BUZZ LIGHTYEAR LEADERSHIP STYLE

If you search the word Leadership on Amazon, you will find over 60,000 publications from 60,000 authors all claiming to be the expert in all thing’s leadership development. Many of these authors are educators and researchers who have never led more than a parade of cars through a Starbucks line. You can go down to the local boxing gym to train by hitting the heavy bag, jumping some rope, and even shadow boxing in the ring with none other than Iron Mike Tyson but the reality is you are not boxing until someone smacks you in the mouth. I prefer my mentor to be someone who has rolled in the same mud I am currently rolling in now. Someone who has felt the pains that I am enduring and can provide me with real lessons on how to learn and grow from these experiences. The most profound leadership lesson I ever received was from Marine Corps Sergeant Major.  

Kosovo was a different kind of a mission. It wasn’t a peacekeeping mission, and it was a combat mission. It was more of an extended presence patrol, 12 to 14 hours a day for 180 straight days walking the streets wearing 40lbs of gear in the sweltering heat.   While most of the time we were there just to be seen. There were those days when we chased the bad guys across the countryside, in the city streets, and through the crowded markets for hours on end. This was one of those days. I think we were out there for 19 hours moving and shaking, so by the time I got back to base camp, I was exhausted, hungry, and smelling like an old mountain goat.  

The absolute best thing about a deployment to Kosovo was the chow hall. Man, they fed us like a king and we ate like it was our job. My first stop after this long mission was to fill my belly with much needed sustenance. As usual, the chow hall was jam packed and not an empty seat in the house. I stood against the wall holding my tray waiting for the first Joe to lift from their chair so I could slide right in. Maybe 10 minutes went by before I was elbows deep in some shrimp and veggies. I wanted to eat, bath, and sleep. Don’t look at me, don’t talk to me, and don’t ask me a million questions.  

For some reason, I looked up from devouring my meal to see a guy standing in line. The funny part was that I wasn't the only one looking at him. Hell, half of the dining facility was staring in his direction. This guy was a Marine Corps Sergeant Major and man did he look the part. From his perfectly symmetrical flat top haircut to his double bone jaw and Frankenstein broad shoulders, this guy looked like Buzz Lightyear came to life.

I continued to eat as I thought about a long, hot shower followed by a good 4-hour nap before my day would start again and again and again and again. As the seat in front of me emptied, I looked up to find ole Sergeant Major Buzz Lightyear settling down. My first thought was, “this is not going to go well.” I was tired and just wanted to get done and get out but if you have ever met a Sergeant Major, you already know I was in for a series of questions, comments, and stories.

As predicted Sergeant Major Buzz started in with the questions:

“Where are you from?”
“Are you married?”
“Got any kids?”
“How long you been in the Army”
“What is your job”

I answered his questions but I gave him no more than one-word answers. I could see his frustration mounting. I was being rude and he wasn’t going to have any of that! Suddenly, he slammed both hands down on the table and at the same time, the lights in the chow hall went dark. Then in the back of the chow hall where the double doors opened, in walked an ANGEL wearing full battle rattle. The glow from the Angel lit her way as she walked directly towards Sergeant Major Buzz. Her wings carried a big leather-bound book that she laid to rest directly in front of Buzz. He opened the book and said, “Sloan, I am going to give you some questions I want you to ask yourself. The answers will guide you as a leader for the rest of your life.”

1. Do your Soldiers stand outside of your office just because they want to be around you? The leader’s job is to inspire their people to achieve greatness often by overcoming their self -imposed limitations. If your people don’t want to be around you, then how can you inspire them? Colin Powell said it best, “You will know you are a good leader when people follow you if only out of curiosity”. He said this a little tongue in cheek buthe point is your mere presence should instill passion.

2. If your attitude were a disease, would you want to catch it? We have all been around leaders who for the most part, were simply miserable human beings. They may have been incredibly talented and knowledgeable but because of their attitude, no one really listened to them. Their presentation lacked the enthusiasm and vigor to inspire others to want to learn. Leaders must be force multipliers, not training distractors.

3. Do you teach at least one person one thing every day? You need look no further than the first person you see after closing your car door in the morning who needs something. Leaders not only inspire others, they give them the tools they need to achieve.

4. If CNN were to follow you around 24 hours a day for 180 days, would you want your family to see your story on NETFLIX? Would you be proud of how you were portrayed? The most valuable tool a leader has in their tool bag is the example they set. This example must make decisions easy for the people they are responsible for, and to. Young folks come into an organization trying to figure out what right looks like. They are trying to successfully navigate a new environment with an unfamiliar culture which can be confusing and frustrating. Leaders must make this transition easy by simply setting the right example on and off duty for others to follow. If you want to be successful, just “Be Like Mike”.

5. Are you a good person? The question I am asked most often is, “what does it take to be a good leader?”. The answer comes from Army Command Sergeant Major Dietrich. Standing in the snow of Germany he said, “Sloan, if you want to be a good leader, start off by being a good person, good son, good brother, good father. If you do these things, being a good leader will come easy”.

The leadership development journey is obviously more complex than the five items above. 60,000 publications by 60,000 authors alone provide evidence as to how complex this journey can be as you strive to improve your own leadership competencies. I am a product of the South Carolina public school system which was 48th in the nation back in 1922 when I was going to school. I am not the smartest guy in the world. Heck, if it weren’t for me being at the bottom of the class, there would have been no one at the top. I like to keep things simple and if you ask yourself these five questions every day, you will become a great leader.

To infinity and beyond,

-Sloan