LE T US D O T H E DI RTY WORK S O C AN QU I C K LY M OVE F O RWAR D.

not going in the right direction. As a leader, it is our job to determine when and how we use the ‘tactical pause,’ where an assessment of the plan takes place. Is the current plan achievable? Do we need a new course of direction? Should the team stop altogether? It’s training that our leadership team is using in our facility today, and I am so thankful for

Additionally, McHale commented on moments of clarity throughout his coursework, sharing one example. “They have a mission, a plan and are in the fight,” he said. “The example that was given stuck with me – there could be a time when somebody’s got a specific responsibility to the mission and communications are lost or more combat is encountered than expected at that moment. A leader must make quick, sound decisions that have a lasting effect on the team. Those decisions have life consequences, and the ones making the decisions must remember what their role is in the bigger mission. It builds character for sure.

Even though, in business, we don’t have war situations, it resonated with me as a leader. As a leader, we must have a mission and a plan, along with the tools to make sound decisions. Even though sometimes our plan doesn’t go how we anticipated, we must problem-solve on the fly, create a new plan and make decisions. It’s how we adapt to the situation and the problem at that moment.”

McHale continued, “Communication and preparation were key actions that were takeaways for me as a leader. Whether it be talking through scenarios with the team leaders, creating a plan for the unknown and preparing for possible mishaps (like the military encountering heavier combat than expected), or cross-training employees so, if one department is down, we can allocate labor to assist or have back-up plans for production and the need to divert, if necessary. Those military leaders knew what they had to get done and could adjust because they planned and prepared for various scenarios, creating clear lines of communication within their teams.”

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Hershberger and McHale set their sights on grabbing every tactic for the toolbox and intaking every ounce of knowledge from the program.

Hershberger commented, “The goal was to learn better ways to communicate a vision and how to implement it. What intrigued me about learning from the military, was that the goals may be constantly changing as the situation evolves. In my experience, rarely has the initial vision in any organization stayed the same. The vision must adapt when moving from theory to reality and this is where most visions fail. However, failure is not an option in military situations, so managers have to learn to understand, change and adapt to new situations as they arise.”

Recently, McHale found himself in an unplanned position and it required him to pull from his leadership training. “It was Christmas, and the plant lost power due to cold temperatures,” he said. “The facility was empty as employees were enjoying their families, but the facility houses waterlines and a sprinkler system, so the first concern was keeping the pipes from freezing. The day after Christmas, I knew we had to prepare for the big potential problem of our facility flooding from pipes bursting. We couldn’t control getting the power turned back on, but we could control how we reacted. Taking swift action with other employees, we formed a plan and started taking the necessary steps – one of which was to contact the sprinkler company, which gave us a procedure to shut down the water. Then we looked to rent heaters from a local company. In the end, we avoided the worst possible outcome and, because of the training and lessons taken from the leadership program, it prepared me and others on the team with ‘the tactical pause’ to redirect, assess and create a plan.”

During the program, candidates are inspired, stretched and even pushed beyond their comfort zones. Hershberger found herself not only reevaluating and processing prior work-related scenarios, but also thinking of what she could do differently moving forward when speakers and faculty members shared real-life stories of their own. She said, “When speakers spoke about poor judgments they made or how they knowingly allowed actions that hurt the team and or the organization, these sections were eye-opening and left the group with a lot to think through. I liked the concept of ‘Red Teaming.’ This forces you to look at your organization through the lens of a competitor. I also liked the After Action Review (AAR), which allows you to sit down as a team after the fact, to say what went well and what we struggled with in a particular scenario.”

Following her experience, Hershberger said, “I feel the program made me a stronger leader.”

In McHale’s experience, “Life is about learning and, when given an opportunity to learn from the military, I took it. As a business leader, you’re focused on a company, with no real life or death threat, but then you see the impact of how the military develops leaders and impacts ‘life’ – I found that very interesting and eye-opening. The generals and their decisions, along with the pressures and expectations that they have on them, are enlightening. I found myself pulling from their experiences shared and adjusting my leadership tactics along the way. It’s not that I was nervous about the program upfront, it’s what happened during it – I was pushed to get uncomfortable and to be challenged in ways I never could have imagined. That’s what life is all about!”

ARPM business leaders, like Hershberger and McHale, who have completed the program through the years proudly use the tools learned to exemplify the characteristics of positivity, trust and self-accountability – pulling teams together to meet company objectives, conquer communication challenges and improve organizational performance. And, the program is not just for the C-Suite executives. McHale sent two of his younger leaders through the program. “The program is an excellent opportunity for young leaders to build a good foundation and to gain important tools to assist them in their leadership growth,” he said.

The online course allows team members to participate in the program without travel costs or time away from the manufacturing facility, but those considering the Building Leaders of Character program should not worry that the online course is not on par with the in-person experience. “For my leadership journey, the online course was more impactful than being at West Point for the two-day training, as I was able to work at my pace on the course work, to reflect daily and fully discuss the lessons being covered,” Keslar said.

In reflection, Keslar said, “After years of research and attempts to create a competitive advantage for our members in developing the future leaders of their organizations, I am proud to say that we are ‘locked-and-loaded’ (a military term that means ‘we are ready to go’) in offering this Battle Tested Leadership program to all our member companies.”

ARPM’s next class of the “Building Leaders of Character” series will begin on March 27, 2023. Space is limited, so to save a seat(s), register on the ARPM website at www.arpminc. com. In addition, 2023 is a big year as The Building Leaders of Character Program Level 2.0 will launch. If readers have completed Level 1.0, they may be eligible to enroll in this program. For more information on ARPM and Thayer Leadership at West Point’s Building Leaders of Character Program, visit www.arpminc.com. n