Balancing results and the welfare of team members...

Has the business world become a place where revenue attainment always outweighs caring, inspirational and effective leadership?  Or was it always like this?  So many organizations preach about integrity and the importance of people, yet given a choice between business results and taking care of people, which would they choose?

  At this point in my life, I’ve spent more years in corporate America than in the military.  Yet the most important and profound leadership lessons that helped me succeed in the business world were first learned and applied in the military.  It is those same lessons which separated me from other leaders… sometimes to my benefit and other times to the detriment of my career.  But as the saying goes… “You live by the gun... You die by the gun.”  The moment one choses a code or principles to live by… they should not then be able to pick which parts of those codes and principles to apply and when to apply them.  One either follows the codes or doesn’t.  This is not easy.    

  Make no mistake… there are certainly many great lessons the military can learn from the civilian business world that would positively impact efficiency, productivity, and cost reduction.  However, there are also many lessons from the military that would positively change the performance and results of many companies and organizations in the business world.

  Perhaps the challenge is that it feels like we must always choose between one or the other… either to focus on the business results or taking care of people.  Is it not possible to balance both?  Results and taking care of people are closely tied to each other. 

  It reminds me of the story of a judge who was known to be firm, fair and well respected.  One day he enters the courtroom to find his childhood best friend as the defendant.  At first glance, it seems like an impossible choice.  The judge must either be impartial and abide by the law and his duty as a judge or lean in favor of his friend and compromise his own integrity and honor. 

  In the end, he finds his friend guilty and gives him the maximum fine.  Afterwards, he gets up… takes his judge’s coat off… walks to where fines are paid… and pays the fine.  The judge therefore finds a way to fulfill both his duties as a judge and as a friend.  He did it while maintaining his integrity and honor.

  Perhaps we as leaders often make hasty decisions instead of taking time to think through a balanced action that attains business results and takes into consideration the human dimension.  Perhaps as leaders in any organization, we should remain humble and open to the experiences of our people and let that strengthen our teams.  Focus on effective leadership across all levels and the results will naturally follow.    

  We invite you to visit AGI Leadership Consulting at agignacio.com.  Start or recharge your leadership development journey and challenge your current perceptions about effective leadership.  Help us achieve our goal of “Uniting our world, One leader at a time.”      Sharing excerpts about courage from, The Point and the Lesson… “Courage.  Mental ability which recognizes fear of danger or criticism but enables the individual to meet danger or opposition with calmness and firmness (physical and moral).

Additional Resources

One-on-One Coaching and Consulting

Live On-line Training Workshops

Purchase Leadership Book: The Point and the Lesson