13 Nov 24
A landmark speech given at a Training Camp in the US in 1917, prior to battle, sheds an illuminating insight into three core areas which all leaders would be well advised to master.
The speech provides us with reassurance that, despite time moving on, the challenges of leading people remain broadly similar.
Consequently, being able to lead people first depends on a leader's ability to know their men (team), know their business and know themselves.
Master these three key areas and solid foundations are then laid on which a leader can further build and refine their skillsets.
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#37 - Bach to the Future!
What?
There have been many texts written about the art of leading people over the years. In most cases, the language and what is actually being described may well be a product of its time.
But there is still read across, because leading people is leading people. People in the 21st Century may well be more intelligent, but there are a surprising amount of characteristics that are still very much valid to this day.
One of those is a speech given to a large group of US Cavalrymen at their graduation ceremony at the Second Training Camp at Fort Sheridan in 1917 by a US Army Officer. The fact that it was given on the eve of them marching off the fight in the trenches on the Western Front gives it added poignancy.
The Officer making the speech was Major C. A. Bach US Army.
Major Bach was an instructor who had worked his way up through the ranks, and so had a rich experiential foundation to draw from. He used this to ensure that his troops were as best prepared as they could be, before they faced the horrors of trench warfare.
In his speech, he distilled his wisdom and experience into three main themes that would ensure that his men were as prepared as they could ever be.
He stated:
'If you are to be a successful leader, know your men, know your business, know yourself.'
The speech was considered so definitive at the time, that it was made a Congessional document in order to ensure that it was recorded for posterity.
Why?
Why is this important?
Sometimes we can be blinded by the sheer volume of writings on leadership. Each one claiming to 'come in on leadership but from a different angle.'
Fads come and go. But when you boil it down to the bare bones of what leadership actually is, certain themes remain independent of the time in which they were written.
The challenges of leadership experienced on the eve of battle in 1917 remain just as relevant to us today in 2024.
As leaders, one of the tasks which we must always work on is to simplify complexity.
Leadership is complex, it's a dynamic discipline requiring a range of skills to be able to discharge it properly and effectively.
But at the end of the day, by striving to get really good by applying focus in just three key areas, leaders won't go far wrong!
How?
So how should leaders apply this?
Let's take each area in turn:
- Know your Men - This can sometimes be so obvious that it is hidden in plain sight. Every team is a collective of individuals who all bring a certain unique skillset. The trick is to get them all aligned and working together for the common good. Knowing when to bring them in to deliver 'their bit' is key because this drives their sense of purpose. In order for this to be done effectively, you need to know what they are capable of, what motivates them (and vice versa), who can be relied upon and who needs more firm encouragement. Once you are able to understand their commitment, competence and consistency of output and behaviours, you can choreograph them appropriately by motivating each individual within an environment which you have created to nurture this for each person.
- Know your Business - There is nothing worse than someone being in a position of authority who is clearly out of their depth; someone who doesn't know their job well enough to recognise the impact of an issue that may be staring them in the face; someone who equally has no clue of the levers that they can pull to ensure resolution or to provide speedy support to their team. As a leader you cannot be expected to know all the answers. Also, it is impossible for a leader to know absolutely everything that goes on within their departments. That approach would drive a leader into the tactical weeds from which they would find it difficult to extract themselves. This is why leaders must rely on their SMEs (subject matter experts). But what a leader can and must do is ask questions, a lot of questions, to elicit the information that is required to make decisions. Asking the right questions is a super-power to master!
- Know Yourself - In the same way as a leader will know how their car performs i.e. its fuel consumption, its stopping distances, its top speed, how it handles at speed around a bend etc, then they should understand how they themselves operate. What delights them? What irritates them? What are the tripwires and red lines which drives behaviours that a leader should strive to avoid? When do one operate at peak performance? And when perhaps not? Are leaders self-sabotaging their own performance envelope because they do not know how to operate themselves at their most effective and efficient?
A comprehensive knowledge of just these three areas alone will allow leaders to then focus on refining how they lead over time.
Get the basics right, and the rest will follow!
In Summary
I hope that you enjoyed reading this newsletter and that it has given you food for thought.
Leadership is both simple and complex! Master the three basic areas and these will act as a solid foundation on which a leader can build yet more skills which can be further refined over time.
Have a great week!
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