Warrior Leadership…

"Line in the sand” Moment

Leadership is hard to define, but you know it when you see it.  Here is an example:

Late on Friday afternoon, a van out of our Atlanta office carrying 50 packages was reported as stolen; the chances of finding a stolen vehicle with packages were almost nonexistent.   Later, it came out that it was not stolen but repossessed; recovery became possible.  

Our new Atlanta manager, Chase was able to see clearly that possible could become reality with the right actions; Chase and his team mounted a recovery operation. Chase contacted the repo company and sent Atlanta NDS Project Manager David  on a recovery and pickup run. 

It was already 5 p.m., and getting our hands on those packages was at least an hour and a half away, but the recovery operation was in full swing.  

Getting possession was one aspect, getting them delivered was another matter.  “I have one driver standing by, another driver waiting for me to give them the confirmation to help,” reported Chase about his plans, “and I have my car filled up with gas and ready to go!”

All of this to this point is good management:  Organizing resources, attending to details, issuing directives.  

Then Chase “drew a line in the sand” (the proverbial image of the point of no return: Once crossed the decision and its resulting consequences are permanent and irreversible), and took the giant leap from being a manager to being a leader. 

One perfect leadership sentence pointed the team to a certain outcome:  “I can tell you this,” Chase said, “all of those packages will be delivered!!”

Clear, concise, directional, resolute, motivating, outcome-oriented.  

 

It might have been easier on a Friday evening to accept packages intransit and planned for an incomplete day (“things outside our control happen, what can we do, we did our best…”); Chase choose a different outcome and with one pure and bold statement sent his team down another path (perhaps, the one less traveled).  

This is leadership that does not accept the status quo, does not hesitate; this is leadership that challenges the group to be better to achieve more, that looks for opportunity in adversity. 

This is the essence of “warrior leadership.”  True warrior leaders always go first; they brave the front line placing the team’s purpose before their own and they take principled action; they rally the troops providing a true and passionate purpose, and they charge forward with confidence, a confidence that breeds hope for all.   Warrior leadership is embracing the vision, passion, focus and courage to do what is right.

The warrior leader’s team follows because, like all people, they want one thing: They want to be part of something that works, something that is making a difference, something they can feel proud to be a part and proud of, something that achieves significant outcomes. That one thing is a winning team.

The warrior leader is not afraid to set long range, seemingly out of reach goals because of an innate understanding that the further you go (far behind hostile enemy lines), the further and deeper the purpose becomes and the greater the solidarity of the team. 

Warrior leaders know that they must provide common goals that speak to the needs of the team: Of protection, increase, service and purpose in order to create the best for all who follow.  

“We made a full recovery,” Chase was able to later report.  “All drivers have finished delivering by 9:45 (I tried for 9 p.m. but we had 10 packages that were after--all of which we called the customers).  Everything is complete.” 

End of Story?

Hardly!  

True leadership has a ripple effect—its influence moves out in ever widening circles; it spreads in space and time. Atlanta will never be the same because a line was drawn, a direction provided, and an example given that inspires in the team emulation, cohesion, dedication, confidence and achievement.  

  This is but the first chapter in this story; there is more to be heard from Atlanta and its warrior leader.