\u201cLet\u2019s go to the whiteboard.\u201d I have used this phrase frequently for over thirty years. As a leader in operational roles in the military and civilian sectors, the whiteboard has proven invaluable. For small teams, it can serve as a focal point for deliberate planning discussions, where you can see and hear feedback in real time. As a food distributor during inclement weather or peak moments of exceptional ship volumes, my team expects we will huddle around the board to solve this challenge.<\/p>\n
Last year, during inclement weather, we outlined a plan that included a series of contingencies (levers) over a 72-hour window. We always prioritize the safety of our team. Our next goal was to meet all customer demand and deliver products across the Pacific Northwest without exposing our employees to risk during their commute or pushing the envelope on our drivers. Once we agreed, we determined the cadence to reconvene and adjourn.<\/p>\n
Initially, those meetings took more than an hour as the team was unfamiliar and slightly uncomfortable with the format.\u00a0 Each subsequent time, we have improved and now arrive with a solid plan within 30-45 minutes. There is a sense of urgency and clarity around solving promptly. \u00a0When we meet for updates, our team will share for 5-10 minutes, where we weigh out the contingencies, make necessary adjustments, and move forward.\u00a0 As our trust in each other has increased, so has our solutions’ overall health and sharpness.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t reach this level of planning and execution overnight, and in some instances, I have failed. In the book Leader-Smithing: Revealing the Trade Secrets of Leadership, <\/em>Eva Poole emphasizes that leading is a deliberate journey and that taking a long view is essential. \u201cLeadersmithing takes a lifetime\u2014so be a tortoise, not a hare.\u201d[1]<\/a>\u00a0 Within her framework of Critical Incidents, I would likely qualify my team whiteboard exercise as a cross-section of Managing Ambiguity, Taking a Risk, and Doing the Maths.<\/p>\n I am fond of biographies of historical leaders. I graduated from West Point, where a favorite expression is, \u201cMuch of the history we teach was made by people we taught.\u201d This refers to leaders such as Pershing, MacArthur, Grant, Eisenhower, and, recently, Schwarzkopf, who led soldiers in combat environments on national and global scales. I have studied the attributes of different types of leaders, including what Jim Collins labels a Level 5 leader. These leaders are a study in duality: modest and willful, humble and fearless.[2]<\/a>\u00a0 They are determined and curious and put the team\u2019s needs first. While these books have practical applications and pertinent examples as guidelines for leaders to emulate and potentially follow, they are primarily designed for senior leaders within an organization.<\/p>\n This is where Poole\u2019s work is differentiated.\u00a0 From the first page, an open challenge is laid down for the reader, stating, \u201cThis book is for anyone who wants to improve their own ability to lead or to help others to do so.\u201d[3]<\/a>\u00a0 There is an invitation for leaders at different levels or with different focuses to benefit.\u00a0 Unlike a traditional leadership book with life lessons, this \u201cbook is designed to be read in different ways, it is a helpful guide\u201d[4]<\/a> and is meant to provide leaders with a roadmap that will help contribute to becoming a more effective leader.\u00a0 Poole shares components of leadership theory based on empirical research from thousands of hours of teaching and coaching leaders. With this information, the book presents a shared format intended to \u201cdemystify leadership to make it accessible to everyone.\u201d[5]<\/a><\/p>\n As an apprentice, the leader embarks on a purposeful journey of advancing their craft.\u00a0 Each journey will appear and feel different based on the apprentice\u2019s unique skill sets combined with critical incidents. The metaphor exercised in this process is a deck of cards combined with a series of ideas and exercises.\u00a0 The exercises are broken into distinct suits within the deck.<\/p>\n For each critical incident, the winning hands are combinations of each suit. While one suit is emphasized, every suit is represented in the winning hands. I am excited to explore these hands of cards further, determine what type of hand I have been dealt, and learn how to better leverage those hands for myself and others.<\/p>\n My earlier whiteboard exercise is an example of \u201ctemplating,\u201d and it is part of my overall toolkit. My body and mind \u201cinstinctively know how to do it.\u201d[7]<\/a>\u00a0 It is second nature because of the frequent repetition and use over the years. This tool can sit dormant for weeks or even months and not lose its sharpness or effectiveness.\u00a0 However, we all have blind spots that need acknowledgment and further development.\u00a0 As I glance over the list of critical incidents, I see a handful of opportunities that need improvement.\u00a0 The Ace of Clubs might be on top of the deck, staring straight back at me.\u00a0 I am receptive to furthering my craft and showing commitment to improving my team and myself.\u00a0 Now, I need to pull out the deck of cards from my desk drawer and start dealing.<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Eve Poole, Leader-smithing Revealing the Trade Secrets of Leadership<\/em>, London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017, 181.<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> Jim Collins, Good to Great<\/em>, New York NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 2001. 22.<\/p>\n [3]<\/a> Poole, x.<\/p>\n [4]<\/a> Poole, xii.<\/p>\n\n