TLS 11: Leadership and Operating

Welcome to another week of the Transformational  Leadership Series.

Four weeks ago, on June 11, 2018, we discussed ‘Leadership and Influence’. In that installation we defined leadership, using the U.S. Army Leadership Field Manual, as, “influencing people—by providing purpose, direction, and motivation—while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organization.” In subsequent weeks, we expanded upon what it means to influence people—by providing purpose, direction, and motivation:

• June 18, 2018 Leadership and Purpose
• June 25, 2018 Leadership and Direction
• July 2, 2018 Leadership and Motivation

This week, we continue with expanding further the above stated definition of leadership—specifically focusing on the word ‘operating’.

RECAP

We have already explained that leadership has to do with influencing people. Influencing involves giving people a goal, aim or end (purpose) and showing them how to attain that goal (direction). It also involves stimulating people toward the action(s)  that will result in the fulfillment of the purpose (motivation). This must be done “while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organization”.

OPERATING

Actions taken to influence others serve to accomplish operating actions, those actions you take to achieve the short-term goal of accomplishing the mission— U.S. Army Leadership Field Manual

The individual actions taken by each inspired team member to attain the ultimate mission is what is referred to as operating. It involves:

1. planning and preparing (laying out the work and making the necessary arrangements)
2. executing (doing the job)
3. assessing (learning how to work smarter next time)

The above points are  taken from the U.S. Army Leadership Field Manual. Other leadership books use another approach based on French industrialist Henri Fayol’s five functions of management, four of which are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.  

Leadership requires all the above—even when it has to do with accomplishing short term goals that add up to the fulfilling of the bigger mission. Thus true transformational Leadership requires the knowledge and application of all of the above.