August 2020 - 33

POHMER ON
customers have every day truly reflects your brand strategy?
The reality is that, as ascribed to in Krulak's Law of
Leadership, the experience customers have with your brand
is, to a large degree, in the hands of the people you pay the
least! Your hourly employees, seasonal workers and cashiers
are the face of your brand and the brand experience to your
customers, and these folks have the ultimate power and
control of the delivery of your brand message.
Charles C. Krulak, a now retired U.S. Marine Corps
general who went on to become the president of
Birmingham Southern College, espoused what is now
known as Krulak's Law in 1999 in a military journal article
he authored, " The Strategic Corporal: Leadership in the
Three-Block War, " based on his leadership experiences and
lessons learned in Bosnia, Haiti, and Somalia.
The Three-Block War is a concept he formulated to
illustrate the complex spectrum of challenges likely
Marines face on the modern battlefield where, in
three adjacent blocks, Marines may be required to
simultaneously conduct full-scale combat operations
on one block, build schools on another, and provide
peacekeeping and humanitarian operations on another.
His conclusion was that these dynamic, diverse and
often conflicting challenges require decentralized
execution of the mission, meaning that the individual
Marine becomes the most conspicuous symbol of
American policy, the face of our involvement to the local
community. He or she directly impacts the immediate
tactical situation they're dealing with, but also influences
the operational and strategic levels of involvement more
than if a more rigid management structure were in place.
To facilitate the role of the " Strategic Corporal " requires a
high level of leadership and decision-making on the front
line, and a great deal of autonomy to at the lowest levels
of the organization.
When the entire USMC accepted Krulak's Law as an
integral element of their training and operations, it
redefined not only the role and responsibilities of the
people on the front line, but that of the leaders. A leader's
main responsibility is to ensure that their subordinates
make the right decisions. The onus for making this concept
successful requires a changed mindset, training and a
different mode of decision-making for both employees
and leaders. And the most vital and fundamental factor
in the relationship between the leader and employee is
mutual trust - the leader trusting the employee and the
employee trusting the leader.
It's been shown that employees are excited and motivated
to take on the ownership and responsibility for decision
making when given the necessary training and opportunity;
any failure of this management concept is usually due to
the lack of leadership commitment and support.
Employee Involvement
Here are a few thoughts General Krulak had for leaders
to ensure success:
* Make sure all your employees understand and buy into
your company mission, values and intent.
Stan Pohmer is president of Pohmer Consulting Group in
Minnetonka, Minnesota. He can be reached at spohmer@
pohmer-consulting.com or 612.605.8799.
LGRMAG.COM | 33
THE EXPERIENCE
CUSTOMERS HAVE WITH
YOUR BRAND IS, TO A
LARGE DEGREE, IN THE
HANDS OF THE PEOPLE
YOU PAY THE LEAST!
* Offer your employees the freedom to fail and with it,
the opportunity to succeed.
* Micro-management must be a management technique
of the past.
* Supervision must be complemented by proactive
mentoring.
* Empower/train your subordinates to make good
decisions but hold them accountable for their actions.
* Delegate authority in addition to responsibility.
* Allow the leadership potential within each of them to
flourish.
Your front-line employees are the most critical link
to ensuring that the brand strategy you created and
invested in is reinforced and delivered to your customers.
By introducing Krulak's Law into your business model, I
believe that you'll see that your front-line employees have
more ownership for helping you achieve your company
goals, are more engaged with your customers, and are
more satisfied with their jobs.
In addition, you'll quickly see that your company
becomes - and is perceived as - more nimble, flexible
and effective, all significant points of competitive
advantage. And most importantly, your customers will see
the true power of your brand upfront and personal, where
actions mean more than simply words in an ad.
The benefits of this concept are realized across
the board, with no downsides ... you as a leader, your
company/brand, your employees, and your customers all
reap the rewards of your efforts.
Krulak's Law ... it's a common sense way to earning that allimportant
trust that builds your business and your brand ...
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August 2020

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