Q1 2020 Texas CEO Magazine

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cannot profess a mission and expect those below to followit without seeing the example. Professional appearance isan excellent example of this, both in and out of uniform.It takes practice and consistency to communicate a missionthat (1) includes enough detail to drive behaviors, (2) includesfew enough details to allow for free thought and creativesolutions, and (3) is understandable at the lowest possiblelevel. But it is possible, especially if the leader him- or herselflives the mission through their actions. Leadership throughpenmanship does not work. Words on a website do not drivebehaviors. Leaders must uphold the standards themselves.Unit PrideI think it’s safe to assume that everyone who joins the militaryhas a bit of a patriotic streak, which gives uniformed leadershipa surefire motivator from the onset. As I mentioned, individualsraise their right hand and pledge to support and defend theConstitution of the United States against all enemies on theirfirst day of work. That’s a bit extreme to expect someone to dofor most jobs. It’s critical to turn that job into a career for thatemployee and help them find what they can be proud of at thesmallest level—be it a team, an office, a department, or even justa project group. What product or service does that small sectionprovide that the employee can brag about to their friends?Soldiers in the US Army wear a patch on our left shoulder todemonstrate what major command we belong to. And insideeach major command, we have mascots and team names forevery military subgroup, down to a squad or team. We paintour symbol on trucks, put it on memos, and decorate our workareas with it, just as corporate America does with logos. We havecoins, stickers, hats, and T-shirts to demonstrate our esprit decorps. But the military takes it one step further: We encourageindividuals to see that the mission of their small team makes thelarger team’s mission possible. Without me, the squad couldn’tsucceed. Without the squad, the platoon, company, battalion,all the way up to the military as a whole, wouldn’t succeed.A manager must instill a similar unit pride in employees byshowing people that their individual actions are somehowadding to the whole. At my current company, where wewant to be a full-service engineering firm, it is imperativethat we ask our clients about items outside our direct scope.This way, we help the client solve their overarching problemrather than just putting a Band-Aid on the immediateissue. We build trust and a lasting relationship. Doingthat together, across the team, grows our unit pride.“People First” MentalityOne advantage civilian organizations have over militaryorganizations is in the people department. Although I believethat soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines are some of thebest humans alive, they are also assigned—they are rarelychosen. Usually, the available person fills a military job andthen learns what they need to do through on-the-job training.In a business, you have an opportunity to interview eachemployee and chose your teams based on capabilities and fit.But no matter how good or bad the staff might be, a groupof bitter, isolated people will never succeed. That’s why it’scritical in either environment to have a “people first” mentality,placing relationships between humans front and center.At West Point, we took PL300, a class in military leadership fromthe Behavioral Sciences and Leadership department. The big jokeback in 1998 was that the correct answer for any unit-cohesionissue was to hold a mandatory barbeque. Oddly enough, thatlesson was truer than my 21-year-old brain could comprehend. Aperson spends one-third to one-half of their waking hours withtheir coworkers. If the individuals can’t socialize at the lowestlevel—at lunches, coffee-pot and water-cooler discussions, andso on—then they will never be able to work as a team. Makingsure that someone is a character fit for the company or teamisn’t enough. Each employee must feel like they are gettingsomething back for the time they spend away from their personallife. I have found that there are three major drivers of workhappiness: money, location, and job satisfaction. I am finding outas I get older that job satisfaction, which prominently includesmy relationships with my coworkers, has now replaced moneyas my top priority. Knowing that your employees likely feel thesame, and helping them develop positive relationships witheach other, will keep your turnover low and productivity high.One thing “people first” doesn’t mean is that you must treateveryone exactly the same. I learned a hard lesson in RangerSchool: There are a lot of amazing soldiers who just aren’tmeant for certain types of missions. Since corporate Americahas the right to hire and fire people, find those who fit within thecompany and nurture them, but let go of those who aren’t drivingtoward the same end state or aren’t motivated by the company’s“why.” That way, both you and that employee can find a better fit.In ConclusionMilitary leadership offers plenty of lessons for corporate America,but those lessons must be taken with a grain of salt. The base ofthe organization—people—is significantly different in military andcivilian environments. But regardless of which type of group youstand in front of, there are three critical drivers of success. Eachorganization must have a clear mission, a sense of unit pride, anda “people first” mentality. Build these three in your team and youwill see success, whether it’s on the battlefield or at the office.Lisa Jaster is the Director of Civil Engineering for M&S Engineering anda lieutenant colonel in the US Army Reserve. After graduating from WestPoint in 2000, she was commissioned as an engineer officer and served onactive duty until February 2007. During her time in the military, Jasterdeployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, earning two Bronze Star Medals, twoMeritorious Service Medals, and a Combat Action Badge, to name a fewof her awards. She is also one of three women to earn the army’s covetedRanger Tab out of the initial integrated Ranger School in 2015.92 Texas CEO Magazine Q1 2020
AUSTINDO YOU ASPIRE TO BECOME A CEO?THIS ROLE IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM EVERY OTHER C-SUITEPOSITION AND YOU NEED TO PREPARE DIFFERENTLY FOR IT.Aspiring CEOs SeminarFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21: 6:30 PM TO 8 PM, RECEPTION AND INTRODUCTIONSATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22: 9 AM TO 4 PM, SEMINARTo help aspiring chief executives, seasoned tech CEO Joel Trammell has taken his CEO training course and adapted it specifically for them.Joel’s leadership as CEO has resulted in successful nine-figure acquisitions by two Fortune 500 companies. As CEO of networkmanagement software firm NetQoS, he delivered 31 consecutive quarters of double-digit revenue growth and a $200 million valuation.CA Technologies acquired the company in 2009, generating more than 10x return on capital to its private equity investors. In 2010, hecofounded Cache IQ, a storage software company that NetApp acquired two years later.Joel is committed to using his experience to help current and aspiring CEOs. Join us for this crash course in excelling in the CEO role—and learn valuable lessons that will advance your career.TESTIMONIALS:“Joel Trammell’s CEO seminar is a must, especially for any first-timeCEOs. You will learn what to expect as a CEO and the ins and outsof building a powerful team through Joel’s real-life experience andcandid feedback. You will also hear from and network with someof the more successful executive leaders in Austin. I pull from thisexperience with every challenge I face—especially the ones I neverexpected. Go do this!”—Denver Fredenberg, owner, Harvest Rain; former CEO, Hyperwear“The CEO seminar was a great experience because it gives you achance to step back from your day-to-day and think strategicallywith the help of Joel Trammell. I learned tactics that I now put intoaction every day.”—Chuck Gordon, CEO, Storable; former CEO, SpareFootEarly bird registration (until Jan 31, 2020): $299Regular registration (after Jan 31, 2020): $399Registration fee includes the receptionFriday evening and lunch on Saturday.Baylor University Executive MBA Program - Austin3107 Oak Creek Drive, Austin, TX 78727Have questions?Email us at info@texasceomagazine.com and we’ll respond promptly.To register, visit texasceomagazine.com/feb21“The CEO seminar was not only insightful and thought provoking onleadership styles and successful business constructs; it also affordeda unique opportunity to interact with my peers across a variety ofcompanies. I learned lessons I still refer to today in managing peopleand the culture of an organization.”—Melanie Kalemba, former CEO, Movero TechnologyHOSTED BY:
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Q1 2020THE BUSINESS OFTEXASSPORTSTI
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Letter from theOWNERGreat CEOs crea
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CEOs; as you can see, the outsiders
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P O D C A S TEach week on Ask a CEO
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money.” They went on to share wit
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The Eyes18 Texas CEO Magazine Q1 20
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THERE’S ASAYING IN OURWEIGHT ROOM
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WHAT CEOSCan Learn fromEXCEPTIONALC
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STARTUP SUCCESS:A STARTUP FUNDRAISI
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Q1 2020 Texas CEO Magazine

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