Until March 2014, General Sir Richard Shirreff was Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe and a member of NATO’s strategic command group, as well as deputy to NATO's US strategic commander.
In that dual capacity, General Shirreff was responsible for engaging closely with theatre/operational commanders and Allied/Coalition nations to ensure integration of ends, ways and means in the pursuit of policy: the essence of strategy.
We are pleased to announce that he will deliver the keynote speech at this year’s ACT Annual Conference in Liverpool, which runs from 10 to 11 May.
Ahead of his appearance there, General Shirreff spoke to The Treasurer about how good leadership becomes even more important in the face of crisis and volatility.
Good strategic leadership – as much as anything in the decision-making process – is about a free interplay of ideas.
Remember, we’re not all geniuses, so let’s harness the genius of the organisation. And that means creating a culture in which everyone involved in the planning and strategy process feels that they are encouraged to have a say.
And it’s worth remembering that age and seniority are not guarantees of brilliance and wisdom. Brilliant ideas can often come from a wide variety of people in the organisation, and the younger elements are many times a great source of that.
Certainly, different organisations will have different ways of doing that well; in my old job it was about analysing the mission, considering all the requirements, the effects, the resources and so on.
But there’s no doubt, once you’ve gone through that process in a collaborative way, at the end of the day a decision has got to be made. And that’s what the boss is about – that’s what they’re paid for.
We’ve seen Vladimir Putin make some catastrophic misjudgements recently. Number one was underestimating the capability, the will, the courage and morale of the Ukrainians; number two was his overestimation of his own military capability. And finally, he underestimated the response from the international community.
It’s important to ask why those leadership failings occurred. In Putin’s case, the reason is that he operates in a bubble. He’s isolated and he’s surrounded by yes-men and cronies.
He’s kept himself isolated during the pandemic and he has not engaged with people; and he probably lacks a sounding board to test his theories and strategies.
Putin's decision-making is formed without reference to any form of underpinning core values. And that is a point to remember: core values are so important to leadership. In the Army we talked about courage, integrity, loyalty and respect for others; these are all important.
They’re not just moral ‘nice to haves’, but they’re fundamental to the operational effectiveness of an organisation. The British Army is what it is because it is underpinned by its values.
I’ve talked to soldiers after major operations with a lot of bullets flying and they say the only way they got through it was by adopting and remembering those core values.
It’s the same in business – every organisation must have that sense of purpose, and ideally that should embody the idea of making a difference in some way and contributing to the greater good. That will inspire your people, rather than grind them down.
Leadership is a very personal thing – we’re all different and we do it differently. But nevertheless, I think most people are born with the potential to become leaders. It’s the training, education and development they get in their life that enables them to become good at it.
The Army is a good example of this, where leadership is fundamental to command. That means that leadership is talked about, trained through and encouraged at every level and assessed as such.
Good leaders know when to adapt. In some circumstances, leadership by example, or charismatic leadership (what we might call warrior leadership), can be prized. But in others, leadership from behind (almost strategic leadership) works better – or leading through consensus, engaging and bringing people on board can be equally important.
At the end of the day, it’s about communication. We see now much less focus on IQ and much more on EQ, where leaders need to tap into people’s thoughts and fears, and reassure them that they are understood and will get the help and support they need.
The ACT Annual Conference will be held at ACC Liverpool, UK, 10-11 May. For more information and to book your place, click through to our event page
Christian Doherty is editor of The Treasurer
