WHAT THE MARINES AND BANKING HAVE IN COMMON?

In a recent article, I shared some of the lessons I learned from the Israeli Army regarding leadership. The Marines have similar values and much can be learned from them as well. Below are some of those values:

1. Care more than others think is wise. One of the greatest challenges leaders face is to show that they care about accomplishing their mission and the people who accomplish it. Leaders cannot be effective without inspiring the people who work with them to get the job done. They can do so by touching their hearts and showing their sincere regard for each member of the team. As General Omar Bradley said, "People are not robots and should not be treated as such". A true leader gets maximum effort and loyalty from each employee. Both can be won if the leader cares and is personally fully invested in the venture at hand. Caring does not mean expecting any less, compromising or cuddling. There is a dynamic tension between mission accomplishment and the needs of the people. True leaders find a way to deal with both and strike the delicate balance between them.
2. Risk more than others think is safe. Many organizations, particularly bureaucratic ones, foster the attitude that if employees stick to the rules and don't get into trouble, they will be successful. This is not a constructive value in a learning organization. Leaders should learn to accept honest mistakes by subordinates (so long as they know not to bet the bank). Herb, Kallaher, the legendary CEO of Southwest Airlines, talked often about how mistakes help his people achieve personal growth without penalizing their career path in the company. We all learn from our mistakes, unless leaders create an environment in which mistakes cannot be survived. So long as mistakes become learning experiences and are reached through a reasoned approach, leaders can gain from tolerating honest mistakes.
3. Dream more than others think is practical. Being practical is important but could also be limiting. Creating a vision that reaches for the stars but keeps your feet firmly planted on the ground is an inspiring activity to every employee. We all want to dare to dream, and true leaders do. By so doing, they create a future for their company instead of boxing themselves in the past. A natural outcome of this approach is BHAGs (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals), which only those who dare to dream espouse and eventually achieve. Aspirational goals that are not incremental are a good thing for organizations
4. Expect more than others think is possible. During my first goal setting experience at Roosevelt, we set a goal of net growth of 30,000 checking accounts for the coming year. I was repeatedly advised against setting such a lofty goal because it was a "mission impossible" and a major mistake. "We've never done this before", I was told. We ended the year with a net checking account growth of near 60,000 our people were thrilled with their accomplishment, as they should be. They gained a great sense of satisfaction from this breakthrough performance and from kicking butt in the marketplace. They also got significant rewards, both monetary and otherwise, for their achievement. The following year, the goals set were equally scary, but the atmosphere was one of excitement, willingness to reach out and stretch with confidence. This is a lesson that Jack Welch of GE fame shared with his subordinates many times, and it is also something the Marines adhere to: people are capable of much more than they give themselves credit for or think possible. It is the leader's role to bring their potential to bear and let them shine. Their rewards, from the incentives to the strength such achievements create, are many and sustainable.

The Marines are a venerable organization, and there is much more that can be learned from them. The core values described above are the foundation that got that unit to the unparalleled level of excellence it has reached. Using the same leadership techniques, bankers can get similar results.