• a leader and follower;
• humble not passive;
• aggressive not overbearing;
• quiet not silent;
• calm but not robotic, logical but not devoid of emotions;
• close with the troops but not so close that one becomes more
important than another or more important than the good of the
team; not so close that they forget who is in charge.
• able to execute Extreme Ownership, while exercising
Decentralized Command.A good leader has nothing to prove, but everything to prove.APPLICATION TO BUSINESS
The chief financial officer (CFO) finally caught me alone, in between
meetings, and made the point clear: the whole electrical division was
losing money. The CFO could not believe that Andy, the company’s
CEO, kept the division running. Perhaps at some future point, the
division might turn things around and become profitable. But that future
was likely more than five years away— five very long years in the
construction industry, where market conditions, weather, competition,
contracts, and costs of labor could radically change forecasts.
“The only way we can make the electrical division profitable is if we
pay them thirty to forty percent above the market rate for electrical
work. And if we do that, sure, they might make money, but we will lose
big.”
“Why do you think Andy is keeping it open and running?” I asked
with curiosity. “He is a smart guy. He must see what’s happening.”
The CFO looked down to the ground and then over each shoulder.