7 minute read
Delivering Leadership
In December 2018, I had the pleasure of travelling across Italy and France with my beautiful wife and three amazing children, with one particular highlight being Strasbourg - famously known for its Christmas Markets. Every December, as we decorate our tree and house, we enjoy pulling out the ornaments we bought at those markets, taking us back to a moment of nostalgia.
We have a beautifully crafted nutcracker, handmade decorations and a really random soap holder in the colours of the Alsace region of red and white - which I bought! Another clear memory this ritual takes me back to is meeting an impressive American woman on a walking history tour we did of Strasbourg. This lady was a Leadership and Management Consultant and we discussed some of the clients she had worked with across Europe and North America. Towards the end of the tour I asked her what was one big theme or lesson she had gained recently. She answered simply Team of Teams, you need to read Team of Teams by Stanley McChrystal. So I did.
Stanley McChrystal was commander of the Joint Special Operations Task Force in Afghanistan and Iraq from 2003 to 2008. After which, he with several academics and colleagues, wrote Team of Teams – New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World. McChrystal discusses early in this paradigm shifting book that despite his Joint Task Force’s superior pedigree, gadgets and commitment, things were slipping away from them. McChrystal argues that a significant factor in this failure to gain an upper hand against what appeared to be a less resourced and numbered enemy was the strict chain of command and centralised hierarchy which his force, and that of most modern armies, had held on to. This model was in stark contrast to that of the insurgents, who had evolved into what he coined a “Team of Teams” organisation. McChrystal painfully and slowly came to the realisation that his Task Force’s enemy had a decentralised command, which allowed the insurgents, who shared a common understanding and goal, to move faster, regroup quicker and be more agile, all the while having the confidence in their own judgement and support of their superiors to make decisions in the field and thus act and execute plans when they felt the time was right. Stanley McChrystal continued to articulate these observations into objectives for his army with the realisation his Task Force needed a shared consciousness and empowered execution. His army needed to have a common and clear understanding of the objectives, which when established, needed to be matched with the knowledge and authority to act and carry out action – be empowered to execute plans. All the while, each small team needed to be acting autonomously, yet be sharing and absorbing information to form a network of teams – a team of teams. The Task Force needed to reduce the lag between when a Seal Team collected information and when they were given authority to raid the appropriate compound by a senior general back at the base, which to this point in McChrystal’s story was so long that the compound was usually empty when the Seals finally executed the raid.
What does this mean for The King’s School and its students? We are endeavouring to help all our students gain a common understanding, a shared consciousness of what it means to be a Kingsman, to lead within our community and hopefully make meaningful contributions to the greater society, both as student and as graduates. Bishop Broughton helped guide our community towards a shared consciousness when he declared, “The education in The King’s School is not for the exclusive benefit of those upon whom it is bestowed, but for the that of the entire community.” Our young men aim to be servant hearted and lead by example. Kingsmen understand that through example, respect is earnt and never demanded, this is our shared understanding. The development of quality relationships is another important pillar of our shared consciousness which is fostered in our Christian Community. Healthy communities which are nurtured in our Day and Boarding houses allow our students to discuss a shared purpose and direction, as well as to have healthy debate and collectively support initiatives across the whole School. Houses and tutor groups, led by Housemasters and Mentors, who model servant leadership, allow students and future leaders to be well connected amongst their peers and their House community. Strong connections then inspire and form the foundation for an individual’s character to grow. These are The King’s School’s building blocks for leadership; Academic Excellence and Character Development, in the context of a Christian Community. King’s encourages and allows young men to find their passion and then follow this with action and initiatives across the School. We challenge our students to observe the world around them, to make judgements and observations. Then we mentor and coach them to work through the planning, to initiate the actions required to meet and address their observations and their desire to serve. We empower students to execute their passions and plans – empowering execution.
A great example, one of many, is the manner in which the Monitors in Term 4 2020 felt the need for the School to acknowledge and discuss issues associated with White Ribbon Day. Valluvan Thillairajah (Year 11) and several other Monitors, wanted the Senior School boys to stop and reflect on some of the big issues that some women and men face in regards to domestic abuse. The Monitor team discussed this at meetings, made a collective decision and moved forward to execute the plan. Valluvan led the proposal writing, urged every student to wear their No.1 uniform and
2021 School Captain, Vice-Captain and Executive Team
to make a small donation to the White Ribbon cause and importantly, planned an address, which he would share with the School at the next Assembly. White Ribbon Day on Friday, 20 November resulted in an important and meaningful statement from the student body, all led by the students. Valluvan, when making his important speech, included an interview with Mrs Eliza Little, giving the boys a female’s perspective of life at King’s. This student led initiative resulted from a common purpose and understanding of wanting to make a statement that The King’s School stands unified against violence - symbolised by our students all wearing their proud No.1 uniforms.
The Student Representative Council (SRC) is another example of how our students are able to grow a shared consciousness and are encouraged and supported to execute their plans. Throughout 2020 the SRC felt the need for the School to think more green, thus in November holding a “Think Green Day”, encouraging students and staff to support the Baker Hake Year 11 recycling initiative. Their initiative asked the School to transition to reusable cups, which the SRC designed and sourced, with the ultimate goal to help the whole community become more environmentally conscious, reducing human pressures on our environment. The Baker Hake Year 11 recycling initiative was also a product of student led action, with this group planning and organising a recycling program across all three campuses.
These examples demonstrate that every student is able to lead through an understanding of our shared consciousness, whilst we all foster an environment which encourages students to take action. There are endless examples of other domains in which our young men are able to demonstrate and grow in leadership in this model, such as: drama, debating, music, chess, clubs, sports teams, leadership in Houses, Gowan Brae Monitors, in the Cadet Corps and importantly everyday around the School in the manner in which they interact with their peers, with staff and how we engage with those outside the gates. We as King’s staff are not directing our students, but rather coaching them through their journey. Like McChrystal and his Task Force, we aspire for the boys to reach this shared consciousness, having the confidence in their own judgment, while also having the support to make decisions and take action accordingly. We strive to create an environment with optimal conditions in which leaders are able to grow. As Kingsmen and after King’s we hope they replicate this approach, thus leading as team players, working towards a common goal, for the benefit of others – and to be the best they can be.
David F Idstein Director of Leadership and Character Development
White Ribbon Day https://vimeo.com/493580947/704c8b20b1
