Second In Charge

Episode 51:  Officer Of The Day

Radar:      Company…order arms!  Company’s arms are ordered, sir.

Frank:    Now then, during Colonel Blake’s absence, I will act in his capacity.  So, if there are any problems, you may bring them to me or to our fine adjutant here, Major Houlihan.  Talking to the major is the same as talking to me since we are intimate with each other at all times.

In Henry Blake’s absence, Frank is acting Commanding Officer and Hawkeye is rostered as Officer of the Day.  During their temporary command, Colonel Flagg from Army Intelligence brings in a prisoner for treatment and Klinger is caught several times trying a number of unsuccessful attempts at desertion.

I learned a valuable lesson a number of years ago while catching up with our leadership team upon my return from holidays.   A significant issue arose in my absence that required immediate attention and a decision was made that caused unintended consequences.  It would have been easy to criticize the decision, but I realized in the moment that it was more important for me and the team to affirm the process leading to the decision and their willingness to lead in my absence.  When authority is delegated it needs to be backed if we are serious about empowering leaders, because “Leadership is not just what happens when you’re there; it’s what happens when you’re not there” (Ken Blanchard).  Affirming leaders when you are present and empowering leaders when you are absent expands your leadership influence, whether you are there or not.

Positional Leadership

Episode 16:  The Ringbanger

Hawkeye:    We got us a real “ring banger” here.

Trapper:   A “what banger”?

Hawkeye:   Didn’t you see the way he kept banging his ring on 

           the chair?

Trapper:   Yeah.

Hawkeye:   A little reminder that he’s a quarterback and we’re 

           just the water boys.

Trapper:   I got a feeling he wouldn’t be so tall if he weren’t 

           standing on so many bodies.

An over zealous colonel comes to camp injured, exerting his authority and eagerness to return to the front line to kill more of the enemy.  Hawkeye and Trapper try and prevent him from returning to battle by convincing him he was suffering from ‘battle fatigue.’

There are many different styles of leadership; from task-oriented to people-focused, bureaucratic to servant, autocratic to participative, and many others in-between.  Regardless of the style or situation, it is commonly agreed that leadership is more about influence than position.  Position asserts the rights of a leader, whereas influence accents the responsibilities of a leader.  Position is self driven, influence is others driven. Position exerts power over others, influence empowers others. While positional leadership is a reality in most organizations, leaders have a choice about how they use their position.  In his book, The 360 Degree Leader, John Maxwell, who teaches that “leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less,” defines the relationship between position and influence by stating, “Influencing others is a matter of disposition, not position.”

The Battle is Not Mine

Episode 3:  Requiem for a Lightweight

Hawkeye:   What does mean mean, mean means nothing. It’s skill that counts. Big and mean has nothing to do with fighting ability.

Trapper gets conned into competing in an inter-camp boxing match as a favour to Henry Blake, to win back a nurse who is being transferred out. When the boxer from the opposing camp arrives the 4077 doctors are intimidated by his size and reputation.

As leaders we are often confronted by various forms of opposition that can seem overwhelming and intimidating at first appearances.  One doesn’t have to stand in a boxing ring to feel like you are going a couple of rounds with a sparring partner.  The kinds of fights confronting leaders are usually in the form of criticism, conflicting agendas, personality clashes, or unrealistic expectations.  These battles that seem so overwhelming at first can be right sized when given a bit of perspective:  “The battle is the Lord’s” (1 Sam 17:47), “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit” (Zech 4:6), “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood” (Eph 6:12).  As a Christian leader I have the knowledge that the battle is not mine and that God’s wisdom and strength empowers me to overcome!