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Here are several leadership lessons and professional advice from my career, Part 1

Earlier this month, I was invited to participate in a podcast recording with one of my good colleagues, Jim Donnely. Jim is the host of the Intelligence Career Conversations. This podcast explores various aspects of intelligence and national security careers, including insights from experienced professionals, advice on career paths and educational requirements, and discussions on current trends and challenges, including talent acquisition and retention. In this blog, I am sharing a link to the podcast for anyone who wants to hear it. I am also providing the text of our conversation, which includes several leadership lessons and professional advice. We covered a lot during the interview, so I am including part 1 in this blog. Part 2 will come later. I hope you enjoy this special edition of All The Leadership!

My career summary in a few sentences

Jim started the episode with a short introduction.

Welcome to the ICC podcast. I am your host, Jim Donnely. Today, I want to welcome Doug Keating to the podcast. Doug is Vice President of business development for the national security technology company Vibrint. After graduating from the University of Virginia, Doug served as an Army Officer in numerous leadership positions for over a decade before transitioning into the private sector in 2001. He worked at several great companies supporting the Intelligence Community for the past two decades, including Accenture, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Microsoft, as a technology leader before joining Vibrint. Five years ago, Doug founded All The Way Leadership!, which focuses on training the next generation of leaders to make the world a better place.

Next, we discussed a series of questions about my career. Below are Jim’s questions and my responses, with some slight editing.

Q1. How did you get started in the Intelligence/National Security space? 

I am happy to share my story about joining the Intelligence Community. Let’s go back a few decades. My last day in the military was 1 Sep 2001. As we all know, shortly thereafter, the unthinkable happened. Our country was viciously attacked by terrorists on 9/11, a day we will never forget. I knew returning to the military would be difficult, especially since I had just moved my family with two young sons to the NOVA region. Instead, I decided that I would serve the nation through private industry. A few years later, Bill Webner, my boss at Booz Allen, offered me an opportunity to become highly cleared and support the Intelligence Community. I said hell yes, count me in, and have been a member of the IC since then. It is hard to believe it has been two decades.

My inspiration for joining the IC was 9/11/2001.

Q2. Tell us about your current role.

I am a Vice President of Business Development and Growth for Vibrint. Since I doubt many of your listeners have heard of Vibrint before, let me give a two-sentence description of the company since we are relatively new. Vibrint helps sustain the mission advantage of the national security community. We uniquely combine two proven technology firms integrating products and services to support the national security mission.

Q3. What excites you most about this organization?

I am inspired by the vision our CEO, Tom Lash, has for Vibrint. We want to be the next great national security company, and we will be. It is a great place to work. We help advance the IC mission in novel and impactful ways. As a technology leader, I am pleased that Vibrint is developing solutions for the IC using advanced commercial technologies like high-performance computing, AI, quantum computing, and LiFi. Check out our website to learn more at www.vibrint.com.

Q4. What professional experiences led you to your current position?

At Vibrint, we are focused on delivering solutions that may include both products and services. We send a trend in the government. More customers are using commercial technology. I have over a decade of experience in the government services sector with Booz Allen and, more recently, spent several years at MSFT, one of the world’s leading technology product companies. Those experiences and my military background serve me well in my current role.

I learned a lot about commercial technology products at Microsoft.

Q5. How did your education/degree impact your career trajectory?

At the end of my military career, I pursued a master’s degree in management information systems while serving as an Army ROTC instructor at my alma mater, UVA. This degree is designed to train future technology leaders, and it was the perfect academic preparation for launching me into the private sector. Over the past two decades, I’ve worked with several Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and other technology leaders across the IC on many transformational technologies, such as cloud computing, big data, and cybersecurity.

I learned a lot from McIntire professors like Ryan Nelson.

Q6. What would you advise students and early-to-mid careerists considering advanced degrees or certifications?

Certifications are a no-brainer. If you need them, get them. Any investment you make in growing your expertise is a wise choice. I would encourage anyone who wants to become a senior leader to pursue an advanced degree. In my case, having an advanced degree accelerated my career progression.

Regarding advice, I recommend that you don’t wait until you are old like me. Obtaining an advanced degree takes a lot of time and energy. It can be grueling. It helps to be young, primarily if you work full-time and have a family like I did when I completed my master’s degree. I was an Army Captain in my early 30s when I received my MS in MIS from UVA. I cannot imagine pursuing a Master’s degree at this point in my career. It would take more than I have to give at this point.

My Company Commander photo - circa 1998. — My Company Commander photo – circa 1998.

Q7. How did your time in the Army prepare you for your civilian career?

I truly enjoyed my time in the Army. It was an honor and privilege to serve in our military. I learned a lot about the world and leadership as an Army officer. My worldview expanded greatly when I lived in Europe, deployed to Bosnia multiple times, and spent time in Ukraine in the mid-1990s. Both Bosnia and Ukraine were eye-opening experiences for me.

Also, the Army did an excellent job developing my leadership skills. I was fortunate early in my career. My first duty assignment was in the 82d Airborne Division. As a young officer, I was surrounded by phenomenal leaders for four years. The best practices I learned from those leaders have paid huge dividends. One of the reasons I created All The Way Leadership! was to pass along what I learned since many companies do not have mature leadership training programs for their employees—especially small companies, which are usually limited due to resource constraints.

I learned a lot about leadership in the 82d Airborne Division.

Q8. What do you wish you would have known before transitioning from the military to the civilian world?

My transition went well. I decided to leave the Army after a decade rather than stay for 20 or more years and retire. I took a risk when I placed a big bet on myself by paying for my advanced degree and taking on a large student loan. A few family members and mentors thought it was a bad idea at the time and advised me to stay in the military until I could retire. I am glad I did not listen to them. It has paid off. I learned from that experience that the best bet you can make is on yourself.

Paying for my advanced degree at UVA was a wise decision.

Q9. What do you find rewarding about contributing to the mission of the IC from the private sector?

The IC’s mission is to keep America and its citizens safe in ways other parts of the government cannot. I find it rewarding to support a mission that will ensure our nation thrives and that something like 9/11 never happens again. It is a noble cause. I am a proud member of the IC and plan to stay for many more years.

Q10. How does contributing to the mission differ from Private to Public?

Some responsibilities are performed only by government staff. That is the way it should be. The private sector supports them. I have heard some people say that there is no difference between blue- and green-badged staff. I disagree. Yes- I get the point they are trying to make about collaboration and integration of the workforce. We all must work together to advance the mission. It is essential for success. However, there are differences between these two components of the IC workforce. If there weren’t, we would all wear the same color badge.

Q11. Can you talk about a career pivot point since you started your career in the private sector?

Yes – leaving Booz Allen for MSFT was a colossal career pivot for me. I enjoyed working at Booz Allen. The firm was full of great people, challenging work, and wonderful clients. I had spent over 15 years there. That’s longer than my Army career. It is hard to imagine leaving when you have worked somewhere that long. However, I noticed that my career was not progressing. Also, I had hit a significant milestone birthday, the big 50, and felt like the shot clock was running out. I reached out to a Senior Partner, Mike Thomas, for guidance. He gave me sage advice.

Mike told me the harsh reality that I needed to hear. Finding leadership roles as you grow older does not get easier; it gets harder. Mike recommended I take some time off to focus on my future direction. So that is what I did. I spent a wonderful week alone in Catalonia, Spain, exploring the region while mapping out my future. During that trip, I decided to leave Booz Allen. After I returned, Microsoft reached out about a role that was the perfect fit for my background. A funny thing happened after I left. Several Booz Allen staff reached out asking about my pivot. I passed along Mike’s advice. It is wise counsel.

Q12. What would you advise them if you were talking to someone in college or just starting their career and wanting to pursue a career in your field?

I used to support the Booz Allen Summer Games Intern program, which was excellent. Every year, I spent time with aspiring college students, which was a tangible reminder that younger generations don’t think like me. I will offer a snippet of advice that I gave them here. First and foremost, become the best version of yourself that you can be. College is ideal for figuring yourself out. What is your personality, and what are your strengths and weaknesses? There are many tools available that can help, like the Big Five personality test or strengths finder assessment.

The Booz Allen Summer Games Intern Program is excellent.

Q13. What disciplines or specialties do you believe will be in high demand soon?

I will put a slight twist on this question and talk about one emerging technology that will impact the IC in a big way—quantum computing. Our CEO, Tom Lash, is passionate about this topic. He recently wrote about it. He believes quantum computing is advancing faster than many realize, so we should prepare accordingly, especially regarding quantum-safe encryption and workforce skills. I agree and hope we don’t have the same growing pains the IC experienced with cloud computing. If you are an expert in quantum computing with a high-level clearance, I believe you will have a job for quite some time working in the IC.

Q14. What is the best career advice you received? 

Let me pass along some of the best career advice I received from one of my mentors, Gary Cubbage. I bet most of your listeners are high performers who want to grow, move ahead, and advance their careers. Let’s discuss a simple recipe for success working in the IC.

While at Booz Allen, I was selected to lead a struggling program. The team was about 50 people who worked full-time at an IC customer site. I went to Gary for advice on getting the program back on track. Gary said the best way to improve the program was to make the customer successful by doing the hard things required to solve their mission problems. Simple equation: do hard things + solve tough problems = mission success. So that is what we did. I worked with an awesome team of super-smart people to deliver mission success. We worked hard and loved it. Fast forward five years – the program tripled in size and was thriving. It sounds basic, almost too basic, but it works. Make your customer successful if you want to be successful.

I had many helpful mentors at Booz Allen.

Q15. What is the worst career advice you received?

Over the years, I have received a fair amount of bad career advice. There is no need for me to pass it along to others. It is better to focus on the good, not the bad.

ATW! will make you a better leader

I hope you join me on this journey to raise the next generation of leaders. The world desperately needs more great leaders—women and men who lead confidently, clearly, and creatively. It’s time to become the leader your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!

All The Way Leadership!

How to tell if you are focused on your top priorities – check your calendar

I am writing a blog series about becoming a strong leader in the post-pandemic world. Last December, I declared that leaders must set clear priorities for success in the post-pandemic world. In April, I shared a proven leadership tool, the Eisenhower Decision Matrix, to set clear priorities in demanding roles. In the last two months, I described a powerful tool that helps leaders set clear priorities and focus their daily efforts. For this blog, the last in this series, I will explain how your calendar will confirm that you have set your priorities appropriately.

Is it hard to tell if your focus is on your priorities?

The short answer is no. The best way to tell if you are appropriately focused is to check your calendar to discover how you invest your time. If your priorities show up on your daily schedule, then you are focused on them. If not, then you are distracted by other things. Yes, different activities can easily distract leaders. It happens to all of us. When checking your calendar, three other symptoms may indicate you need to change how you invest your time.

Symptom #1 – your calendar is overpacked

What do you see on your calendar each day? Is it overpacked with endless meetings? How about double-booked? Triple-booked? Do you have time scheduled to get your actual work done, or will you work late every day to complete your tasks?

I believe that having an overpacked schedule is not healthy or effective. I have witnessed many leaders hamper their performance due to their overpacked schedules. You can’t be at two or more places simultaneously.

Similarly, joining multiple virtual meetings simultaneously is not a good idea. Your divided attention is not helpful or respectful to the other participants. If this is you, trim your schedule so that you have only one meeting to attend or task to perform at a time. More focus will increase your effectiveness.

Be careful not to overpack your calendar.

Symptom #2 – your calendar has no white space

Do you have time for any breaks (white space) in your schedule? If your calendar is full of back-to-back meetings with no breaks in between, you may be setting yourself up for failure. If one of your scheduled meetings goes long, it may cause a domino effect on the rest of your day. The next thing you know, you will be late the rest of the day, which is unacceptable. Not to mention that you will be exhausted later in the day. Take daily breaks to transition from one meeting or task to the next. With this approach, you will show up on time and ready for action, not late and exhausted.

Breaks during the workday are healthy for you.

Symptom #3 – you maintain multiple calendars

I believe the best approach to calendars is to have one, not more. Put all the activities that require your attention on the same calendar to get an accurate view of your schedule. Some leaders I know are reluctant to put personal items on their professional calendars, so they have to monitor more than one. Multiple calendars create more work, maintenance, and confusion. Please keep it simple and use one calendar. If you are worried about privacy, you can easily mark something on your calendar so others cannot see the details.

One final observation about your calendar

If you are not careful, other activities will dominate your schedule, not your top priorities. Making sure that your priorities show up on your calendar takes effort. That means you must invest your time to manage your daily schedule or have someone else do it for you. Both these methods work well, as long as someone puts in the work to keep you focused on your top priorities. Trust me, this investment is worth it. Don’t let a crazy calendar full of distractions rule your world.

What gets scheduled gets done.
Michael Hyatt

ATW! will make you a better leader

All The Way Leadership!

The daily big 3 is a useful tool to help leaders focus on their top priorities

I am writing a blog series about becoming a strong leader in the post-pandemic world. Last December, I discussed how leaders can address the fact that many organizations have fewer people and resources to do the job. I declared that leaders must set clear priorities for success in the post-pandemic world. In April, I shared a proven leadership tool, the Eisenhower Decision Matrix, to set clear priorities in demanding roles. Last month, I described a powerful tool that helps leaders set clear priorities. In this blog, I will highlight another helpful tool for modern leaders to focus their daily efforts. It is called the Daily Big 3.

Setting daily priorities for leaders

Leaders have too many tasks and never enough time to finish everything. The most successful leaders deal with this dilemma by setting clear priorities for their teams and themselves. One such leader is Michael Hyatt. Many of you may not have heard of him before. Michael S. Hyatt is a modern-day productivity and leadership guru whom I trust. One thing I like about Michael’s Full Focus system is its practicality. His system includes a method that helps leaders set clear daily priorities. He refers to these top priority tasks as the daily big 3.

What is the daily big 3?

The daily Big 3 concept is not hard to comprehend. Your daily big 3 are your three most important tasks and associated actions. Nothing more, nothing less. Your daily big 3 enable you to set intentions and create a focus for the day. I fully realize that many leaders have an extensive list of things they must complete daily. Your daily to-do list may be a mile long. Therein lies the problem. How do you choose what gets priority of effort for the day? Another way to think about this concept. If you accomplish these three things, the day is a success. If you don’t, it is not.

How do you determine your daily big 3?

For some leaders, determining your daily three is not tricky. You look at what you have planned for the day and pick the three most important tasks to complete. For others, it may be a real struggle. Choosing your daily big three is particularly challenging when your schedule is full of endless meetings, unrealistic deadlines, and an infinite list of things you must complete. I recommend spending some time analyzing your activities to pick your daily big 3. All tasks are not equally important. The same goes for meetings. Some are routine, while others are vitally critical.

Write down your daily big 3

I recommend recording your daily big three somewhere so that you can reference it throughout the day. Michael Hyatt’s Full Focus Planner has space for writing down your daily big 3. So it is clear—you do not need a Full Focus Planner to use this tool. You can use whatever planner or system works best for you. Some leaders may prefer a digital format, while others like analog. I use a hybrid approach with both digital and analog tools. In general, I prefer analog. Writing things down helps me remember them later. Perhaps you have the same propensity for analog.

Three thoughts about using this tool

I have used Michael Hyatt’s Full Focus system for several years. Based on my experience here are three thoughts about using this tool.

You do not have to pick three—there is no rule that says you have to pick three activities each day. That number is recommended. If you have less, no worries. I am against picking more than three. If you cannot narrow your focus to three or fewer priority tasks in a single day, then you likely have bigger problems to resolve.
You can include personal items – Most tasks I select are work-related. However, I often include a non-work item in my daily big 3. Life is not about only work. Don’t forget about the rest of your life when setting your daily big 3.
You don’t have to rank them—some people like to rank order their daily priorities. I usually don’t. Yes, some days, a clear #1 priority ranks high above the rest. For me, that is the exception, not the rule.

How do you use this powerful leadership tool?

Using this tool is relatively straightforward. Select your daily big three when preparing for the day, whether the night before or in the morning. Usually, I review my daily priorities when I start work. Next, I will check my progress against my priorities at midday to see how it is going. If none are complete, I may adjust my afternoon schedule to have time for my top priorities. At the end of the workday, I will check my daily big three to see if I have accomplished them. If not, I will complete them that evening or roll them over to the next day. This tool may seem like a lot of work. The investment is worth it. The most significant benefit this leadership tool gives me is focus. If I get sidetracked, the daily big three helps me get back on track and focus on what is essential for the day.

What is the hardest part of selecting your daily big 3?

If this tool is so effective, you may wonder why more leaders don’t leverage it. There are three reasons why. First, some leaders do not know about the daily big three. Second, many leaders have a mile-long to-do list. The idea of picking the top three things to do every day is daunting. Third, and most importantly, selecting your daily big three takes time and effort. It is a daily discipline. Trust me, it is worth it.

In the next blog, I will discuss a simple way to determine if you have clear priorities.

What about you? Do you know how to set clear priorities? Leverage the Eisenhower Decision Matrix and weekly preview to perform this critical function. Next, install the habit of picking your daily big three before you start your work day. In the next blog, I will discuss a simple way to determine if you have clear priorities.

You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.
John Maxwell

ATW! will make you a better leader

I hope you join me on this journey to raise the next generation of leaders. The world is in desperate need of more great leaders. Women and men who lead with confidence, clarity, and creativity. It’s time to become the leader that your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!

All The Way Leadership!

The weekly preview is another powerful tool to help leaders set clear priorities

I am writing a blog series about becoming a strong leader in the post-pandemic world. Last December, I discussed how leaders can address the fact that many organizations have fewer people and resources to do the job. I declared that leaders must set clear priorities for success in the post-pandemic world. In April, I shared a proven leadership tool, the Eisenhower Decision Matrix, to set clear priorities in demanding roles. In this blog, I am sharing another powerful tool to help modern leaders set clear priorities in the modern world. It is called the weekly preview.

Setting personal priorities for leaders

Leaders have too many tasks and never enough time to finish everything. This phenomenon is nothing new. Since the dawn of time, leaders have faced the age-old questions of what to focus on and how to invest their resources. Time is the most important a leader possesses. You cannot create more time. Leaders have to juggle many tasks, activities, crises, etc. The most successful leaders deal with this dilemma by setting clear priorities for their teams and themselves. One such leader is Michael Hyatt. Many of you may not have heard of him before.

Who is Michael Hyatt?

Michael S. Hyatt is a modern-day productivity and leadership guru whom I trust. According to Wikipedia, as summarized by my research assistant, ChatGPT, Michael S. Hyatt is an American author, podcaster, blogger, and speaker known for his work on leadership, productivity, and goal setting. He began his career in publishing, co-founding Wolgemuth & Hyatt and later serving as CEO of Thomas Nelson. He authored several bestsellers, including “Platform” and “Your Best Year Ever.” 2012, he founded Michael Hyatt & Company, a leadership development firm.

What is a weekly preview?

Over the past decade, Michael Hyatt created the Full Focus Planner and the system you use to get the most from it. I use the planner and will not go into great detail about how it works. Instead, I will highlight what Michael describes as the “secret sauce” of the planner—the weekly preview. The weekly preview allows leaders to reflect on the week before and prepare for the week ahead. It is not an overly complex activity, but it does take about an hour to complete. The best way for me to describe the weekly preview in detail is to walk you through the process.

How do you complete a weekly preview?

Completing a weekly preview has five primary steps, which are described below. If you use the Full Focus Planner, there are pages for these steps.

Write down your wins from the previous week. Start your weekly preview positively by listing your wins for the week. What is a win? Anything that went well.
Evaluate how your week went. Think about the various things that happened during the week. Ponder questions like what worked? What didn’t and why?
Make adjustments for next week. You want to keep doing successful activities and change what did not work. You may want to start doing something new for better future results and stop doing something that is not helping you move forward.
Look at your calendar for next week. It is essential to look ahead and see what activities you have planned. If you have schedule conflicts, now is the time to fix them, not later. Keep an eye out for days that are completely packed.
Identify your “Big 3” activities for the week. This step is the most important. Take time to identify the three most critical upcoming activities. Your “Big 3” can include both personal and professional activities.

So it is clear—you do not need a Full Focus Planner to execute your weekly preview. You can use whatever planner or system works best for you. Some leaders may prefer a digital format, while others like analog. I write down the results of my weekly preview in my Full Focus Planner. It helps me remember them for future reference and track my progress for the year.

A weekly preview helps you identify your weekly “Big 3”

The most important result of your weekly preview is your “Big 3”. These activities are your top priorities for the week. They will help you determine the best way to invest your time over the next week. If you are struggling because you have too much on your plate, your weekly “Big 3” lets you focus on what matters most. One component of step 2 that I did not mention in the previous section is that you should evaluate how far you got on your weekly “Big 3”. A week is successful if you achieve your weekly “Big 3”. If not, then there is room for improvement next week.

How do you use this powerful leadership tool?

There are two significant benefits of the weekly preview. First, it enables you to reflect and analyze your results from the previous week. You can learn, improve, and make adjustments for the next week. It is frustrating for you as a leader if you keep having horrible weeks and cannot do anything to course-correct your path forward. The second benefit is that this leadership tool adequately prepares you for the week ahead. You know what is coming, have thought about it beforehand, and set your priorities. This proactive approach is intentional and better than responding to events as they unfold without considering what deserves your time and attention.

What is the hardest part of the weekly preview?

If this tool is so effective, you may wonder why more leaders don’t leverage it—three reasons why. First, some leaders do not know about the weekly preview. Second, some leaders prefer to spend all their time future-focused versus processing the past. They feel it wastes time doing something like the weekly preview. Third and most importantly, conducting a weekly preview takes time. Typically, you will invest at least an hour in your weekly preview. I believe it is a wise way to start every week.

Take time to reflect every week – it is a worthwhile activity.

In the next blog, I will discuss another leadership tool from Michael Hyatt

What about you? Do you know how to set clear priorities? Leverage the Eisenhower Decision Matrix and weekly preview to perform this critical function. In the next blog, I will discuss another tool by Michael Hyatt designed to help leaders focus their efforts. I will challenge you to be even more ruthless when setting priorities so that you can lead successfully in the post-pandemic world.

You have a choice in life. You can either live on-purpose, according to a plan you’ve set. Or you can live by accident, reacting to the demands of others. The first approach is proactive; the second reactive.
Michael S. Hyatt

ATW! will make you a better leader

All The Way Leadership!

Leaders must set clear priorities for success in the post-pandemic world

I am writing a blog series about becoming a strong leader in the post-pandemic world. First, I asked, Are you ready to be a strong leader in the post-pandemic world? Next, I continued the conversation by listing many bold predictions that did not come to fruition in the post-pandemic world. In October, I discussed three big work-related changes that all leaders need to understand to be successful in the post-pandemic world. In this blog, I will focus on how leaders can address big change number one – fewer people and resources to get the job done. The bottom line is that leaders must set clear priorities for success in the post-pandemic world.

Many organizations have fewer people

As I wrote in a previous blog, many industries reduced their workforce during the pandemic. Some that were hit hard, like travel, hospitality, and entertainment, rebounded and are on a positive trajectory in the post-pandemic world. Others have not faired so well. If you are wondering which industry laid off the most people this year, the answer is technology, according to my research assistant, ChatGPT. Here is what my assistant said when asked what sector laid off the most people in 2023.

“In the past year, the technology sector experienced many layoffs. Many tech companies, including major players like Cisco, Evernote, Oracle, Zendesk, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Cognizant, and Amazon, announced substantial layoffs. These layoffs affected various departments and were often attributed to cost reductions, restructuring plans, and a need to adapt to changing market conditions. The layoffs ranged from a few hundred employees in some companies to larger percentages of the workforce in others.”

Laying off employees is nothing new for many industries. The change this time around is the scale of the lay-offs. For example, the technology sector laid off over 100K employees in 2022. Numbers for this year are not final, but many believe it will be another large number. What does that mean for leaders? You will not have as many people in many industries to do the job as before. Sometimes, your team may be severely short-staffed, which can be challenging.

Some organizations have fewer resources

Not only did organizations reduce their workforce, but some also decreased their resources. What does that mean? Smaller investments, reduced offices, decreased benefits, lower budgets, less travel, and other ways to save money by cutting expenses. Don’t be surprised if fewer resources are available than before, which will limit your options. For example, if you use consultants to augment your workforce, you may be less able to leverage them as you did before the pandemic. I know many companies have “tightened their belts,” which makes leading in the post-pandemic world more challenging. However, lean times can sometimes lead to innovative solutions.

Leaders will need to set clear priorities

Given this new reality of fewer people and resources, leaders must set clear priorities to succeed in the post-pandemic world. Why? As a leader, you cannot waste your team members’ time on activities that don’t matter much or expend resources on low-return items. Gone are the days when you quickly produce better results by throwing more people at the problem. Neither can you afford to blow your budget early in the year and hope to get more resources later. No, wise leaders will set clear priorities so that the things that matter most get done first by their team members and themselves.

Strong leaders invest their own time in top-priorities

Let’s not forget that leaders must also set clear priorities for themselves. How you invest your time is hugely important. Please don’t waste it sitting in endless status meetings or low-impact activities. No – you need to focus on the top priorities. Over the years, I have witnessed many leaders who do not understand how to invest their time. They let others dictate how they spend their days without considering it. How can you spot a leader wasting their time on low-impact activities? Look at their calendars. It will tell you all you need to know. We will talk more about calendar management for leaders later this year in case it is one of your obstacles.

In the next blog, I will discuss a tool to set priorities.

What about you? Do you know how to set clear priorities for your teams and yourself? Do you have the tools you need to perform this critical function? If not, don’t worry. In the following few blogs, I will talk about tools that will help you set clear priorities and help put you on the path to success this year. Even if you already know how to set priorities, read the following few blogs. I will challenge you to be even more ruthless when setting priorities so that you can lead successfully in the post-pandemic world.

The most precious resource we have is time.
Steve Jobs

ATW! will make you a better leader

All The Way Leadership!

Strong leaders actually know how to craft a strategy

Last month I wrote about the fact that crafting a winning strategy is what strong leaders do. The next series of blogs will describe in more detail how to formulate your team’s strategy as a leader. This month we will begin with the basic concept.

A plan of action designed to achieve a major or overall aim.
Basic definition of strategy

Some leaders are clueless

Have you ever worked for a leader who does not know what a strategy is…really? No one trained him, and it showed. For example, I worked for one leader who had no clue. He knew it, I knew it, everyone knew it. The organization put this leader in charge of crafting the strategy we would use moving forward. He floundered, and we all watched while this leader struggled. He did not know what he was doing and never delivered. All his stakeholders were left in the dark wondering what was happening. Where were we going? As you might imagine – it was a painful experience for all of us and did not end well for this leader.

It is no fun working for a clueless leader.

The leader who replaced him was much better

Eventually, a new leader was put in place. This leader went to work right away crafting a strategy for the organization. She gathered a team to help define the strategy. She socialized it with her leadership team, received feedback, and made adjustments. A final product was delivered that was well-received by practically everyone. Trust was restored, a clear path forward was identified and performance improved rapidly as we began executing the new strategy. I watched in wonder as she turned around a bad situation in about 90 days. It was a pleasure working for a leader who knew what she was doing and inspired her followers.

In reality, strategy is actually very straightforward. You pick a general direction and implement it like hell.
Jack Welsh

A tool to help craft your strategy

As a leader, it is important that you understand what a strategy actually is. Some leaders struggle with thinking strategically because they do not really know what it means. You probably hear the word strategy a lot. I would offer that what many people are talking about when they say the word strategy is actually tactics, process, and procedures. This diagram found below is the best way I know to think about what a strategy is. It is simple to understand.

Use this simple diagram to formulate your strategy

When in doubt draw it out using this simple diagram. Starting on the left – we, that is you and your team, are here. It is important to define the current state – the blue circle with the red star. Describe what is going well with your team and what needs to change. On the right is the future state. You want to be there – the green circle. The strategy articulates how you are going to go from here to there – the arrow. Any strategy that does not include a how is not an actual strategy. I am going to say that again because I cannot count how many strategic briefings that were all fluff and no substance. In other words, there was no way to actually implement the strategy. Any strategy that does not include the how is not an actual strategy.

Simon Simek reminds us about the importance of the how.

An example of a strategy with no how in it

Years ago I worked for an organization that did not understand this topic. The business unit I worked in did not know how to articulate real strategic thinking. One year all we received from senior leadership was “grow the business”. The current state part of the business was only the revenue number we generated the last year, $100 million. The future state was another number – our target for the next year, $120 million. The strategy was we need to grow by $20 million, or 20%. No mention of how we would reach that number. Go and grow. Wow – talk about a strategy with no how in it. What happened next was predictable.

High growth strategies are not easy to implement.

The leadership team struggled to get everyone motivated

The go and grow strategy was not well received by the leadership team. Market conditions were changing – the next year would be much harder than the last year. The growth target was much larger than the previous one – twice as large. Leaders in the business unit wondered how in the world are we going to grow twice as fast in a tough market. No clear answers were provided by the senior leaders. The reality is that they did not know how we would do it. They were hoping for the best. The leadership team struggled to get everyone bought into the strategy and motivated to make it happen. As a result, we did not have a good year, we missed the target, and new leaders were brought in to fix the problem.

Getting buy-in from the team is critical for strategy success.

What about you?

Do you know how to craft a winning strategy? Have you taken the time to formulate, codify and communicate it to your stakeholders? If not, make the investment now. If so, you will enjoy the next few blogs. We are going to explore this topic in detail to include points to ponder, practical tactical tips, and lessons learned based on decades of experience.

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

I hope you join me on this journey to raise up the next generation of leaders. The world is in desperate need of more great leaders. Women and men who lead with confidence, clarity, and creativity. It’s time to become the leader that your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!

All The Way Leadership!

A third practical tip for a successful video call – purpose and agenda

Millions of employees continue working from home, participating in a lot of video teleconference calls. To help you, I am going to share a third practical tip for a successful video call – have a clear purpose and agenda.

Many offices remain closed due to Coronavirus

Communicating effectively on-camera is challenging for groups

In case you did not read the last two blogs or watch the videos let’s start with the hard truth first – it is challenging to communicate effectively on-camera, especially in group settings. Three common scenarios happen during many video meetings that can create communication challenges.

Awkward: someone said something completely inappropriate (e.g., yelled at their kids) that everyone heard. What do you do next?
Boredom: no one is talking because they are distracted and not paying attention. Hard to get stuff done if everyone is zoned out.
Confusion: multiple people talking at the same time. Hard to hear much less understand what is being said when this happens.

It is easy to get bored if the meeting has a lot of participants.

What can you do to improve your performance during video conference calls?

Many leaders, including myself, wonder how do I get better at video conference calls? The last thing that any of us want to do is look stupid in front of others. We can ill afford a meeting full of awkward moments. I already shared the most practical tip I can give you to be better on-camera is to turn on your camera as much as possible. Last month I did my best to convince you that the mute button is your friend. Now I will share a third practical tip – have a purpose and agenda for your call. It will help others stay engaged and avoid being easily distracted. Participants will notice the fact you thought about the purpose and flow of the call beforehand.

It is tough to sit through a meeting with no purpose.

Kick-off your call by explaining the purpose to everyone

Never host a meeting that has no purpose. Be a strong leader who begins the call by explaining the purpose clearly and succinctly. Everyone on the call will appreciate giving them a clue about what will happen during the meeting. This tactic is particularly appropriate for one-off video discussions. If the participants do not meet on a regular basis, it is your job as the leader to explain why the meeting was scheduled and what you hope to achieve during the call. No need to spend ten minutes explaining the purpose – a simple explanation will do.

Participants will drift if there is no clear purpose and agenda

Think about the last time you participated in a video call that did not have a clear purpose and agenda. At best, you probably spent the first part of the call trying to figure out what it was about. You were asking yourself a series of questions like – do I need to pay attention during this call, or can I multi-task? Will I need to talk at all during the call? When will it be over? What time is it? If these questions are entering your mind, you can bet that others are thinking about similar questions. Worst case – participants will get bored. Next thing you know – everyone is zoned out and nothing gets accomplished during the call. A complete waste of time.

Avoid boring participants during your meetings.

Send out the purpose and agenda beforehand if you can

Let’s get truly tactical. I recommend you send out the purpose and agenda before the video call if you can. It does not have to be complicated. Providing this information in advance helps participants decide if they should attend. Many people are super busy these days, juggling multiple calendars invites on a regular basis. They may need to skip your meeting if something higher priority conflicts with it. Give them enough preview material to make an informed decision. A best practice is to include the agenda in the calendar invite. Another technique is to attach a word document or PowerPoint slides to the invite. Yes – you read that right. Send out the slides before the meeting. Some of you are shaking your head right now, so let’s talk about using slides for meetings.

Include an agenda in your meeting invites – not like this one.

Guiding the agenda with slides may be appropriate

Many people hate PowerPoint. It is the bane of their existence. I understand their disdain for slides. With over thirty years of experience, I have created thousands of slides and seen probably a million or more. Some companies and organizations won’t even allow their employees to use slides. Not me – I am a fan. PowerPoint is a useful tool for meetings. I am not saying that because I work for Microsoft. Rather I truly believe it. Slides can help make many meetings more productive. If you put in the proper effort when pulling together slides for a meeting, then the group will benefit. If you throw something together willy nilly then all will suffer the dreaded disease known as death by PowerPoint. Avoid that trap.

A few cautions about using slides

Perhaps I opened up a can of worms by mentioning slides. My main recommendation when it comes to slides is to spend the appropriate amount of time to create compelling content. This post is not all about slides so I will stop there with best practices. Instead let me provide a few cautions when it comes to using slides for a meeting. Avoid these three major mistakes.

Too many slides – no one wants to sit through thirty slides for a thirty-minute meeting. Basic math – take the total number of minutes available and divide by three or two to calculate the number of slides to include.
Too many words – everyone can read faster than you can talk. Don’t include too many words on your slides. No one wants to read a book. Never ever read the slides to others. It is not kindergarten.
Worthless slides – if you are in doubt whether or not to include a slide, then get rid of it. Slides that do not communicate the point are worthless. Participants will not complain if you go light on the number of slides.

Your audience will spend too much time trying to read this paragraph instead of listening.

Be timely and follow the agenda when leading your video calls

Another tactic to consider is keeping track of the time as the call progresses. I highly recommend you do your best to start and finish your video calls on time. All the participants will appreciate it. Granted, company culture may dictate if you actually start meetings on time. Some organizations, like the military, are strict about being on time. While others are more casual. Adjust accordingly. Sometimes you may need to wait for important participants to join a call. This situation is not hard to manage – simply let everyone know you will start in a few minutes after others arrive.

Always be on time. It is a simple demonstration of discipline, good work habits, and most importantly respect for other people.
Anthony Bourdain

End on time, or early if you can

Having said that I have yet to encounter a professional organization that believes meetings should run long. In fact, the opposite is true. Most participants will not hang around if the meeting goes past its scheduled finish time. No – they will drop from the call and move onto their next activity. I don’t even consider it rude if someone drops from a call because it goes long. Avoid this scenario by being a better leader. End your call on time, or even early if you are done with the agenda. I cannot recall any time in my career when someone complained because a meeting was shorter than scheduled, or canceled because it was not needed.

Last words of warning

I want to share last one bit of advice. Invest some time and energy up front in your video calls to get the results you are seeking. Simply put – the better you are at leading video calls the better participation you will see. If there is no clear purpose, or agenda, participants will skip the session because they cannot tell if it is worth their time. Do your best to follow the agenda and stay on time. Otherwise, don’t be surprised if people avoid your video calls because they are chaos. This fact is especially true for long meetings. Don’t worry the more you practice the better you will get. Trust me.

A friendly reminder – people will avoid useless meetings.

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

All The Way Leadership!

The most practical tip to be better live, on-camera

Leaders are on camera a lot more these days. The global COVID crisis impacted practically every organization in the world. Most stores, offices, and other places of work closed their doors the past few months. Millions of employees are working from home these days and participating in a lot of video teleconference calls. As a result, many more leaders are spending hours on camera – talking with their teams, meeting with their customers, and engaging with their stakeholders. It is becoming more important than ever that leaders communicate effectively live, on-camera. If they do not, it could negatively impact their performance.

The COVID crisis is changing how leaders communicate.

Communicating effectively on-camera is challenging

Leaders, let’s face the hard truth upfront – it is challenging to communicate effectively on-camera. Three reasons explain why this mode of communication can be daunting for leaders. First, you must understand the technology. Technical difficulties will ruin your day if you are clueless. Second, others can see you up close, and personal. Some of us (I fall into this category) have a face for radio, not the camera. Third, it is easy to get distracted, especially if you are on a laptop computer or phone. Trust me – if you are distracted, you can bet others are as well.

Make sure you are proficient with the technology.

What can you do to improve your performance on-camera?

Many leaders, including myself, wonder what can I do to improve my performance on-camera? How do I get better at this critical communication skill? The last thing that any of us want to do is look stupid in front of others. We can ill afford a stumbling and bumbling performance. The simple solution to this challenge – practice. The most practical tip I can give you to be better live, on-camera is to turn on your camera as much as possible. Don’t hide from this challenge.

It takes twenty hours of practice on-camera to get proficient

According to Josh Kaufman’s TED talk (viewed over 20 million times) – it takes roughly twenty hours to learn anything new. Communicating live, on-camera is a brand new skill for many leaders. Before COVID – participating in teleconference calls was more the norm, than video teleconference calls. The new normal is here. I am convinced that from now on, leaders will be expected to communicate live, on-camera a lot more than in the past. It is a reality that we leaders all face. Take it head-on by turning on your camera as much as possible so that you can become comfortable communicating on-camera. Start practicing – it will take twenty hours.

People want to see their leaders

Some of you remain unconvinced. You are asking – why in the world should I turn on my camera? You are thinking – I am horrible at communicating via a video camera, and no one wants to see me. Dismiss those thoughts. People want to see their leaders, and you should want that kind of visual interaction with your team, other leaders, and stakeholders. Remember this, according to several studies, non-verbal communication is as important as verbal communication when engaging others. Body language and facial expressions alone can communicate how you feel about a topic.

The most important thing in communication is to hear what is not being said.
Peter Drucker, leadership expert and management guru

You will get better with practice

Turn your camera on as much as possible. Practice, practice, practice. Based on my own recent experience, you will get better over time. We all know leaders who are awful on-camera. They are nervous, and so is everyone else. It is difficult to watch, much less pay attention to a leader who cannot communicate well on camera. I bet you he does not practice and does not turn on his camera unless there is no alternative. Some of us are lucky enough to know leaders who are excellent on-camera. She communicates effectively with her stakeholders. Everyone enjoys participating in her meetings. The latter leader will have a distinct advantage over the former in the future. Be that kind of leader – you can do it.

Several leaders are standing out during the COVID crisis.

Don’t turn your camera on all of the time

Let me finish by pointing out that it is not always appropriate for you to turn on your camera. At times, it is prudent to avoid being “caught on camera” in an awkward situation. Three simple examples come to mind.

You are in a place full of visual distractions – if you are working from home with your kids or pets running wild nearby. Don’t turn on your camera, unless you want to risk an embarrassing situation.
You are driving – stay safe on the road. Keep your eyes on the road, not on your phone, or laptop. Don’t ever turn on your camera while you are in the car unless it is parked, or someone else is driving.
You are late to the meeting – no one walks into a normal meeting and deliberately causes a major disruption by bringing attention to themselves. Don’t make the same mistake by arriving late with your camera live. Instead, join and decide what makes the best sense.

Kids are cute, but not during important business meetings.

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

Turn your camera on as much as possible.

All The Way Leadership!

More lessons learned for how to communicate clearly

I was running behind schedule. I hate being late, especially to my own meetings. A business lunch with a colleague took longer than expected. A horrible reason for being tardy. I ran to my car and dialed into the meeting. My entire team was on the line waiting for me to join. I apologized profusely for not showing up on time. I expect members of my leadership team to be punctual, and hold me to the same standard. My military experience factors into my leadership expectations. If you are not ten minutes early, then you are late is one of the many lessons learned from my military days.

Give the people you work with or deal with or have relationships with the respect to show up at the time you said you were going to. And by that I mean, every day, always and forever. Always be on time. It is a simple demonstration of discipline, good work habits, and most importantly respect for other people.
Anthony Bourdain

Things went from bad to worse

I gave my opening remarks to kick off the meeting. It took me longer than usual. My nerves were getting the best of me. “Let’s start” I finally said. Then I heard silence. No one spoke at all. I looked down at my phone and noticed that I was no longer connected. I was talking to no one. Damn – not my day. I dialed back into the meeting. By now we were running ten minutes behind schedule which is inexcusable. Once again, I apologized to my team. They could tell by the tension in my voice that I was frustrated.

Make sure your team can hear you on conference calls.

Learn from your mistakes to avoid repeating them

The first presenter jumped in right away to start the meeting. He did an excellent great job getting us back on track. The rest of the meeting went fine. Most of my team members forgot about my performance. I did not. I needed to learn from my stupid mistakes that day. With that thought in mind, I want to share more lessons learned for how to communicate more clearly. In case you missed it – the first lesson is simple. Show up on time. Don’t leave your team waiting impatiently for your arrival.

Lessons Learned #2 – Provide insights to your team about your communication style

As a leader, you have a certain communication style. All leaders do. I recommend that you provide insights to your team about your communication style. How do you prefer to interact with them? Let them know so that they are prepared. For example, I used to host a weekly leadership call every Friday morning. It was a virtual meeting. I would send out a slide packet beforehand. I used the slides to guide our discussion. It also provided information to anyone who could not make the meeting. They would send me an email letting me know they could not attend and review the charts on their own. The system seemed to work well for everyone.

Other leaders have their own communication style

My weekly meeting was short – only 30 minutes. Typically, I would talk for the first half, answer questions, and then we would go “around the horn” so that every team member was able to contribute to the conversation. My team knew the deal, and it worked well. Other leaders I know would never use slides for a team meeting. They hate slides. They prefer an open-ended conversation – which is fine. There is no right answer – you need to figure out what works best for you. Then, communicate it to your team.

Some leaders prefer no slides at meetings – just conversation.

Lessons Learned #3- Know your boss’ communication style

Your boss possesses a communication style. It is important that you know it. I worked for many leaders over the years, and they all had their own communication styles. It was particularly true when it came to receiving status updates. I worked for several who were fine with “drive-by” interactions. The ones where you simply show up and give a quick update without coordinating a meeting time in advance. Others closely followed their calendars. They only met and communicated at pre-arranged times. Once I gave a drive-by update to a boss who only met with others who were on her calendar. That was a mistake. One of the shortest, and worst meetings of my life. She kept looking at me like there was something wrong with me. There was. I didn’t understand her communication style. Stupid mistake on my part. I never did another drive-by with her.

A hallway conversation is sometimes the best way to catch up.

Lessons Learned #4 – Ask for feedback, especially on conference calls when you cannot see anyone

Conference calls are challenging, especially with large groups. If you are leading one make sure you ask for feedback from participants at appropriate times. The reason to ask for participants to chime in is a practical matter. You want to answer three basic questions.

Can they hear you? Perhaps you are on mute, have a bad connection, or dropped from the call. Easy to do, especially in your car.
Are they paying attention? It is easy to get distracted, or multi-task. The longer the meeting, the more important it is to ask for feedback.
Do they understand what you are saying? See if they have any questions or feedback to offer. Silence is not concurrence. It may be a sign your audience does not understand you.

Video conferencing is becoming the new normal.

Video teleconference calls (VTCs) are not much different than conference calls although there are a few more things to consider. I plan on discussing best practices and lessons learned for video teleconferencing in upcoming blogs. It is a timely topic given the current health crisis with many of us working from home these days.

Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.
Plato

Bottom line – think before you open your mouth to speak

I love the quote from Plato. It is a great reminder that what you say as a leader is important. Your team and stakeholders are listening. Don’t disappoint them by saying something stupid. Don’t be a foolish leader. Instead, take the time to think about what you are going to say beforehand. Not after. When in doubt. Don’t say anything. It is usually better to hold your tongue than to insert your foot into your mouth. Trust me. I know from personal experience that your words can get you into trouble. Look around and you will see way too many leaders violating this principle.

He should have thought before speaking to the crew. It cost him dearly.

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

All The Way Leadership!

How to master your craft – three leadership lessons learned in the 82nd

This week we celebrate the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Despite many challenges the Allied invasion was successful and turned the tide of WWII. Thousands of brave men participated in this operation to include multiple US Army Airborne Divisions. Paratroopers actually jumped into France the day before D-day to secure critical roads, bridges, and other strategic objectives. Their bravery, valor, and courage contributed greatly to the success of the invasion. The 82nd was one of those units.

US Paratroopers before they boarded the planes for D-Day invasion.

All The Way Leadership! lineage is from the 82nd

My leadership lineage began at Fort Bragg North Carolina. The Army assigned me as a brand new Army Infantry Officer in the 82nd Airborne Division. My job title was rifle platoon leader, and one of my roles was serving as a Jumpmaster. A Jumpmaster’s job is to make sure all the paratroopers aboard the planes exit the aircraft safely so that they can land and complete their assigned mission. Jumpmasters play a critical role in every airborne operation. It is expected that all leaders in the 82nd become Jumpmaster qualified, and serve in that role. I learned a lot as a Jumpmaster. Below are the top three leadership lessons learned in the 82nd.

The unit patch of the 82nd All-American Airborne Division. — Only the best can serve as leaders in the 82nd Airborne Division.

1. You must master your craft

The title Jumpmaster says it all. You are expected to become a master parachutist. Jumpmasters are required to complete intense special training to earn the title. The training includes multiple hands-on tests during which you have to clearly demonstrate you know your stuff. I remember being extremely nervous before one of my exams because so many students did not pass it. Once you complete that training, you are required to serve as a Jumpmaster on a regular basis so that your skills stay current.

Student completing JMPI test while blackhat instructor grades. — A student completing a hands-on test while blackhat instructor grades. This test is difficult.

You will get better over time

As they mature, Jumpmasters become experts in airborne operations. They usually earn special awards (e.g., the Senior Parachutist Badge) to recognize their expertise and experience. It is important that you master your craft over time. Become the best that you can at whatever it is you decide to do. Don’t be satisfied with just getting by. As a leader, you are expected to be an expert. Don’t let your team down. They deserve a leader who knows what she is doing.

The Master Parachutist badge is a sign of a true airborne expert.

2. Realistic rehearsals enhance execution

Before every airborne operation Jumpmasters walk everyone that is jumping that day through several realistic rehearsals. The first rehearsal takes the paratroopers through the steps involved when jumping. As the Jumpmaster talks, the paratroopers simulate exactly what will happen to them during the jump. The rehearsal also covers things that could happen such as your parachute does not open, or you have to land in the trees. In case you are wondering – tree landings are scary. Next, everyone practices landing…BTW it usually hurts when you land. Sometimes a lot.

Dirt flies off a paratroopers boots as he finishes a practice parachute landing fall with other paratroopers of 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division
(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael J. MacLeod, 1/82 AAB, USD-C)

Rehearse the details as much as possible

After that, all jumpers practice “actions in the aircraft” as a group. During this step, you rehearse in detail everything that happens in the air on the ground. The reality is that everyone has jumped before. You are not teaching anything new. Rather, you are practicing so that every jumper knows exactly what they are supposed to do once you get in the air. No one wants any surprises in the aircraft. If there are issues during rehearsal it will only get worse in the plane.

Members of the 82 Airborne Division conduct pre-jump rehearsals.

Be prepared for when things go wrong

I have jumped over 50 times, and I can tell you that all these rehearsals work well to enhance execution. On more than one occasion something went wrong in the aircraft, or during the jump. For one operation the Air Force pilots flew along the edge of the drop zone thinking that the wind would blow us over the target. It didn’t. In fact, the opposite happened. Every jumper was forced to land in the trees. After exiting the aircraft, I gave the pilots a middle finger salute thanking them for their incompetence and then executed all the steps required for a successful tree landing. That one hurt.

Paratroopers practice landing to get ready for the real thing. (U.S. Air Force photo/Alejandro Pena) — Paratroopers practice landing to prepare for the real thing. (U.S. Air Force photo/Alejandro Pena)

Realistic rehearsals are key to success

I recommend that you use realistic rehearsals to enhance execution with your team, especially before major events. Practice every step as realistically as you can. It will pay dividends. I know from my own experience that rehearsing before any presentation is a really good idea. It prevents gremlins from showing up. If there is one key lesson the 82nd Airborne Division learned on D-Day it is that things never go as planned.

Pvt. John Steele, an 82nd Airborne Division soldier got caught on a church steeple when he jumped on D-Day. He played dead for hours but eventually was taken prisoner by the Germans. He later escaped and continued to fight in the war.

3. Leadership confidence calms fears

Jumpmasters are trained to be calm at all times in the aircraft. Your job is to set an example for the paratroopers to follow. Jumping out of a perfectly good plane at 800 feet with over 50 pounds of equipment, usually at night, is not a natural act. In case that does not scare you – every piece of equipment used in the operation, to include the plane, was built by the lowest bidder. It makes perfect sense for everyone to have fear and/or anxiety as you prepare to jump. I know that I was nervous during every jump I ever made. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either lying or crazy.

Jumpmaster giving commands to paratroopers before the door is opened.

Rituals help with anxious moments

To counter this fear, the Jumpmasters guide the paratroopers through a series of steps using loud and clear commands. The way it works is that the Jumpmaster yells the commands to all the jumpers along with a visual signal. The paratroopers all echo back the command indicating they heard it and then perform the action. These steps are completed so that everyone is ready to jump when the doors open. Once the doors open, the Jumpmaster inspects it and gets the first jumper ready. The pilot will turn on the green light and everyone exits the aircraft. It sounds simple, but it can be scary. Reality definitely hits you when the doors open and the light turns green. No time for fear at that point.

A jumpmaster checking to make sure everything is in order for the paratroopers.

An effective leader knows how to control his fear

The final lesson to learn from this old Jumpmaster is that it is okay to have fear. What you do with that fear is important. If you master your craft and conduct realistic rehearsals, then you will have the confidence needed to overcome any fear. You will be able to jump when the time comes. If you neglect these lessons then do not be surprised if you are scared when it matters most. Instead of being at the top of your game, you will be worried about anything and everything possible going wrong. Your team will sense your fear and perhaps respond likewise, which is bad for everyone. Avoid that scenario. Do your part as the leader. Control your fear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfNq4fxVdgg

For anyone who is not familiar with airborne operations – this video is a nice summary.

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

All The Way Leadership!

If you only have a minute, try this one. It is about Jumpmasters.