What Is Old...Is New

One of the unfortunate byproducts of the overall leadership arena is the multitude of “influencers” that tend to take credit for their style of leadership. Granted, I believe everyone can certainly have their own brand and I’m a participant in that but I want to clear about the concept of leadership.

That invention has been around for thousands of years.

There is immense value in the foundations laid by those who came before us, yet too often, we overlook their core principles in our eagerness to reinvent what was never meant to be changed.

In our zeal, we come up with fancy slogans, names and titles, that far too often confuse while trying to impress. Whether it’s tactical leadership, strategic leadership, line leadership, and yes even courageous leadership, we must always ensure that in our quest to be unique, we don’t take the unbelievable power away from what leadership provides.

Lost In Translation

If you’ve attended one of our Courageous Leadership Seminars, you will know that many of the concepts we provide are foreign within today’s leadership experience. Words like caring, love, and empathy, are critical to understanding how leaders can do what few exhibit today…do the right thing no matter the consequences.

These are concepts throughout the greatest leadership book of all time…the Bible…but they are seemingly missing in so many places today. That wasn’t always the case and the Air Force Leadership Manual is just one example of this.

Air Force Manual 35-15 was written in 1948 and while it’s been archived and replaced with fancier terms, it is an amazing resource.

“Feeling” is mentioned 147 times.

“Sense of Belonging” is mentioned 211 times.

Love is mentioned 13 times.

In fact, one of the seven characteristics of a leader is a word rarely used today.

HUMANNESS

The core of the 100 page manual speaks to the human experience. The success of leadership is not in the accolades, certificates, or resumes, but rather how the leader makes others feel.

Here are a few excerpts that will encourage and challenge you.

“There are some general principles of leadership which have been used successfully throughout the centuries, but these seem of little value unless they are translated into techniques”

“Many military practices emphasized in your training should stimulate tendencies toward kindness and consideration for others. Your duty to look after the general welfare of your men, to be vitally concerned with their health, pay, families, worship, entertainment, and other factors of their lives, all should help you be kind and courteous. If you are courteous and human you will be loved by your men in much the same way they love their own fathers.”

“No amount of confidence in self or unit can suffice, however, if your soldier feels that his leaders are unfair, incompetent, or disinterested. The average American will not accept someone’s assurance that a leader has high capabilities: he wants to be shown. Your everyday actions must leave no doubt in the minds of your men that you are striving for their welfare and the success of the unit. Your soldiers will not be nearly so impressed by a list of your pst accomplishments as he will be by some minor act of yours that indicates your ability or your sincere interest in him.”

The latest Air Force Leadership Manual was published in 2011 and there is little resemblance to what was taught the Greatest Generation of War Fighters.

That is unfortunate.

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Dr. Travis Yates retired as a commander with a large municipal police department after 30 years of service. He is the author of “The Courageous Police Leader: A Survival Guide for Combating Cowards, Chaos & Lies.” His risk management and leadership seminars have been taught to thousands of professionals across the world. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy with a Doctorate Degree in Strategic Leadership and the CEO of the Courageous Police Leadership Alliance.