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Cedarville Magazine
How did the respective organizational cultures in the military and law
enforcement inform your leadership style?
Reno
–
In more than 20 locations and even more job assignments
with the USAF, I was led by men and women with humility and high
integrity. They cared about people and were devoted to the mission.
They were good communicators, deliberate thinkers, action-oriented,
and loyal —up, across, and down the chain of command. This became
clearer as I advanced in the organization. In those I worked with at the
highest levels, I witnessed the greatest integrity, passion for the mission,
and sense of duty.
When I worked at the Pentagon, my boss was the Air Force Chief
of Staff, the most senior general in the Air Force. One day, my secretary
informedme he wanted to see me inmy office, and I knew that couldn’t
be right. Surely, I should go to see him. I went to his office and spoke
with his executive officer. “Sir,” he replied, “He wants to meet with you
in your office.” I was surprised, but even more so when he came, alone,
walking down the corridor, a quarter mile from his office to mine. He
had no deputy with him, no entourage. After greeting me by name,
he requested the services of a sergeant who worked for me. Because
I reported to him, each person who reported to me worked for him
already. As a senior general, he did not need to ask me for anything
that was by all rights already his, but his deference tome made a lasting
impression.
Good leaders taught me a lot about leadership, but so did poor
leaders. I knew a boss whose insecurity made him overbearing and
heavy-handed. I saw the effect it had on his subordinates, and from his
example, I learned to respond to people in more positive ways. There
are times when orders flow down the line. When your commander says,
“Take your unit and conduct these operations,” there’s no discussion.
It’s time to salute and carry out orders. But there are other times when
empowering those who work for you benefits the entire team.
Oliver
–
Law enforcement culture is paramilitary; it adopts a partial
military style in command structure. One key difference is that the
higher up you go, the more rules and legal guidelines you must
follow. You have less discretion to “do whatever you want.” Some law
enforcement agencies, like those I worked for in Ohio, have collective
bargaining—first-linemanagement andmiddlemanagement negotiate
wages, benefits, and terms and conditions of employment. It changes
the leader’s role when work rules can be negotiated and grieved
through a labor agreement. A leader in this environment gets things
done through personal influence and negotiation skills rather than
positional authority.
In one agency, I wanted to end the 12-hour shifts that didn’t
serve the community or the agency well. Some officers liked the
schedule and some did not, but that schedule was written into the
labor agreement and, therefore, considered sacred. After a series of
meetings with members of the labor unit and others who wanted to
attend, we were able to agree on a nine-hour day that gave officers
more weekends off. Far from a unilateral decision, this required a
great deal of give-and-take to find a better alternative.
What is a hot topic in leadership literature right now where you
particularly agree?
Reno
–
Leaders need to be nimble, able to adapt — not their values,
but their styles—and adjust to each situation.
This is not only true from job to job but also
within elements of the job.The wise leader will
adjust to meet the needs of the organization,
not make them adjust to his needs. (If you
sense an element of humble service here, it is
intended.) Within a particular job, the wise
leader, CEO, or other will adapt his style to
the different needs of superiors, peers, and
subordinates as well as in varying situations.
Flexibility is key to effectiveness.
What seems to be missing from today’s
leadership literature?
Oliver
–
The emphasis seems to be on
techniques, methods, and strategies —public
image and tactics that can make a person
appear to influence and get what hewants from
people. The focus is less about the integrity of
the leader and doing what is morally right.
Character is the essence of leadership. The
most important question people ask of those
who have authority over them— whether an
athlete to a coach, a child to a parent, a student
to a teacher, or an employee to a manager —
is, “Can I trust you? Will you be honest and
truthful while looking out for my interests?”
You primarily lead from your moral
authority more than your knowledge and
ability. If people can discredit themessenger,
they will discredit the message. Leadership,
more than anything else, is a practice; it
is something you do, and ultimately, it is
something you become. Not everyone can
be a leader, but everyone can lead from an
area of responsibility.
What are the core values that shape who you
are and how you lead?
Reno
–
Vision
— Without it, the people perish
(Prov. 29:18).
Integrity
—Your credibility is anchored on
this.
Communication
—When things go wrong
in an organization, it’s usually caused by
poor or lack of communication.
Balance
— Your job is important, but not
at the expense of your faithfulness to your
spouse, children, and God.
Service
— Who will be greatest in God’s
kingdom? The one who is servant of all
(Mark 9:35).
The USAF has three core values:
integrity, service before self, and excellence
