Focus Magazine - Fall 2011 - 35

LEADERSHIP/MANAGEMENTDEVELOPMENT

Leadership Lessons from the Military
I By Kaliym A. Islam have documented visions and mission statements typically n the surface, comparing a group that is responsible only use these artifacts as proof that a "box has been checked for sales training with the United States military may appear to be a stretch. ese organizations exist for o ." e ndings suggest that the artifacts are found on di erent reasons, have di erent goals, hold a di erent level of plaques in the reception area, in the corporate marketing importance in the national psyche and consist of jobs with brochure and in the annual report, but are rarely lived and di erent inherent dangers. In order to be successful, however, breathed by the employees. both organizations require leadership that can focus the indiWhen corporate values, vision and mission are integrated viduals that make up these organizations on the reasons that into every facet of the company's DNA, leaders and managers the units exist. ese leaders of both orcan be con dent that the decisions and ganizations must also motivate those How many of your behavior of sales reps will be aligned with same individuals to operate as a team. employees can rattle off the corporate values, vision and mission. ese similarities are examples of where Absent this alignment, employees will the mission, vision or core pharmaceutical sales representatives can come up with their own criteria for belearn from how military leaders are values of your company? havior and decision-making. ere is no trained, and how they lead their teams. guarantee that this criteria will align with Successful organizations are the ones that have leaders who what the company says that it values. spend their time both thinking about the future and ensuring How con dent are you that the individuals on the front that the mission and vision of their companies are woven into line of your operation are going above and beyond? If the anthe DNA of the organization. One study suggests that this swer is no, you have a question to ask yourself. Is it because formula causes organizations to be successful because it creyou don't have good employees or is it because leadership has ates a cadre of leaders and empowers a larger percentage of failed to integrate values, mission and vision into the corpothe institution to make decisions and to answer questions. rate DNA? I e United States Army is perhaps the most well-known organization that has achieved success as a result of this infusion of mission and vision into its culture. e Army begins educating its "employees" on the organizational mission and vision as soon as the new soldiers join the military unit. How many of your employees can rattle o the mission, vision or core values of your company? How many can articulate what they are expected to do every day to support the mission and vision of the company? How o en do your executives speak to the employees about mission, values and vision? If these items aren't driving the strategy and operation of these organizations, what is? One researcher claims that a majority of companies do not even have a "written and documented" vision or mission statement, further suggesting that those companies that do
Kaliym Islam, M.Ed., is vice president of DTCC Learning. Contact Kaliym at www.kaliym.com. This column was adapted from a blog originally appearing on TrainingIndustry.com.

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Focus Magazine - Fall 2011

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