Opinion

Ask good questions.

"Ask good questions, listen carefully, and give clear instructions". Sound advice indeed and I'm writing it down carefully as I'm talking to Sir Philip Trousdell, formerly director of the multi-national NATO operations in Bosnia and Commander of the operation in Northern Ireland. He's telling me about his take on leadership, army-style.

You can find his podcast interview here:
http://www.beermat.biz/all-podcasts.php

Like many very senior military figures, Sir Philip has a keen intellect, urbane charm and dry wit, but underneath you sense someone with a very refined sense of purpose, who doesn't suffer fools gladly. I'm definitely on my best behaviour.

He makes a clear distinction between management, which he says is about getting everything organised properly, and leadership, which he thinks is about taking people further than they think they can go.

He bases his views on leadership on the classic Army experience: every three years or so, you're pitched into a new command. As well as the jobs I've already listed, he was also director of public relations for the Army and commanded 48th Ghurkha Brigade in Hong Kong. In one job, he had to deal with the tabloid press, and in the other he managed a highly multi-cultural environment, two challenges that would terrify even the best-prepared chief executive.

It all started for him at Sandhurst in the '60s. Even then it was in the forefront of psychometric training, which Sir Philip says was "pretty accurate", using the technique to select the next batch of officers. The training was backed up by very structured interviewing ("you have to eyeball them over the table"), and followed by academic study featuring one of the best history libraries in the world. Plus you do spend a significant time "running around in the mud".

He tells me that while at the Sovereign's Parade you see people who look absolutely identical in their uniform and behave identically on the drill square, "actually that's not what you select them for. You select them for their ability to think their way through a situation."

Then these fledgling leaders get their first command, in his case a platoon of 30 men in the middle of the Libyan Desert. It is at this point that all young officers learn an important lesson: however strong a leader they think they are the unit is actually run by the Sergeant Major. So the first of Sir Philip's key leadership skills, the ability to ask good questions, is all-important.

Back in the '90s, I remember everyone becoming very excited by 'upwards appraisal', where you review your boss. Today, '360 degree reviews' are much vaunted. It seems the Army has always been ahead of the game.

Sir Philip says: "People often say about the Army, you only ever get reported on by your superiors. But if you go and have dinner in the Sergeant's mess then you had better leave your pompousness at the door and put on your humility hat because, very kindly and politely, these guys, who may be four or five years older than you, tell you exactly how it's working."

"If you listen to them, they often tell you things, and if you are not listening hard then you miss it. Particularly if you are not in a position to read their body language as well and that's a really hard lesson to learn. I think you need lots of experience."

And finally, you need to make your decisions and explain them clearly. "Communication is an absolute skill. If you can't communicate I don't think you should be in the leadership business," he says. "You need to be able to articulate unambiguously and clearly to the people who are going to implement the decision, so that they have no doubts about what's going on."

"And then you need to start wearing out the shoe leather, going around all the levels of your organisation, explaining where they fit in, what their bit is in this great scheme that you've dreamt up, so that they not only understand what's required but also have the chance to ask you questions."

So there is 'Leadership on a Beermat': 'question', 'listen' and 'communicate'. If you're having leadership problems in your organisation, perhaps the answer is to go back to basics for some training in these simple life skills.

For Sir Philip Trousdell, life turned full circle when he eventually found himself back at Sandhurst, as Commandant. He couldn't resist looking up his old report, which referred to him as "still very much a school boy".

I could see what they meant. He still has a twinkle in his eye and a spring in his step. He clearly enjoys his post-Army life, teaching people about leadership, acting as non-executive director to a number of companies, and involving himself in the welfare of his former soldiers.

So perhaps the best solution to our country's ills is not to reintroduce National Service for our feckless youth; maybe we ought instead to put our would-be politicians through selection and training at Sandhurst?

Just a thought....

Mike Southon,

Footnote: Mike Southon
Best selling author, keynote speaker and entrepreneur mentor 
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By Mike Southon

This article is © Mike Southon 2008. All rights reserved.
The article originally published in the Financial Times www.ft.com/mikesouthon
Mike Southon can be contacted at mike@beermat.biz www.beermat.biz