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Crossing the Rubicon: An Introduction to Organizational-Level Leadership1It was a proud moment for MAJ Schmidt as his daughters placed the bright gold epaulettes on hisshoulders. He was a field grade officer; he had finally made it! He basked in the kind words of his boss,the praise of his friends, and the love and affection of his family. As he cut the cake at his promotionceremony, many of his fellow cadre asked the same question:“How does it feel to be a field grade officer?”“It feels great!” he responded. In truth, it felt the same as being a captain but he was not about toadmit that to any of his co-workers in the ROTC detachment.The next day his boss, LTC Christenson, called him in. “How does it feel to be a field grade officerBrian?”Here we go again thought Brian. “It feels great, sir!” he said.“Yes, but does it feel any different?”“Different? Not really. I mean I have to get used to thinking of myself as a major and not screwingup my rank when I answer the phone. But job-wise, I’m still in a captain’s position. I was youroperations officer and assistant PMS yesterday and will continue in that position until I attend CGSC atFort Leavenworth in three months,” he replied.LTC Christenson smiled. “Areyou disappointed? Did you think youwould wake up with a frontallobotomy and a desire to spewinvectives at the Corps of Cadetswhile leading them on a 20-mile roadmarch? Or maybe you thought youwould step into my job this morning?”Leadership Requirement s Model*“Sir, you know what I mean. Irealize this is a milestone in mycareer. My life is going to change andI’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little* ADRP 6-22, Army Leadership, p. 1-5nervous about it. Senior leaders spend“Leadership is the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction,a lot of time talking about ‘ironand motivation to accomplish the mission and improve the organization.“ ADRPmajors’ and young field grade officers6-22, para 1-1driving operations in divisions andBCTs. That seems like a big leap from where I am right now.”“You think so? Let me ask, what made you successful as a company-grade officer?”MAJ Schmidt considered this for a moment. “Well, basic leadership skills for one–leading from thefront, setting the example, taking care of Soldiers, and being technically and tactically proficient. Thesame leadership skills and competencies we preach to our cadets. They really work.”1By Carey W. Walker and Robert J. Rielly, the Department of Command and Leadership for the CGSC - not to be furtherreproduced, August 2013. Revised August 20151
“Exactly,” said LTC Christenson. “And do those skills and competencies apply to field grade officersas well?”Ø Your abilities arecarved in stoneØ You must proveyourself over and overØ “It is all about judgingyourself and others”Ø Your abilities can becultivated througheffortØ A person’s truepotential is unknowableØ “It is all about learningand improving.”*Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.DDr. Carol Dweck, a Stanford University psychologist,argues in her book, Mindset: The New Psychology ofSuccess, that the perspective you adopt for yourself andothers profoundly affects the way you lead your life andinfluence others.2 In her research, she discovered peoplegenerally fall into two categories of thinking, fixed orgrowth. Fixed thinkers believe they are born with a certainintellectual capacity and tend to avoid challenges outsidetheir proven capabilities. People with growth perspectivessee their intellectual capabilities as an untapped reservoirthey can develop and grow, and embrace challenges aslearning opportunities. People form a mindset preferenceearly in life based on culture and upbringing. Most adultshave elements of both mindsets, and they are typicallyassociated with specific events or circumstances. Thechallenge for leaders is recognizing the trappings of thefixed mindset—the tendency to tie one’s self-image withone’s success. This creates a deep-rooted fear that affectsall facets of one’s thinking and performance.“Of course. Just because you are a fieldgrade doesn’t mean you stop leading.”Suddenly the light bulb clicked on for MAJSchmidt.“I think I get your point. Leadership isleadership. If I keep doing what I’ve beendoing and continue to gain more experience,my career will take care of itself.”“Yes and no,” said LTC Christenson.“Leadership, the process of influencingothers to do what is required, is timeless.3The leadership attributes and competenciesfrom ADRP 6-22 that we focus on with thecadets are universal in that they apply to allleaders, but the emphasis changes as wemove up in rank. If you think and act like acompany commander on a corps or divisionlevel staff as a major, you are in for a rudeawakening.”MAJ Schmidt looked uncomfortable. “Iwas a pretty good company commander. Infact, my commander said I was the bestmaneuver company commander in thebrigade. Plus, I have four deployments undermy belt. That has to count for something,”he said vehemently.“Relax Brian, this isn’t a personal attack.If you weren’t a good company commander,you wouldn’t be going to CGSC. This isabout how your thinking and behavior haveto shift as a field grade officer. Think about your leadership style as a platoon leader and companycommander. I bet you were very action focused and task oriented.”2Carol S. Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (New York: Ballantine Books, 2006), 6.Department of the Army, ADRP 6-22, Army Leadership (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1 August 2012), para.1-2.32
“Of course,” said MAJ Schmidt. “Ihad a job to do and my Soldiers excelledunder my ‘take charge’ leadership style.I was able to think on my feet and adaptto almost any situation.”“That’s good, but will that sameapproach work at division and corpswhen you are attempting to influencefellow majors, lieutenant colonels, and abig guy with stars on his ACUs?” LTCChristenson proffered.MAJ Schmidt was a little uncertain.“It should. Like you said, leadership istimeless and the competencies areuniversal.”“But it’s not ‘one size fits all’ either.A bull in a china shop breaks a lot ofglass. There is a place and time for beinga hard-ass but it usually doesn’t endearyou with your peers and bosses on a highlevel staff. ‘Iron majors’ excel becausethey are analytical and focused thinkers;they do not rush to judgment. They areopen to ideas and alternate points ofview. They persuade others with reasonand logic while maintaining courtesy andrespect. When they reach into their kitbag, it has more than just different sizehammers,” LTC Christenson concluded.I think I was just scolded, MAJSchmidt thought. I don’t think he isgiving me much credit for what I know.“I realize organizational-level leadershipis not the same as leading at the directlevel. It requires a broader skill set.”Organizational-Level leadershipThe environment of the organizational level is morecomplex than at direct level. Organizational-level leaders faceill-structured problems and longer planning andimplementation timelines. They have less direct monitoringand control and must work with and through other leaders. Ina sense, organizational level leadership is about “leadingleaders.” For example, a division commander leads brigadecommanders who are successful leaders in their own right.This requires a more nuanced form of leadership.Direct-level leaders generally gather facts, execute plans,motivate people, fix problems, and supervise. At theorganizational level, leaders have to analyze the facts, makedecisions with partial or incomplete information, explain thedecision for others to execute–often not knowing if the solutionwill fix the problem–and then make adjustment decisionsbased on information and assessments from others.Organizational-level leaders develop programs, plans, andpolicies. They make complex concepts understandable for theorganization. They anticipate organizational friction pointsand mitigate them – sometimes for events that will not occurduring their tenure due to long implementation timelines.In the civilian world, author John Maxwell describes thoseworking at the organizational level as “360 Degree Leaders. 4”As in the military, they not only lead and influencesubordinates, but peers and bosses alike. Many times theindividuals they must influence are not in their direct chain ofcommand. This requires a broad skill set that includesinfluence techniques, managing conflict, prioritizing limitedresources, timely decision-making, and developing others.Most importantly, organizational-level leaders realize thatthe world does not revolve around them or their unit. It isabout being part of a larger team. They see themselves as anenabler for their higher headquarters, the “Big Army,” and theprofession of arms. They embrace the concept of “improvingwhile operating”–meeting daily commitments while improvingthe organization for the future.“You are right,” LTC Christensonresponded. “Direct-level leadership isface-to-face or first-line leadership. These leaders develop subordinates one-on-one and influence theorganization indirectly through subordinates. The focus is typically on events and behaviors.545John C. Maxwell, The 360º Leader (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Business, 2005)Peter M. Senge, The Fifth Discipline (New York: Doubleday, 2006), 52.3
Conversely, an organizational leaderworks through several levels ofsubordinates. They deal with addedcomplexity, more people, greateruncertainty, and unintendedconsequences. They influence throughpolicymaking and systems integrationmore so than face-to-face contact.7 Theylead other leaders.”The Seasoned Executive’s Decision-Making Style*Single focusMultifocusNUMBER OF OPTIONSSatisficingINFORMATION USEMaximizingDECISIVEHIERARCHICThinking: Direct, efficient, fast,and firm.Thinking: Highly analytical andfocused, no rush to judgment.Leading: Style comes across asaction-focused and task oriented.Leading: Style comes across ashighly intellectual.FLEXIBLEINTEGRATIVEThinking: Focuses on speed andadaptability.Thinking: Focuses on framingproblems broadly, input frommany sources, and involvesmultiple courses of action.Leading: Style comes across ashighly social and responsive.Leading: Style comes across ashighly participative.*Harvard Business Review, Feb 06The Feb 06 Harvard Business Review Article, “TheSeasoned Executive’s Decision Making Style,” illustrates thechallenge leaders face as they transition from the direct toorganizational level.6 Using a database of over 120,000executives, the researchers concluded that managersclimbing the corporate ladder needed new skills andbehaviors when assuming more senior leadership positions.They had to change the way they used information and theway they created and evaluated options. This meantbecoming more analytical and “information hungry” in theirthinking (hierarchic and integrative quadrants on the chart)and open and receptive in their leadership style (flexiblequadrant). In essence, they had to flip-flop their approach todecision making. Those who could not make the transitionand continued functioning like first-line supervisors wereeither fired or forced out.To equate it to the military, successful direct-level or juniorleaders are very flexible in their thinking and decisive in theirleadership style. They quickly select the best course of actionbased on available information and maintain a strong taskfocus.Conversely, organizational-level leaders typically deal withmore complex and drawn-out issues and have more time intheir decision making. Therefore, they are much moreanalytical in their thinking, gathering as much information aspossible and not rushing to judgment. Their flexibleleadership style attempts to close the perception gap (“theboss is out of touch with reality”) that naturally occursbetween senior and junior ranks. They encourage the flow ofideas, practice active listening, and emphasize informationsharing to gain understanding, as well as foster a positiveclimate.“Now don’t get me wrong,” headded. “Field grades still use direct-levelleadership skills; it’s a daily necessitywhen trying to influence others. But it istheir critical thinking and soundjudgment that makes the difference.”“Critical thinking,” MAJ Schmidtsnorted. “Now that might be the mostoverused word in the TRADOCvocabulary. Heck, it’s even in ourrecruiting pitch: Army ROTC willenhance your leadership skills andcritical thinking abilities.“So you think we are just blowingsmoke when we talk critical thinking?”“Come on, sir. You know me betterthan that. I just think the term is a littleoverrated. I wouldn’t have made major ifI didn’t know how to think critically.”It was LTC Christenson’s turn tosnort. “You think so Brian? Whatqualifies someone as a critical thinker?Successful company command? Fourdeployments? There’s been a lot ofsuccessful officers with much moreexperience than you splashed across thefront page of every major newspaper inthe U.S. the last few years for their lessthan stellar behavior. I’m sure theythought they were good critical thinkerstoo.”Kenneth R. Brousseau, Michael J. Driver, Gary Hourihan, and Rikard Larsson, “The Seasoned Executive’s Decision-MakingStyle,” Harvard Business Review (February 2006): 110-120.7 ADRP 6-22, para. 2-33.64
“Sir, I think you are mixing apples and oranges. You’re talking ethics and morality, I’m talkingcritical thinking.”“That’s exactly my point. Critical thinking does not exist in some kind of glass vial with a sign thatsays, ‘Break When Needed.’ It’s a mindset as well as a process. It’s not supposed to go into hibernationwhen your emotions get charged up.”Frame an Operational EnvironmentCurrent StateIt was obvious from MAJ Schmidt’sblank stare that his point was not sinking in.“When I say mindset, I mean thatcritical thinking provides a perspective forhow to look at issues. It is about not rushingto judgment through black and whitethinking. It means understanding andmanaging your biases, prejudices, andemotions. It requires asking questions,searching for facts, recognizingassumptions, listening to arguments,considering other points of view, and usingjudgment to draw sound conclusions. It’s away of thinking that takes a lot of hard workand self-discipline. We all like to think wedo it but it is far easier said than done,” LTCChristenson concluded.“And CGSC will teach me this?” MAJSchmidt said with a smile on his face.“No one will ‘teach you’ to be a criticalthinker, Brian. You must continue todevelop and prepare yourself. CGSC willprovide you tools, opportunities, and contextfor growing and enhancing your thinkingskills, but the onus is on you. It’s not theirjob to tell you how to suck an egg. They setthe conditions; you provide the disciplinedinitiative. Isn’t that what we preach to thecadets?”“Sure, but these ideas you are talkingabout on critical thinking apply to allofficers, not just field grades.”“Yes, but what separates field gradeofficers from company grade officers?”LTC Christenson asked.Desired End StateWhat is going on?Understand the currentconditions of the operationalenvironment.Frame theProblemWhat are theobstacles impedingprogress towardthe desiredend state?What should theenvironment look like?Visualize desiredconditions of theoperational environment.Develop anOperational ApproachWhat broad general actionsWill resolve the problem?Develop the PlanUsing the militarydecision makingprocessArmy Design MethodologyADRP 5-0, Figure 2-2One of the critical skills a field grade officer must masteris the ability to identify or frame a problem, not just solveit. Problem framing is the reasoning process used byorganizational-level leaders to gain context. It sets theconditions for subsequent analysis and is part of Armydesign methodology for applying critical thinking tocomplex problems. 8Areas to consider in framing the problem include: Key Players: Who can influence the situation? End State: What are the desired future conditions wewish to achieve? Interests: What are the needs, wants, desires,concerns, and fears of the key actors? Facts: What are the verifiable truths that affectdecision-making? Assumptions: What is the best guess about the currentor future situation that is most likely true in theabsence of facts? Paradigms: What are the generally accepted mentalmodels or patterns of thinking that have had repeatedvalidation (“conventional wisdom”) Problem: What are the obstacles to overcome inreaching the end state?By using this or a similar construct to frame a problem,field grade officers set the conditions for more detailedanalysis and the application of judgment to enhance theirdecision-making.8Department of the Army, ADRP 5-0, The Operations Process (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 17 May 2012),para. 2-25 to 2-26 and 2-30 to 2-43.5
Improving While OperatingOne of the most daunting tasks of an organizationallevel leader is to improve the organization whilesimultaneously accomplishing day-to-day missions. This is ashift in focus for most new field grade officers and requiresa change in thinking. Simply accomplishing the mission isno longer good enough. As stewards of the profession, theymust envision a process for long-term development andcontinual adaptation.This means establishing programs and activities toimprove the organization’s capacity and capability toaccomplish existing and future goals, objectives, andexpectations.9 All organizations have a designed capabilityto perform a series of functions and missions. In otherwords, they have the potential ability to achieve a certainoutcome. The goal of long-term development is to exploitthat potential and achieve full capacity, the maximumamount of possible output. By focusing on and developingpotential, leaders can expand the capacity of organizationsbeyond initial design capabilities, a critical necessity whenoperating in complex and uncertain environments.At the strategic level, the Army’s process for long-termdevelopment is DOTMLPF (Doctrine, Organization, Training,Material, Leadership and Education, Personnel, andFacilities), a problem-solving construct for assessing currentcapabilities and managing change.10 At the organizationallevel, leaders achieve long-term development byimplementing a vision, a picture of the future framed by avalue-based purpose that creates a path to drive behavior,change, and motivation.11 It describes where theorganization must go, what it will look like, and how it willget there.To implement an organizational-level vision process,leaders require a fundamental understanding of theconcepts, processes, and practices that shape and influencemilitary organizations. These include the relationshipbetween power and influence, the challenges of leadingchange, the culture that shapes organizations, the leaders’role in establishing a positive organizational climate withinthe culture, the processes and practices of organizationallearning, the role of stress and resilience, the necessity forbuilding teams, and the challenges of developing anethically aligned organization.“Lots of things,” MAJ Schmidt replied.“Age, maturity, experience, education,responsibilities these seem the mostobvious.”“Excellent. I think you are right on themark, especially with experience andeducation because they help shape yourjudgment. Remember, judgment is theblending of analytical and intuitive decisionmaking skills to assess situations shrewdlyand draw sound conclusions. The key wordis ‘blending.’ Rational thought drives youranalytical thinking; experience forms yourintuitive skills. When you balance the two,you form your judgment.” LTC Christensonwas excited now, pacing the room as hetalked.MAJ Schmidt was feeling the energyfrom his boss. “So what you are telling me,sir, is that we are all charged with criticalthinking but field grade officers, given theirextensive experience and education, earntheir pay by demonstrating sound judgment.”“Yes! Everyone uses some level ofjudgment in their decision-making; however,the expec
same leadership skills and competencies we preach to our cadets. They really work.” 1 By Carey W. Walker and Robert J. Rielly, the Department of Command and Leadership for the CGSC - not to be further reproduced, August 2013. Revised August 2015 L
