Old School Rules
Leadership is not a democracy. It is a benevolent dictatorship – and the health of your organization depends on how well you handle the authority entrusted to you.
Your business is your kingdom, and you are the king (or queen as the case may be).
"With great power comes great responsibility," as Peter Parker's Uncle Ben once famously quipped.
For sure. We get it. Let’s not rule with an iron fist.
But the fact remains: This is your business. You get to make, and reinforce, the rules. It is a power that should be well articulated and known to all within your organization.
I am going somewhere with this – the first ever three-part Monday Morning Stretch. But first, a flashback to my early days in computer science, with a very basic definition: the difference between a “physical” and a “logical” hard drive.
Back when I thought it was going to be my future, I took deep dives into computer hardware design. One of the first mental challenges was understanding this critical difference.
A “physical” drive is exactly what you might imagine. You could hold it in your hand. In those early days, we needed every bit of the storage capacity of the physical drive to do anything of consequence. It was often referred to as the “C drive.”
As technology developed and storage capacity increased, we were able to “logically” divide up that single physical space into multiple distinct “drives” — the “C drive,” “D drive,” and so on.
It was not long before we figured out how to extend a “logical” drive over multiple “physical” drives – which eventually led us to “the cloud” and massive data centers that are able to be connected across the globe.
The basic image I want us to understand, though, is physical vs. logical drives (or spaces).
As the king/queen responsible for your kingdom, you preside over both.
Your physical space involves what you own – assets, vehicles, parking lots, and offices. You get to dictate how those physical spaces are used and how people are to act while within them.
Your jurisdiction also extends to logical spaces – places where your business is officially conducted. This includes client and vendor interactions, digital environments, and any space where your systems, decisions, or dollars are at work.
If your business is being conducted, your rules apply.
Though that language may sound harsh to some employees, I am using it to make a point.
We often soften the blow a little by talking about culture, best practices, and policy, but the fact remains: You have the power, the influence, and the responsibility to design and implement the way you want your business to be run.
That is a lot of power. That is a lot of influence. That is a lot of responsibility.
As the leader, your voice sets the tone. Your decisions define the culture. Your example establishes the standard. Your policies dictate behavioral boundaries.
Some may see that as controlling. We are going to reframe it toward stewardship.
Where you use your power to bring order, not control.
Use your influence to empower, not intimidate.
And use your authority to create a culture where clarity and care coexist.
Leadership is sacred work. It carries both privilege and burden.
You have been entrusted with people, resources, and influence for a purpose greater than yourself.
We would be remiss if we didn’t add one more thought.
Power without accountability is dangerous.
Influence without counsel is fragile.
And leadership without reflection is unsustainable.
The wisest kings of old surrounded themselves with trusted advisors. Not flatterers, but truth-tellers. The same is true for today’s business leaders.
Your kingdom will rise or fall on how well you steward your authority.
You have the right to rule. But you also have the responsibility to rule well.
So before we move on to part two, pause and ask:
Who helps you think through your decisions?
Who challenges your blind spots?
Who sharpens your leadership before the next decree is made?
Because even the strongest ruler needs a council.
Next week I hope to take the “logical” idea a step further. Until then…
Blessings to you, my friends!
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This Week’s Resource Recommendation:
"Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win"
- Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
From Amazon: Combat, the most intense and dynamic environment imaginable, teaches the toughest leadership lessons, with absolutely everything at stake. Jocko Willink and Leif Babin learned this reality first-hand on the most violent and dangerous battlefield in Iraq. As leaders of SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser, their mission was one many thought impossible: help U.S. forces secure Ramadi, a violent, insurgent-held city deemed “all but lost.” In gripping, firsthand accounts of heroism, tragic loss, and hard-won victories, they learned that leadership―at every level―is the most important factor in whether a team succeeds or fails.
Willink and Babin returned home from deployment and instituted SEAL leadership training to pass on their harsh lessons of self-discipline, mental toughness and self-defense learned in combat to help forge the next generation of SEAL leaders. After leaving the SEAL Teams, they launched a company, Echelon Front, to teach those same leadership principles to leaders in businesses, companies, and organizations across the civilian sector. Since that time, they have trained countless leaders and worked with hundreds of companies in virtually every industry across the U.S. and internationally, teaching them how to develop their own high-performance teams and most effectively lead those teams to dominate their battlefields.
Since its release in October 2015, Extreme Ownership has revolutionized leadership development and set a new standard for literature on the subject. Required reading for many of the most successful organizations, it has become an integral part of the official leadership training programs for scores of business teams, military units, and first responders. Detailing the resilient mindset and total focus principles that enable SEAL units to accomplish the most difficult combat missions, Extreme Ownership demonstrates how to apply them to any team or organization, in any leadership environment. A compelling narrative with powerful instruction and direct application, Extreme Ownership challenges leaders everywhere to fulfill their ultimate purpose: lead and win.
MMS 25-41
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