Extreme leadership

Enough to lead to one to sacrifice his life. What would lead one to do such a thing? We don’t need to go far for examples. The suicide bomber. The soldier who jumps onto a grenade. The kamikaze pilot or banzai charge. The parent who rushes into traffic to save a child.

I completed my company command interview this past Tuesday. Part of the interview required that I show up with a packet of documents, to include a command philosophy.

I chose not to create a command philosophy. I’ll create it with the unit, if I get selected. (I think I mentioned it in my last article – I really should get to writing daily again.)

How? What will the meeting look like?

It’ll center around asking and answering that question: What conditions could we set to lead the team to give everything it has to our success?

Why does the soldier risk his life to save another? Simon Sinek puts it best; not for God or country, but as they all say, “Because they would’ve done it for me.”

Reciprocation. That one feels safe enough to take the risk, to take the initiative, because he feels confident enough in both himself and in those whom he has come to trust, that they would do the same for him.

Confidence. That he feels confident in himself to do so.

Psychological safety.

Purpose.

Contribution…

The list goes on with values that the unit could elicit from the question.

The why represents the cause; the how and what, the effect.

The front sight focus will be the cause, the conditions for success.

The rear sight aperture will be our rules and regulations. The how.

The blurry black center will be our mission, our vision, already prescribed; no need to re-invent that wheel. The what.