G U E S T E D I T O R I A L Developing Leaders from the Ground Up Guest Editorial by Lee Richardson Successful Ventures Coaching and Consulting Leadership development is one of my favorite topics. Seeing people grow as leaders, managers, and good citi- zens is a source of tremendous satisfaction, but it doesn’t just happen. Whether you realize it or not, an accom- plished leader or manager is the result of years of devel- opment. There are many organizations that have produced great leaders. Today, I’ve chosen two that I am intimately familiar with, the US Military and the Boy Scouts of Amer- ica. I chose these organizations based on the quality of the systems that they use for the express purpose of pro- ducing leaders, not for any other characteristic of the or- ganization. Tom Clancy’s book Into the Storm details how the US mili- tary built a leadership develop- ment system that moved our military from the debacle of Vietnam to an organization that could conceive and exe- cute strategies, adapt to new circumstances and overcome obstacles. The obstacles that they had to overcome were not just military, but political and cultural as well. They were successful because leaders at all levels understood the mission and had the appropriate skills. They were the product of a professional development system. The Boy Scouts of America is another organization that has a proven system for generating leaders who make a difference. The number of our national leaders that were Boy Scouts and particularly Eagle Scouts is staggering. There are similarities in both systems that we can adapt to our businesses. First, a clear statement of organizational values and ex- pectations. For the Scouts…”On my Honor…”, “A Scout is…” (If you don’t know these, I encourage you to look them up. It’s worth your time.) For the military it’s the Oath that is sworn to defend the Constitution against “all enemies foreign and domestic…” These statements are repeated publicly and often. The goal is for each person to truly understand the principles and be able to use them in making decisions. In the business world these have a lot of different names: Vision Statement, Mission State- ment etc. Unfortunately, in most cases, we don’t talk about them enough Second, both organizations have structured training that is common to all members. If you were a Scout, you learned: knots, first aid, the patrol system, how to cook and how to clean up after cooking. If you stayed in Scouts, you learned about: service to others, the importance of communication, how to plan a trip. In the military, every- body goes through basic training and advanced individual training. This training gives the individual the ability to function within the organization and understand what is expected of them. Third, both organizations have individual training that is designed to take advantage of the person’s skills and in- terests. The Scouts have Merit Badges. The military uses service/skill specific schools, inter-service training and out- side education. Did you know that you cannot be pro- moted to O-5 (Major in the Army) without an advanced degree? Fourth, both organizations have clear requirements for senior members to mentor and train those less experi- enced. Please note that I did not say “older” to men- tor “younger”. In today’s fast moving, technology based environment, those of us who are “experi- enced” MUST seek out sub- ject matter experts who, while they may not have our breadth of experience, know a lot more about a specific subject than we do. We can’t be too proud to ask for help. General Stan- ley McChrystal addresses this point in his presentation on Ted.com. It’s well worth 15 minutes to watch it. Developing leaders doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, thought, commitment and a solid development sys- tem. Whatever business you are in, whatever its size, at some point, you will need a leader. That leader will either be there, or they won’t. Your business may succeed…or fail… based on that leader’s actions. Help them be ready. Lee and Lauren Richardson formed Successful Ventures Coaching & Consulting, Fort Mills, to help business owners and executives navigate the many challenges they face each day. Lee is an Army veteran, graduate of Wofford College and a native of upstate South Carolina. Helping you chart your course to success 803.431.9493 phone | 866.285.3818 fax info@successful-ventures.net successful-ventures.net 115 Doby Creek Court, Fort Mill, SC 29715 The South Carolina Construction News — October/November 2013 – 11