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.”

Commanding Loyalty

Episode 9:  Henry, Please Come Home

Hawkeye:  When were all of us really happy here?

Trapper:  When the nurses were new?

Hawkeye:  We were happy when Henry was in command. He understood 

          us, we understood him.

Colonel Blake is transferred to Tokyo after the 4077 achieved a 90% efficiency rate and Henry received a special citation from General Hammond.  With Frank Burns in command, running the camp like a dictator, Hawkeye and Trapper devise a plan to try and get Henry back.

Leadership in a post-modern world can no longer use position to command loyalty and respect, it has to be earned from a foundation of trust.  I may be appointed as the leader of my church, however, my position and title does not automatically assume that people will follow my lead.  I can only command people’s loyalty by winning their hearts and minds through building authentic relationships.  Loyalty cannot be taken, it is received.  Loyalty cannot be manufactured, it is cultivated.  Loyalty to a leader or an organization is driven by mutual respect and commitment to a shared set of values and a common vision.