it is that he or she takes into account the perceptions of others. They must demonstrate cognizance: the ability to know, to notice and to be aware. Actions have second, third (tenth…?) orders of effect on all “stakeholders” and leaders must learn to be cognizant of how actions affect and are perceived by others. This includes individual leader actions (e.g. enjoying the perks of senior leadership and discounting the perception of subordinates) as well as organizational actions (e.g. shifting a group’s mission and ignoring the effects on one group of customers).
In April 2003, when LTC Chris Hughes and his soldiers were confronted by an angry mob in the holy city of Najaf, Iraq, he ordered his men to take a knee and point their weapons toward the ground. The situation was diffused, the crowd calmed and he was able to safely withdraw his men without compromising his mission (which was to maintain peace and establish presence). He demonstrated judgment, execution and importantly cognizance in the situation; keys to effective “tri-focal” leadership.
By the way, the optometrist I spoke with told me that the lenses I needed weren’t called “tri-focals.”
They’re called “progressive.”
It’s an apt description.
Chuck Callahan Henry V 4.3 – Lead from the Front https://henryv43.wordpress.com/
Henry V 4.3 