The Leadership Enigma
120: Connected Leaders - Lessons from combat missions | John Spencer
John Spencer is the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies and a 25-year veteran of the US military having served two combat tours. He is also the author of ‘Connected Soldiers.’
John joined the US military at age of 17 as a Private, working his way through to the senior ranks which allowed him to explore the ‘burden of command.’
When the bullets were flying, instinct and training kicked in. However, it’s during the downtime and when the mission is not clear that leadership skills became even more important to inspire, communicate and create an environment of trust, sacrifice and true connection.
John remembers taking over a dysfunctional team of soldiers where he realised that the WHY was even more important than the WHAT of any mission or task as he slowly crafted them into an elite team.
War requires a group response made up of complex individuals and leaders must set the standard and communicate clearly to all. John reinforces that shared understanding is at the foundation for success for all teams. For John the highest form of power was not rank but reverent power where he had the respect of the team, based on his ability to speak from a position of strength of having risen through the ranks himself. No one starts as the CEO, we move from individual contributor to team player to leader of others.
John understands the power of connection for all teams. The bonds between individuals is a powerful mechanism for high performance. How well do you actually know the people on your team? As the world changes, new connections now exist that did not exist in the past, for example the digital social connections and tribe that most people have.
Leaders must understand what connective functions or activities need to be done organisationally that complement the countless connective mechanisms that people have and require on a personal level.
John talks about the importance of his team eating together as an important function of simply creating connections that were leveraged when the bullets started to fly. Everyone wants a leader that they WANT to follow. Your leader’s shadow has a ripple impact and is representative of your entire team and organisation.
John also outlines a powerful story of how some recruits found Covid restrictions disastrous for their ability to bond and connect.
This is an inspiring episode full of humility, courage, human centred focus, and deep insight created from operating in life and death combat missions.
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