What is Lead With Action?

The genesis of “Lead With Action” comes from the combination of two mottos of the U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment the U.S. military’s premier light infantry special operation force and one from the U.S. Army Special Forces “Green Berets”. Units that I had the privilege and honor to serve with.

“Rangers Lead the Way” motto was coined on Omaha beach during D-Day in WWII. During the assault as they were pinned down by heavy enemy fire, General Norman Cota of the 29th Infantry Division asked Major Max Schneider which unit he belonged to, he replied “We’re the 5th Rangers, Sir”, Cota replied, “Well, then, Rangers lead the way! and get us off this beach!”

“Sua Sponte” Latin for Of our own accord is the 75th Ranger Regiment’s Regimental motto.

“Nous Defions” French for We defy (death), is a US Army Special Forces (Green Berets) motto, possibly used by the Close Quarter Battle units specifically. It possibly was first used by the French Resistance in WW2 and the US OSS – Office of Strategic Service.

Lead With Action is the combination of the three mottos: Leading the way by taking action of your own accord or without formal prompting from another person or group and defying the risks and all negativity in doing so.

So, Lead With Action leadership is exactly what it says. Leading from the front in a proactive, hands on, engaged style that is collaborative, takes risk, actively listens and learns from mistakes but is not afraid to make them knowing that making mistake means learning and growing is taking place which is necessary for evolution.

In an LWA environment, everyone’s opinion matters. Leaders value diverse opinions and seeks out alternative ideas and contributions. The goal is to develop a culture of trust, collaboration, communication, fearlessness and buy-in; all are vital, as plans are able to develop with a systemic view.

LWA leadership means mentoring, coaching and developing leaders. This means teaching others to lead by providing opportunities for growth and decision making by demonstrating by example. That means the leader is not always leading, but instead gives up control and empowers others to lead, make decisions and take action. This should be consistent with creating an environment of encouragement and support through collaboration, it’s a “We can do this” not a “You go do this”. In a LWA Leadership environment, it’s about the “We” not the “Me”. The leaders think about the team and the individuals on the team, not him or herself. This means the leadership cannot be dictatorial but must be more influential and cajoling while being firm, transparent and creating buy-in.

LWA Leadership is about helping people develop not only professionally but also personally. This could include further education, humanitarian and philanthropic activities, civic activities, health and wellness or numerous other activities. This goal is to focus on the person as well as the group/team because helping the person grow beyond the professional side will help the individual and their family, which will help the group/team/company. This also means personal responsibility and accountability is critical.

The LWA Leader is always planning and always looking to the future. The leader is thinking about the next innovation, the next challenge, the next opportunity and the next generation of leaders. This means looking at what’s important today versus tomorrow, and making choices to benefit the present and future while looking for creative ways to enhance and expose long term opportunities.

The LWA leader is humble but that doesn’t mean they are not confident and definitely not weak. They are not a servant. They are a partner, a coach, a teammate and a mentor that is extremely self-assured but not arrogant and absolutely open-minded. The leader doesn’t wear or throw around a title as a way to show who’s in charge and doesn’t think they’re better than anyone else. They can talk and engage anyone easily and comfortably and act in a way to care for and support others. Setting an example of service, the LWA leader understands that it is not about the leader, but about the Team

Lead With Action leadership is a very a communal leadership style. It places the needs of others in high regard and addresses the responsibilities and relationships in society, organizations, and companies. LWA leaders are positive, tenacious, and inspiring. They are also the leaders who the see complex, big pictures and permeate all areas of the culture they participate in.

I learned a lot and formed this leadership style as a U.S. Army non-commissioned officer and officer, in particular in the 75th Ranger Regiment. Good NCOs and officers display a leadership style that focuses on prioritizing their unit/team’s needs before their own. As an Army officer, we always ate last, ensuring our men ate before we did. During physical training, we led from the front during runs, road marches and exercising. When we had down time, we kept our teams busy with training opportunities so they could broaden their skills and increase proficiency. We made sure our guys got the best schools, got promoted and were properly rewarded and decorated. When it was dark and cold during a training exercise or deployment, we made a point of being present on guard duty or out on a night ambush or patrol to show our teams we were right there with them. In combat, we led from the front and were the first to put ourselves in harm’s way; we would never ask our Rangers to do something we could not do or would not do. Through our actions, we demonstrated that we were willing to shed blood, go without food, free time, and comfort to ensure our people knew we had their backs.

Our teams felt valued and part of a family of which they were fiercely loyal to and they demonstrated their loyalty through their initiative, sacrifice and commitment. There was a deep connection people felt between themselves and the team they were a part of — a connection so strong and committed that individuals wanted to maintain it for the rest of their lives, and do, which is why you hear military people, in particular special operations guys call each other “Brother”. We are brothers for eternity and our bond is unbreakable!

It all comes down to:
Do what is right, Do your best and Treat others with dignity and respect.

Lead With Action!!!

slvltd

Accomplished executive with over 30 years of experience working with large multi-national corporations in the manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, and security & defense industries.