LEFIELD TO BOARDROOM hip Lessons From a Military Commander
Instead, “leadership is an art and a science” that requires knowing and understanding your team and setting a culture and environment that motivates them to achieve your mission. One tool for monitoring a team’s culture is a framework Kirkpatrick has developed called “The Law of the 5 Cs.” The first C is the Conscientious Zone. At this stage, individuals work hard as they learn the rules. However, it isn’t the best place to be because people lack the confidence to make sound decisions. The second C is the Confidence Zone, where good leaders want their organizations to stay. At this stage, individuals know how the organization works and have the confidence to do the right thing. The third, fourth, and fifth Cs are setbacks to avoid. In the Comfort Zone, people stop following procedures or building relationships, opting for comfort over healthy risk-taking. Teams that get too comfortable will likely skid into the
Complacency Zone, where they ignore winning policies, disciplines, and processes. Teams at this stage risk slipping into the fifth C — organizational Chaos. To avoid those pitfalls, Kirkpatrick says to surround yourself with people with the ability and courage to challenge your decisions, stay attuned to your team’s performance, and always think five or six steps ahead of your competition. “That
requires you to be on the razor’s edge as a leader,” Kirkpatrick says. “If that’s not what you want to do, then don’t sign up for leadership.”
Next month: Col. (Retired) Kirkpatrick expands on three principles of leadership that apply across the professions, including business, sports, and the military.
Col. (Retired) Kirkpatrick addresses his soldiers on the last day of their control of Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan
CARDINAL COCOA FROSTY GARLAND GENEROSITY MENORAH MITTENS PEPPERMINT PINECONES SNUGGLE UNITY YULE
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