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How to Become a Proven Wartime Leader

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For businesses and society, these crosswinds have created a war on everything: on traditional leadership, on the role of companies, how we live, and how we plan for the future. Success in these turbulent times calls for wartime leadership.

In 2020, it’s business as usual, and leaders will be required to fend off a range of existential threats. These could come from a wide range of sources including increasing geopolitical instability, social disenfranchisement, polarization, macro-economic change, climate change, corona pandemic, and so forth.

The role of a wartime leader

A wartime leader is led by the very specific circumstances of their time. A wartime leader is hyper-aware and ever questioning, constantly articulates and demands adherence to their business purpose, has a long-term guiding vision, has excellent intelligence networks to seek insight and information from a broad range of sources and channels and isn’t afraid to pivot their business or strategy to a responding threat. They can also rapidly refocus people, skills, assets and revenue streams accordingly, and ideally in anticipation of it regardless of the accepted wisdom.

The style of leadership that resulted in business growth and profitability in previous decades will no longer be enough. Leaders will be forced to rethink traditional boundaries of competition, market, and industry along with navigating new pathways to collaboration, development, or service delivery in light of the evolving conditions.

This is an opportunity for leaders to look beyond traditional business metrics such as profit margins and shareholder returns to really consider and create purpose-driven organizations.

A leap beyond social responsibility, this means considering the long-term, positive impact – or legacy, if you will – they will have on all of their stakeholders and touch-points including their employees, their community, and their environment.

Maintaining the same mindset that worked in previous decades will simply not serve us in the future. Will our leaders step up to become wartime leaders or will they surrender to the challenges of time?

“The task of the leader is to get their people from where they are to where they have not been.” – Henry Kissinger

Important aspects of wartime leadership:

1. You Are Not All-Knowing (And you don’t have to be)

Remember this, “The ability to focus, obsess, and chalk out priorities is vital, and this skill is not one that comes easily. It comes from the ability to learn, unlearn, and relearn the battlefield.”

Stop predicting how long this may be. None of us know. Instead, focus on what your business needs to do to survive and win the market. Get closer to acquisition than awareness. Focus on what you can do today to be better off tomorrow. These are times of war – living to the next day matters.

2. Over-communicate

None of us know what will happen in the next weeks and months. Last week already feels like a year ago. For your team, over-communicate – especially when working from home, in isolation, and in uncertainty.

Keep the team up to date on as much as possible. Help them prioritize activities that have the biggest revenue opportunities. Have them take care of each other. Teach them how to think like a soldier – doing what needs to get done to get to the next day, helping pick up their fellow employees when they are down, and focusing on the task at hand.

Don’t forget, “A wartime leader has top priorities locked in, and is in a position to specialize in these elements with razor precision.”

“Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know.” – Jim Rohn

Conclusion

Just as a chess grandmaster is in a position to see the entire board and not only a couple of moves ahead, so must a wartime leader. The ability to focus, obsess, and chalk out priorities is vital, and this skill is not one that comes easily.

It comes from the ability of a wartime leader to learn, unlearn, and relearn the battlefield.

Understanding the landscape and atmosphere during which the battle is fought is crucial.

Finally, the simplest wartime leader knows the way to lead. The best commander-in-chief knows the way to rally the troops and keep them motivated. Whether it’s down within the trenches or within the room, creating a bond with the soldiers that keeps them going is the mark of an accomplished wartime leader. 

Understanding the landscape and atmosphere in which the battle is fought is crucial. If tough decisions need to be made, the resolve required to do so comes from a place of experience and knowledge. It takes courage to make unpopular and problematic decisions and the wartime leader must know that.

What do you think is the defining trait of a leader? Share your thoughts with us below!

Hi everyone my name is Anaam and I am the founder of Success Strategies. I am very passionate about success. I read a lot of books on how to become successful. Now I am very happy to share the knowledge whatever I have learned. My core purpose is to give knowledge and value to my readers. Follow me on Twitter @RasoolAnaam.

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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

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What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

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1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

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3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

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7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

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9. Eliminate Favoritism

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10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

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11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

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12. Provide Leadership Development

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Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

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  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

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Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

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Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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