3 Thoughts for Effective and Strategic Leadership (Blog Series)

The blog that follows is the second posting in the blog series of Effective and Strategic Leadership Thoughts by David H. Huntoon, Jr.

View Effective and Strategic Leadership Thoughts #1 through #4

5. Work hard to sustain your health, fitness and rest; you may never achieve complete balance but you should always try.

Senior leaders often focus so much effort on accomplishing the mission day in and day out that they create imbalance in their own lives. Self-imposed or statutory deadlines, the inherent stress of large scale responsibility, the continuous expectations of your staff, your clients, your customers, your oversight structure, your peers, and yourself create major burdens. Leaders often react by giving the vast majority of their finite waking hours to the leadership role at the expense of other important activities. Over time both the leader and the organization can be less effective and efficient. Outcomes can range from not enough leader sleep to a physical or emotional collapse from overwork. Calls for balance in leaders are common and never simple, but they should be heeded. It is easy to get caught up in the multiple responsibilities of senior leadership and fail to set aside time and reflection on your own life and on your commitment to your family and friends. It is important to re-connect with those things that give you self-esteem and a sense of value outside the work place. Good health is central to your leadership success, captured by the Latin expression: “mens sana in corpore sano” – a sound mind in a sound body. Without a physical and emotional wellness you will never succeed over the long haul as a successful leader. You will also be sending the wrong example to your team by neglecting your own health. Fitness is a key sub component of that health. A commitment to a regular fitness regimen can carry you through a crisis, keep your thinking clear, improve the quality of your rest, and give you more years to move your organization forward. Finally, sleep deficit is a common problem who those who are so focused on work that they fail to recover when they are off work. In the military profession this is particularly hard to resolve in assignments where 24/7 is a reality and stress levels are high. But even when leading an operational mission against a clear and present danger, a successful leader sets the right example by facing adversity in a calm, collected and balanced manner.

6. Your legacy will not be found on a dusty wall plaque; it will be your reputation among those who know you, and those future leaders whom you have developed.

In the military profession we often present well deserved awards and citations for achievement. This formally recognizes the values of the organization and helps to anchor the cultural values of the team. What endures from your lifetime of service as a leader is more substantial. Two of the most important elements are your reputation and your leader development legacy. Your reputation from those who know you matters. It is a general sense of your character and integrity, your reliability and accountability, your competence, courage, candor and compassion. That reputation will continue to provide you with opportunities to serve, and is measured by healthy and humble self-esteem, not fortune. The thousands of men and women whom you have developed to be better leaders by your own example is the other major element of your legacy as a senior leader. If most of those whom you teach, coach and mentor – and lead – believe that you are the right role model for their own future then you will have truly accomplished a great thing in your life. That is the legacy of teachers in all professions – those who inspire as leaders by their own example.

7.  The precision of language matters; words and their sequencing have finite meaning. You are marked as a successful strategic leader by your writing and speaking. Do not outsource your intellect. Take every opportunity you have to speak to an audience. Excellence in clear and coherent communications – in your own voice – is a key leadership trait.

The power of the written and spoken word is increasingly important to senior leaders. They employ more indirect leadership skills given the broad nature of their responsibilities for larger and more geographically dispersed organizations. Strategic communications in your own voice is essential in bringing your vision to life, and in listening to and responding to your teams. In your authentic retelling of your goals and objectives you strengthen a collective commitment in your organization. Make it a good habit to use simple, straightforward language, precise in its meaning, to convey your leadership intent. Augment that approach through speeches to your many audiences and those of organizations with whom you are partnered or who support you. Is there a major change ahead for the team? A restructuring? A downsizing? An expansion? Be the messenger in person, and set the example for the committed and articulate leader. A ghost writer or a speechwriter who is unedited can alter your vision and the authenticity of your leadership voice. Your own genuine, strategic communication will inspire your organization to not only follow your lead but to exceed you expectations through their own contributions to your common purpose.

View Effective and Strategic Leadership Thoughts #1 through #4

Having Leadership Challenges?

If your organization finds that it is having challenges with developing and sustaining effective leadership, then we encourage you to contact us for assistance.  Principal consultant David H. Huntoon, Jr. possesses extensive leadership development experience that can bring sustainable results to your organization.

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