Are you’re looking for the game-changing business tactic to woo customers/clients and increase your personal and professional influence? Then pick up “Love Is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends” (Link). The core premise is about doing business for the benefit of others - a startling/contrarian concept in an age of unprecedented corporate greed, manipulation, and backhandedness. This book is a fun and story-filled treatise about the power of love in the workplace. (Yeah, he really says the “l” word). Again and again, Sanders describes situations where giving to others was what ultimately benefitted him the most. A good book about a really great personal AND business value!

A Strategic Concept for Leadership Amidst Change

Strategic thinking has its roots in armed conflict, and a great deal of the strategic thought tools continue to be developed in the military context. One of the more recent developments in strategic thinking is the concept of Commander’s Intent – a concise expression of the purpose of the operation and the desired end state that serves as the initial impetus for the planning process. It may include the commander’s assessment of the adversary commander’s intent and an assessment of where and how much risk is acceptable during the operation, but it leaves the implementation of that assessment up to commanders on the ground.The concept is historically linked to the Aftragstaktik – best translated as mission-oriented command - developed by the German Army in desperate response to Napoleon’s war methods.

Aftragstaktik did away with the traditional linear tactics, iron discipline, blind obedience and intolerance of independent action. Aftragstaktik was not a set of procedures, but a philosophy – a social norm within the German army. At its foundation was the realization that battle is marked by confusion and ambiguity. The leaders of the German army consciously traded assurance of control for assurance of self-induced action. These leaders developed a cultural norm that supported and expected decisive action by subordinates in the face of uncertainty or ambiguity.

Fundamental to the success of Aftragstaktik was trust. Silva writes: “Trust between superior and subordinate is the cornerstone of mission-oriented command. The superior trusts his subordinate to exercise his judgment and creativity, to act as the situation dictates to reach the maximum goal articulated in his mission; the subordinate trusts that whatever action he takes in good faith to contribute to the good of the whole will be supported by his superior.”

Commander’s Intent is the commander’s stated vision which defines the purpose of an operation, the end state with respect to the relationship among the force, the enemy and the terrain. It was designed to enable subordinates to quickly grasp the successful end state and their part in achieving it.

“The commander’s intent describes the desired end state. It is a concise expression of the purpose of the operation and must be understood two echelons below the issuing commander. It is the single unifying focus for all subordinate elements. Its utility is to focus subordinates on what has to be accomplished in order to achieve success, even when the plan and concept of operations no longer apply, and to discipline their efforts toward that end” (US Army Field Manual).

Makes sense, doesn’t it? Keep directives short, to the point, yet with enough information that subordinates can take it and run when things get confused. Commander’s Intent would be a great concept to incorporate into the management culture of your company, empowering managers (and ultimately each employee) to make decisions in the midst of an ever-changing business/project dynamic that contribute to the project’s and the company’s ultimate success.

I recently finished the book “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die” (Link) by Chip Heath, Dan Heath. The book is full of great ideas, stories, and concepts that can be applied to all sorts of relationships and organizations. These communication principles are as applicable in the board room as they are around the dining room table. A must read for executives, leaders, managers, parents, and communicators of all kinds!

I was on vacation last week. I enjoyed the time with my family, the great meals, and the extra time it allowed to read and reflect. But in the midst of it (following a couple phone conversations with clients), I was struck by how August is often viewed as such a down month with no productivity, nobody around, and nothing happening – the dog days of summer.

The fact is, it's a terrific time to think, reflect, and plan. But that time is short. In just a few weeks, the kids are back in school, all our activities kick back into high gear, and there's more focus on business, work, etc.

What if you used these next few weeks to make some big stuff happen in September, October and November? What is you used the next few weeks to think big (Big Hairy Audacious Goals), plan big (make a concrete 90-day plan for those months), and get energized for the important season ahead? Down times are a gift, not an obstacle; use this one for all it is worth!

Too many leaders I know don’t take time to properly assess their leadership skills and refine their tools and capacity to influence positive change and activity in their teams. “Strengths-Based Leadership” (Link) is a great resource for discovering and understanding your personal leadership strengths, and then evaluating those strengths in light of your environment and team. The book includes a free online assessment that partners with and personalizes the material.