Situational Leadership

The US military is one of the country’s great incubators of leadership talent.

Early in my career I learned that veterans are an under-tapped source of leadership in the private sector. The concepts drilled in by military training apply to so many scenarios, including business.

Last week I met Lt. Gen. Ross Coffman, Deputy Commanding General at Army Futures Command here in Austin. Coffman is a classic example of the type of clear-thinking leader the US military often produces, and I thought some of his insights were great for CEOs to keep in mind.

First, the Army sees people as either (a) leaders or (b) future leaders. Despite the extensive hierarchy, there is no sense that some people are just followers or permanent order-takers. The discipline of leadership is taught at all levels. This attitude is common at high-functioning business organizations and something we CEOs are wise to foster.

Coffman also told me about the Army’s adoption of situational leadership theory. Ken Blanchard and …