Values at the heart of leadership
National Association of Police Fleet
Managers – 3 June 2014
Justin Featherstone MC FRGS
!
Distributed and Shared
Leadership
• Is a systemic view of leadership in
which a greater number of people
are involved in leading within their
organisation a more resilient and
sustainable model?
• What part do values play in this
model?
!
• “Leadership is the
art of accomplishing
more than the
science of
management says is
possible.”
• Colin Powell from The
Powell Principles by Oren
Harari, 2003
!
Major General Sir John ‘Shan’ Winthrop
Hackett GCB CBE DSO (Bar) MC
• “The whole pattern of
life of the professional
man-at-arms
is
designed in a deliberate
effort to foster moral
values, not just because
they
are
morally
desirable in themselves,
but because they are
essential to military
efficiency.”
!
What are your values?
• What are your top 6 personal
values?
• What are the top 6 values of your
police force as you experience
them?
• When last did you demonstrate one
of these in difficult circumstances?
!
Learning (operational) Zones
Comfort
Stretch
/learning
Panic /fear
!
The Leadership Challenge: The Five
Practices of Exemplary Leadership*
• Model the way
• Inspire a shared
vision
• Challenge the
process
• Enable others to act
• Encourage the heart
*Kouzes & Posner, 1987 &
2012
!
WHAT IN YOUR VIEW IS
MILITARY LEADERSHIP?
!
Core Values – the moral glue
• British Army’s core values:
– Selfless Commitment
– Courage
– Discipline
– Integrity
– Loyalty
– Respect for Others
!
Case Study 1 - When values
meet reality
!
Reflections
!
!
CIMIC House – the environment
• The most attacked
British Unit since the
Korean War (The Times,
Stephen Grey).
• The longest continued
defence of a static
location by a British
Unit since World War 2.
!
Tactical environment
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
!
309 Mortar attacks (760 Rounds).
595 Rounds over 5-28 Aug 04.
6 x 107mm Rocket attacks.
62 x RPG 7 attacks.
88 major contacts against patrols.
100+ against Cimic House over 5-28 Aug.
14 Casualties (48 in 1PWRR BG) – 4 Combat
Stress in Y Coy.
Maintaining high performance
• Values must be real,
relevant and practised
• Empathy and authenticity.
• Trust.
• “Drink more tea.”
• A single Y Company family.
• All valued and valuable.
!
Combat – Encourage The Heart
• Exhilarating, enervating,
roller-coaster.
• Most extreme
environment possible.
• Crossing the Rubicon.
!
The Medhi Army uprising 5 – 28 Aug
2004
!
18
Sustaining high performance
• Humanity – the emotional
landscape.
• Clarity in chaos – linking
individual contribution to
the collective effort.
• Stress.
• The small things count.
!
Coming home
• Sustaining the values.
• Supporting the family.
• Maintaining the
identity.
!
Discussion 1: AC130 Spectre Strike
• Yesterday you called in an airstrike on an insurgent mortar
position. The strike was successful but 3 civilians were
killed when the mortar ammunition exploded (one baby,
one old man and a woman).
• Divisional HQ legal tell you that you may not apologise or
admit responsibility/liability before they have investigated
the case fully, which might take weeks.
• Sharia law dictates reparations must be made within 2
weeks to avoid a blood feud and the local population wish
to meet you.
• What will you do?
• Use your values list and that of the British Army to
support your decision.
!
A sniper’s tale – doing the right
thing?
Discussion
!
22
CASE STUDY 2 – OWNING THE
VALUES
!
• What does a great leader look and sound
like?
• What does a great team look like?
• Can values be consistently upheld in new
teams facing unfamiliar territory?
!
Case Study 2: Inspiring a Shared
Vision – Ecuador 2007
!
Ecuador
!
Values in action
• Capability not disability
• We will understand each other’s function
and not focus on dysfunction
• One voice at a time and everyone’s
opinion to be heard and valued
• We will support each other all of the time
• We will challenge others when our values
are not being upheld
!
Beyond Boundaries 3
!
Case Study 2 - discussion
• What has happened and why has this
situation occurred?
• What might Julie and the rest of the team
have done to reduce the likelihood of this
situation occurring?
• What lessons from the whole case study
might transfer to your environments?
!
Ethical Leadership principles
(Northouse, P., 2010)
Respects
others
Serves
others
Builds
community
Ethical
Leadership
Manifests
honesty
!
Shows
justice
• “Leaders honour their
core values, but they
are flexible in how they
execute them.”
• Colin Luther Powell
!
What place have values in supporting
operational effectiveness?
!