Napoleon Bonaparte said that “if you build an army of 100 lions and their leader is a dog, in any fight, the lions will die like a dog. BUT if you build an army of 100 dogs and their leader is a lion, all dogs will fight like a lion.”
Personal traits and skills can affect leadership. Ambition, drive, self-confidence, integrity, character, realism etc. are all part of what a good leader needs. Although there is a lot of negativity around a “militaristic leadership style” or otherwise known as an “authoritative leadership style”, there are a few positive things we can take from it. In the army they teach you team work and that people do what they are told. The Mindspa Instiute gives comprehensive Leadership training for staff, managers and executives. How can a leader get a team to believe that what they are told to do is actually what they need to do?
Sometimes Business leaders need to adapt or make a plan more adjustable. Although, they don’t want to change proven processes and techniques they want to strengthen outcomes. Leaders therefor, have to align their team so that they visualize the end goal. The military teaches leaders to be system-orientated, teamwork and perseverance, commitment and that there is higher purpose when keeping the end goal in mind.
When there is no system or process in place, in true military style, you create one. Leaders should create a flop-proof system to streamline processes and procedures to get the best results. If there is no process, it is as simple as create one.
In the military, teams are everything. You either work together or leave. This is the military way. Yes this forces people from different backgrounds and personalities to learn to respect each other and work together, but it also builds a cohesion and focus the team on a common goal to strive for the best results.
Another lesson leaders can learn is that of strategy. Armies don’t go into a fight without proper training and planning. Leaders should equip their staff with knowledge and skills to get to the common goal. By aligning the team to visualize the goal, the strategy should be adapted to implement the actions to achieve the desired outcomes. Through making the team accountable for these results, you as the leader give them ownership. Also in the military you are held responsible for the team and the outcomes.
In many research and articles, authors focus on military leaders’ understanding of organizational, direct and strategic levels of leadership. Mission accomplishments through a well-organized and disciplined team are of utmost importance. An army leader is also encouraged to inspire people and through this influence the team to pursue the actions while shaping their decisions and getting them to focus so that everything is done to benefit the organization.
The most successful leaders, who achieve greatness, take a holistic approach, combining all the attributes of the different leadership styles to adapt to each situation and challenge as well as to the requirements of the people involved, making leadership more about the needs of others and the organization, than the selfish needs of him/herself.
*The Mindspa Institute designs a tailored Leadership Development Programme structured for the South African Business World. Combining all the leadership skills, traits and knowledge to help the leaders of your organization to motivate, inspire and give clear direction to their teams as to create focused thinking.
