LIONS
Over the past few years, the British Army has gone large on leadership. That might come as a bit of a surprise, given that the UK armed services are renowned the world over, and their officer colleges and joint staff college are a destination of choice for overseas forces looking at developing their own.
I subscribe to an excellent website called ‘The Army Leader’. I spent a while in the Royal Air Force,attending officer school at Cranwell, and it has always seemed a bit of an unfinished journey for me. But it isn’t that which compels me to subscribe; it is the fact it is a persistent source of good lessons on that whole subject of leading people. The Army, and for that matter the RAF and Navy have had to become a much more agile employer in order to connect and engage with a very different and ‘woke’ workforce. What would have worked 30 plus years ago when I signed up wouldn’t work today, and to be honest, its been a long time coming. Today’s soldier is very much encouraged to think for themselves, and become a much more self-aware being than the traditional image of the ‘British Tommy’.
Isn’t this what we want from all our employees, regardless of sector?
The promotion of a LION culture is developing at the forefront of the Army’s coaching approach to leadership. As well as being a great title, invoking pride, spirit and bravery, it is a solid mnemonic for a really strong coaching model;
L isten to yourself
I dentify your motivators and de-motivators,
O wn your future
N ever feel alone.
I can almost see a sergeant major speaking to some pale faced seventeen year olds in ill-fitting suits in a lecture theatre as they settle in on their first day at their training centre. What a fantastic, inclusive message to bond the team with, but alongside this, it puts individual development right at the forefront. Personally, I’d throw a copy of Steve Peter’s “The Chimp Paradox” at them too, and advise them to read it before the week is out. And then, as their boss, reinforcing that ‘Never alone’ support network can only get their career off to the very best of starts.
LION really does appear to be the on-boarding gift that keeps on giving. From that initial welcome briefing, it can become a natural mantra for every time the recruit feels themselves waning, and a solid coaching framework for each time they need that little bit more support - either from each other or from their boss. that consistency could help build an awesome coaching culture.
I’m certainly going to look at using LION as a coaching framework, especially when building teams. I commend it to you, and for further reading have a look at the words from the originator of model, WO1 (RSM) Joseph Fleming, in the link at the bottom of this article.
Derek Flint Cert.Ed., MCIPR