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Leadership’s Rally Point by Dr. Alfred M. Coke
The act of leading needs a rally point, a battle cry, or a point of focus. Followers must have something to center upon to direct their energy. King Henry V knew this when he urged his followers into battle against overwhelming odds. Marine Drill Sergeants practice this when they start a new group of recruits into training at Paris Island. Steven Jobs understood this with his challenge to the new computer company to “Beat Big Blue.” History is full of famous words that became rally points such as “Remember the Alamo,” “44-40 or Fight,” and “Don’t Tread on Me.” Each created a surge of energy that changed history. Modern leaders should understand the power of rally cries and battle slogans in business. Unfortunately the acts of leading get lost in the everyday routine of our lives. When things are going smoothly with no disharmony leadership tends to take a backseat to managership. This could lead one to the observation that leadership takes it proper position on the management stage during elevated times of crisis or calls for action. Perhaps leaders are not so obvious when things are going well. It is in chaos, danger, or crisis that leaders come to the forefront. Where will the next generation of leaders come from is an often asked question in management seminars. When the need arises the leaders appear. So how can the potential leader build a rally point without artificially creating a crisis? Try these proven techniques.
The company’s Strategic Goals should be nearly impossible. We know groups tend to migrate toward the goal. Set an impossible goal and they may fail – but they have moved to a higher level of performance in the process. Set an average goal and they will probably make it with average performance. Set a low goal and get what you asked for in terms of poor results. We create work to fill time. The more time we have the more time we will use. Try the opposite line of reasoning by shortening the time allowed for a project. This will force the team to focus on the essentials and eliminate the nice-to-discuss items. A time deadline is a great rally point generator. Don’t accept the traditional solution to your problem. A young marine engineer wouldn’t accept defeat in dealing with technical solutions for deep water recovery. While attempting to recover valuable artifacts from the wrecked SS Central America, he repeatedly challenged his engineering teams to overcome conventional thinking and solve unthinkable design problems. His rally point was the intellectual stimulation. He forced brilliant engineers to reach into the depths of their thinking to find answers. They rose to the occasion as he knew they would. Summary Find a natural rally point for your enterprise. Communicate it as a slogan or motto. When it is authentic the results will follow.
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