Greetings, loyal leaders! Capt. Fletch here, returning from a brief hiatus for another edition of the Leadership Toolbox! Last time, we discussed failure and how to embrace and learn from our experiences to better our organizations and accomplish our overall mission. This month, I would like to revisit an old concept: when a problem exists, bring solutions, not complaints. 

To Be a Good Leader, Learn to Follow

Good followership has always been part of my formal training as a leader. In the early days of officer training, we were always taught that to be a good leader, you must first understand how to be a good follower. After all, in a military unit, there is usually one leader who makes the final decisions despite the presence of other leaders in the chain of command. The military uses drills and ceremonies to reinforce this concept. 

A unit marching and executing basic commands to move is a powerful lesson that teaches us we must support our leaders. Imagine a unit that decided to march in different directions and have poor posture and body language because they disagreed with the leader. The scene would be disastrous, and the unit would never get from point A to point B. 

Similarly, when we have problems or disagreements in an organization, how do we handle them? Do we continue to try and function together? Or do we let negativity and complaints steer us from finding solutions and keeping the team moving in the right direction? 

Channeling Your Energy as a Solutions-Oriented Leader

Over the course of three years in my current role, I have made many suggestions to leadership — which has changed several times — to improve our operations. Many of my suggestions seemingly went unheard. Over time, this can really drive a person into a negative headspace. I recently had a conversation with my supervisor, and he reminded me that as a leader, I needed to approach problems in the organization with a solutions-oriented mindset. Rather than putting on an air of frustration and negativity, I should remain steadfast in pushing solutions and supporting my leaders. 

The beautiful thing about leadership, much like sports, is that the same basic principles always resurface at some point. Even when we feel a concept or skill is ingrained in us, the grind of operations can sometimes cause us to forget about them. My supervisor continued by encouraging me to pursue some of my solutions actively. Not to enact them myself but to go out and get the data, information, and plans to present to our leaders, expecting them to support us. 

Even if they decided our ideas were not in the team's best interest, we would have channeled our frustrations into a positive effort and could feel satisfied knowing we were a good teammate and leader. 

No matter the outcome of our efforts, we should continue to pursue solutions to problems and constantly present them to our leaders. Eventually, they will either begin supporting our ideas or perhaps not. Sometimes, evaluating if this team is the right fit for us may be necessary, but only after a positive and persistent effort to help improve things. 

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

Another facet of this approach is it can ultimately lead to higher levels of responsibility in the organization. Most people in the middle of an organization often talk about the initiatives they would pursue should they someday reach the peaks of the organizational chart. Most individuals never reach those organizational levels and are frequently left wondering why. In the military, the rank, structure, and promotions often allow for all sorts of leaders to ascend the ladder so that most of them reach a point where they are in the upper echelons of leadership. 

In the civilian workforce, that is not the case. Some people spend years in organizations and never reach those leadership levels. I would argue that being a solutions-oriented leader could have a major impact on an individual’s career progression. 

Even if half of the suggestions made by a teammate with this approach were implemented, it would be difficult to argue the need to retain and promote that individual. In an age where employees have become more fluid, companies do recognize the importance of retaining good people, even if they are not proficient at it. Although resources play a factor in our ability to retain people, if we work hard to show our people that their ideas are valued and can make a difference to the organization, we might find they are willing to compromise to stay on a winning team. 

Grab ‘The Bulls’ by The Horns

As a young kid with big-league dreams, I never understood the progression of athletes chasing money when they were on a team with a winning formula. In retrospect, it would seem to me that there was more than meets the eye, and perhaps they did not feel as valued from an organizational standpoint beyond money. 

Imagine if the '90s Chicago Bulls had fought to stay together. Perhaps they would have achieved even more than their outstanding resume shows. We recently saw the largest contract in sports history awarded to Shohei Ohtani. Obviously, he is a great player and wanted to be paid for his efforts, and I think the Angels organization really failed to build a solid team. Did they receive any possible solutions from the players? Did they even ask their players if they had any input? 

This is all hypothetical, as I am unfamiliar with how professional sports work from a business aspect. However, I read and learned that Shohei deferred most of his new contract until the end of his career so that his new organization could do more to bring in talent to build a strong team. This leads me to believe that something inside him feels valued by the organization. They want to build a team where their players feel intrinsically valued beyond monetary reward because they all want to succeed. 

For those of us gathered around the Leadership Toolbox, I think the lesson here is that no matter our frustrations, we should continue to be solutions-oriented leaders regardless of our positions in the organization. 

In doing so, we might find that we can advance the cause of our teams and ultimately advance ourselves in a positive and fulfilling manner. 

Until next time, Capt. Fletch over and out.