The Stuff of Leaders - Part IV

The Stuff of Leaders - Part IV
Tags: Operations Management, Staffing & Training
November 22, 2011

Over the course of my 37 year career in the restaurant industry, I have had the privilege of serving in leadership positions at all organizational levels, from restaurant assistant manager to CEO. This is Part IV of a multi-part blog that will delve into my personal thoughts on leadership, and how it can help shape our industry. Click here for Part III, here for Part II, and here for Part I.

What does it take to be a great leader? Of what are they made? What inspires them? Certainly, every leader must be measured by the results on the bottom line, and most leaders are driven accordingly. But profit cannot be the only yard stick. I believe a common thread among great leaders is a desire to examine your legacy, and know that you made a difference not only on the balance sheet or the battlefield, but that you made a difference in the personal lives of those you led, so that perhaps they too will be inspired to lead others in a similar fashion.

I mention the battlefield, because when it comes to leadership, there is no greater example of the complexities of leadership and the application of a variety of leadership styles.

While I have never served in the military myself, I have been a student and enthusiast of WWII military history for most of my life. About a dozen years ago, I embarked upon the study of the United States Army 4th Armored Division, which served as the most important part of General Patton's famous Third Army during the campaign in Europe in 1944/45. My studies led to my writing a definitive history of the division. During my research, I got to know many veterans of the division. Some of those men have passed on, but many others survive today into their late 80's and 90s. Every one of them was a hero in their own right.

I never had the honor and privilege of meeting the commanding general of the division during most of its history. He passed away long before I embarked upon the project. But through the personal interactions I had with the men he commanded, I feel as though I knew him. His name was Major General John Shirley Wood. I would be very surprised if you have heard of John Shirley Wood. But he personifies the word "leader" in a profession that places demands upon its leaders unlike any other. And I believe there are great lessons in store for those who learn a little bit about him.

What made General Wood such a great leader?

For starters, he possessed an intellectual capacity that made him a critical thinker. He was not a blind follower and possessed a healthy dose of skepticism for the status quo. And it is important to note that he welcomed this trait among the men he commanded. To be a great leader, you need not be the smartest man or woman in the organization. But you must not fear surrounding yourself with people who are smarter than yourself.

Another critical trait: General Wood suffered the deprivations of his men. He knew that one cannot rightly ask the people you lead to make great sacrifices when you yourself are not willing to do many of the same things. General Wood turned down the usual trappings and creature comforts that a commanding general would normally enjoy. For example, while his division was engaged in combat, he eschewed the ornate command trailer afforded others of his rank. Rather, he worked from a field tent under the same conditions that his men were subject to.

By contrast, the manner in which some of today's leaders in all walks of life misapply the wealth of their businesses and institutions in full view of their subordinates is nothing short of disgusting. I would never pass judgment upon someone for what they do with their personal wealth. But when the leaders of business, or charities, or government....you name the institution...when they use the resources of their organizations and the product of their team's efforts for self aggrandizement? Well, that is something that poisons the inspirational well from which the team drinks.

On many occasions, General Wood led from the front, spurring on his subordinates all the way down to the rank of private at the very cutting edge of the battlefield. He never felt he had the moral authority to ask his men to do something that he himself would not do. The commitment he received in return was incredible. Word of his visits to the front circulated among the units of the division, which numbered nearly 13,000 men at full strength. He could not be everywhere and touch everyone, but his reputation grew and preceded him.

Perhaps most important of all, General Wood always kept a balance between the need to accomplish his mission and the well being of his men. He loved his men, which made the task of sending them into battle more difficult. But he knew that the best way to protect them, yet accomplish the mission at hand, was to provide them with the very best training. Superior training is something that is critical to every successful team, whether on the battlefield, the football field, or the kitchen of your restaurant.

While some might think that military analogies are overused, I emphasize that this is where the greatest lessons on leadership are learned. There is no avenue of life where the stakes are any greater and the repercussions of failed leadership are more severe. All who aspire to be great leaders would do well to find a role model within the military realm, and try to apply some of what they learn to their business.