Thucycices: On Leadership (Nicias) 8/30/17

Nicias: diplomat, strategos, politician, warrior, * Thucydides, on the "Peloponnesian War," 431-404 BCE, teaches leadership throughout his history. So far we have looked at Brasidas, Cleon, Pericles, King Archidamus, Alcibiades, Thucydides himself and now Nicias. Nicias, like most of the leaders of his time, was from an aristocratic family; part of the cultural elite, but unlike his political opponents he usually favored peace (which is interesting since his name means "nike" victory). He first opposed Pericles action of ending the treaty that triggered the war and later opposed Alcibiades who argued to continue the war following the death of Pericles. Perhaps the most important moment of the war was when Nicias, hoping to thwart the decision to send troops to Sicily, suggested a "poison pill," in order to kill the idea. Instead of opposing the plan outright he recommended the Athenians send a huge amount of troops, believing this would cause the Athenians to reject the idea. Instead, to quote Wilson, "His opposition to Alcibiades's ambitious plans for the Sicilian expedition backfired; he became a victim of his own rhetorical sleight-of-hand and ended up as commander of the expedition."* Far more than a reluctant warrior; Nicias was now the leader of a whole new front in a war he opposed from the beginning. Things went from bad to worse in their attack, siege and attempted escape from Syracuse, the Sicilian capital, including a lunar eclipse just as the Athenians attempted to make their escape (which Nicias believed to be a bad omen). In the end, Nicias' entire force was either killed or captured and enslaved. The Athenians never recovered from this loss and it signaled the beginning of the decline in Greek power. The story of Nicias is one of a leader who fought in a war he did not believe in, who took on a great responsibility without believing it could succeed. Nicias wished for peace but attempted to manipulate the emotions of the crowd. His duplicity cost him his life and cost Athens their place in the world. Army Leadership Doctrine: ADRP 6-22, 11-15 says, "The ability to provide clear vision is vital to the strategic leader...the strategic leader must personally commit to it, gain commitment from the organization as a whole, and persistently pursue the goals and objectives that will spread the vision throughout the organization. Pursuing a goal or vision that you do not believe in will likely end in failure. Self-awareness and self-management can help you control your reactions to various events but you cannot "manage" a values conflict. Each leader must know their values and stand for their beliefs. Volunteering to lead something you oppose is both cynical and self-serving. *This reflection is based on my own personal reading of Thucydides, see The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War, by Robert B. Strassler ed. or The Peloponnesian War: Oxford World's Classics, Rhodes and Hammon Trans., or The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan; or The Great Courses, Masters of War: History's Greatest Strategic Thinkers by Andrew R. Wilson, lecture 2 and 3. I highly recommend Wilsons' lectures that really explain and illustrate strategic thinking. ** For a religious thought consider Romans 1:18-25 and the conversation with Pilate about truth in the Gospels (a fascinating conversation with a cynical politician). From a human and spiritual perspective (non-theistic) consider The Four Noble Truths by the Dalai Lama which all center on suffering.

Suicide Prevention 9/6/17

Suicide Prevention: A Leadership Issue* September is suicide prevention month. USACC has about a dozen serious incident reports every week that are related to suicide. During my last 22 years I have taught suicide prevention hundreds of times and have always used a "buddy care" approach based on the theory that the Soldier closest is in the best position to spot the symptoms and intervene. Though this is true, suicide prevention is also a leadership issue. Just this last spring (remember before CST) America's attention was drawn to a hit Netflix show called "13 Reasons Why" that dramatizes, some say glamorizes, the suicide issue. One criticism of the show is that the focus is primarily on the teenagers, who bullied, abused and even violated the heroine, but not on the adults (with the exception of the school guidance counselor). Though "13 Reasons Why" leaves lots of room for criticism it reopens the discussion about suicide in America. So what role do leaders (adults) play in confronting this problem? First, leaders need to demand an environment of dignity and respect. In an environment where people are not valued, and appropriately protected, bad behavior grows and people get hurt (both words and actions matter). Second, leaders need to know their team. This includes taking the time to get to know each member, assessing their needs and developing them as a person. It should never be a surprise to a leader when one of their team is struggling, however, getting past the façade often only happens when you invest the time to show you actually care. Third, leaders need to get to know the background (including the family) of their team members. Most suicides are related to relationship issues so leaders need to ask, and keep asking, in a way that shows genuine interest and invites open communication. Fourth, be human. If you always present a façade to your team they will not feel comfortable sharing their struggles with you. This is a bit tricky since some people don't know where to draw boundaries with others much less stay inside them. The best advice may be to confine your transparency to past experiences until you know how others will respond. One of the best examples I know of is my friend Dave Roever who, in giving his Vietnam War testimony to thousands of audiences over the last 30+ years, relates his own suicide attempt after being horribly disfigured in combat. His honesty, and even self-deprecating humor, on this issue is a great example. I don't know anyone who has not been affected in some way by suicide and there is no single element that will diminish it. However, to quote John Maxwell, "Everything stands or falls on leadership."** Army Leadership Doctrine: ADRP 6-22, 7-5 through 7-31 describes a proper command environment (climate), 7-49 through 7-90 describes building teams, 6-42 discusses balancing mission and welfare, 6-43/44 emphasizes taking care of Soldiers and Army Civilians, 6-45 through 6-47 provides tips on identifying high risk behavior. Basically, building teams and caring for members is woven through the warp and woof of the entire document. *This is a personal reflection based on my own experience. Please feel free to respond to with your own observations. ** For a religious thought consider Matthew 27: 3-5. Even one of Jesus' disciples (Judas) chose suicide after betraying Jesus to be tortured and crucified. Also, consider Peter who also betrayed Jesus yet was forgiven Luke 22-54-62. From a human and spiritual perspective (non-theistic) consider the article "Meditation isn't enough: A Buddhist Perspective on Suicide" (google search) where Rinzler argues for traditional therapeutic methods.

Leadership Styles 9/14/17

Leadership Styles* The Mission Command Workshop is on the 26th. Part of that material will be Daniel Goleman's book; Leadership that Gets Results. Goleman describes 6 styles of leadership including: visionary, coaching, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting and commanding. Visionary is the most positive and in many ways the most powerful. Perhaps you have heard the words of King Solomon "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18). Unlike visualization, where you manipulate something in your mind that already exists, visioning is imagining something that does not exist. Steven Covey says, "everything is created twice," first in the mind and then in the corporeal world. Visioning is the first step of creation. The leader determines the vision, "casts" the vision (communication), then works to bring the organization into alignment with the vision. As Goleman notes, visionary leadership is very powerful since the leader can give feedback, without offending followers, because it's about the vision not the individual. Visionary leadership is powerful approach in many settings including the workplace the community and the family. Any group of people who have a clear idea of their purpose, mission and goals will be happier, more fulfilled and more willing to cooperate. Army Leadership Doctrine: ADRP 6-22, 1-19 the Mission Command philosophy is designed to "enable disciplined initiative" and empower "critical and creative problem solvers." 6-5 through 6-21 bears some similarities to Goleman's 6 styles and 6-22 to 41 describes some methods to achieve mission success. However, these paragraphs do demonstrate the difference between Goleman and Army doctrine. The Army model is generally more authoritative (perhaps what Goleman would call commanding). For a quick overview of the 6 styles see the video with Goleman at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkadAhDnPYk For a fascinating essay on the creative process by Isaac Asimov go to https://www.technologyreview.com/s/531911/isaac-asimov-asks-how-do-people-get-new-ideas/ The quote above by Covey is from his book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." *This is a personal reflection based on my own experience. Please feel free to respond to with your own observations. ** For a religious thought consider Acts 2:17. From a human and spiritual perspective (non-theistic) consider "A Force for Good: The Dalai Lama's Vision for Our World" by Daniel Goleman.

Leadership Styles 10/4/17

Leadership Styles* During the Mission Command Workshop next week attendees will see excerpts from the film "12'O Clock High." Many of you know that MG Hughes is a fan of the film because it portrays many of the styles of leadership Daniel Goleman describes in his book "Leadership that Gets Results." The last two weeks we covered visionary and coaching but the others are; affiliative, democratic, pacesetting and coercive. In the film the protagonist BG Savage, played by Gregory Peck, primarily uses the coercive style to "shock" the 918th Bomber Group away from a focus on themselves and back to the mission; fighting the Luftwaffe. However, he also affectively uses the pacesetting, authoritative and visionary styles to win over many of the formal and informal leaders within the organization. Many of you may remember the film from CGSCOC or ILE, it was part of the leadership block, however that instruction stopped short of all the lessons the film can teach. The film effectively portrays how a leader can use many different styles of leadership to powerfully influence followers and achieve stunning results. Though much in this old B&W film is from another time/place the lessons it teaches are just as vital to leaders today. The ability to use a variety of styles can empower leaders to accomplish great things. Army Leadership Doctrine: ADRP 6-22, Mission Command Philosophy is an extension of the Army Operating Concept and is focused on the leader. Leadership is key to all the Army does. Paragraphs 1-1 to 1-31 describe the elements of leadership that form the foundation of the Army model. This model is only unique in the sense that it is specifically focused on the Army context, however the principals of good leadership apply in all settings. The movie "12 O'clock High" is available on youtube, itunes, Amazon and many other sources. *This is a personal reflection based on my own experience. Please feel free to respond to with your own observations. ** For a religious thought consider Matthew 20:25 (a short article about this verse is at http://www.lifeway.com/pastors/2016/05/11/3-essential-leadership-lessons-from-jesus/). For a human/spiritual perspective (non-theistic) once more let me mention "A Force for Good: The Dalai Lama's Vision for Our World" by Daniel Goleman.

Emotional Intelligence and Army Doctrine 10/12/17

Emotional Intelligence and Army Doctrine* At the Mission Command Workshop Dr. Greg Ruark recommended the paper by Major Taylor-Clark "Emotional Intelligence Competencies and the Army Leadership Requirements Model." In that document she details sample leadership actions with emotional intelligence competencies and lists Army leader attributes and competencies for each.** It is interesting to see how the Army values, leadership competencies and emotional intelligence skills complement each other. In reality great leaders have always embodied these attributes yet no one is born with great interpersonal skills. Some folks grow up in environments where they learn from family, friends or in school but many leaders in the past have had to learn their emotional and social skills in the crucible of life. Today we have many resources to develop skills at our own pace. Books such as "Emotional Intelligence 2.0" and "Emotional Intelligence: The Power of Leadership," are great starters, but to master the skills leaders must constantly work to apply them and assess their performance. The best way to do this is to have a "battle buddy." Great leaders find people who can speak truth and help them see themselves. Army Leadership Doctrine: Taylor-Clark's paper crosswalks ADRP 6-22,with emotional intelligence competencies. The key words that connect them include character, empathy, presence and intellect (pages 32-55 are particularly worth study). *This is a personal reflection based on my own experience. Please feel free to respond to with your own observations. **The paper by Taylor-Clark can be found at www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA623911 For a religious thought consider John 21: 15-19 (a short devotional on this verse is at https://odb.org/2008/08/14/feed-my-sheep/ ). For a human/spiritual perspective (non-theistic) consider (http://www.the-philosophy.com/socrates-know-yourself) as from the Oracle at Delphi (and Ancient Egypt) and is echoed by Plato, Pythagoras, Socrates, Thales and Aristophanes and picked up by Hobbes, Rousseau, Emerson and others.

The Art of Discipline 10/12/17

The Art of Discipline* “We discipline our children so that they will learn self-discipline.” If you look at the synonyms for the word discipline you will see the words; punishment, chastisement and castigation. These negative connotations are often what people think about when they consider discipline. However, other synonyms for discipline include; self-control and self-restraint. Because people usually focus on the negative aspect of discipline they often forget the real goal of discipline, self-mastery. A quick review of great leaders shows self-discipline as a defining characteristic. Powerful leaders can influence others because they have first learned to lead themselves. One reason children, and other followers, don’t respond to discipline is because they don’t see self-discipline in their parent or leader. This kind of person is trying to give/teach something they don’t have themselves and will undoubtedly fail. Great leaders inspire others to self-discipline, often accomplishing unimagined feats. Many who experience this process become great leaders themselves. Learning self-discipline is hard but the rewards are great. Some learn self-discipline as children but most people struggle with developing mature skills. Most books on the subject teach following goals rather than feelings. Like an athlete who is focused on achievement, self-disciplined people always have habits they want to maintain or improve. You can learn self-discipline alone but the most effective way is with a coach or mentor. This is primarily true because it’s almost impossible to be entirely objective about our own performance; our feelings often get in the way of our resolution. In the Christian tradition, discipleship is a core concept. The founder of Christianity, Jesus, spent his three brief years of ministry primarily teaching only twelve disciples. Though he occasionally preached to multitudes, it was these twelve who transmitted his message to the next generation. From that dozen leaders, today’s church numbers over 2.4 billion. For people with courage and discipline there are few limits to what they can accomplish. Discipline has changed the world and we too have the power to strain toward our goals. My prayer is that you have the courage and discipline to reach for, and fulfill, your destiny.** Army Leadership Doctrine: ADRP 6-22, 3-24 says, "Discipline at the individual level is primarily self-discipline, the ability to control one's own behavior. Discipline expresses what the Army Values require - willingly doing what is right." 3-26 says, "Leaders of character develop through continual study, reflection, experience, and feedback." *This is an article I wrote for the Gold Standard paper at Fort Knox in August 2017. Please feel free to respond to with your own observations. **For a religious though on this topic consider http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2015/january/god-involves-us-in-our-own-discipleship-why-how.html For a spiritual (non-theistic) one consider http://www.thedailymind.com/how-to/the-guide-to-developing-self-discipline-that-lasts/ that recommends practices for self-discipline. Next week I will be out for the Speed of Trust training for Strong Bonds. I expect to have some new leadership thoughts from that source in the weeks to come.

The Intersection of International Religious Freedom and Global Counterinsurgency

Below is the first paragraph to an article I wrote about religious freedom. If you would like to read the entire article please send me an email. I hope to have it published soon. If you have read it please post comments.

Democracy is hard. Many in the foreign policy community have correctly noted that democracies are more stable and less likely to start wars with their neighbors. In the Bush Administration democracy promotion was a major focus of American foreign policy and a key element in the fight against religiously inspired violence globally. However, events such as the free election of Hamas by the Palestinians or the growth of “independent” legislators aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt show the dangers and unintended consequences of blanket democracy promotion. This essay will argue that America should promote religious freedom first, thereby setting a firm foundation for further democracy development. It will also discuss how military professionals, as agents of US foreign policy, should promote religious freedom in order to help drain support away from religious radicals in the global counterinsurgency.