by Bryan Cheney
June 13, 2023
The United States Army understands the importance of relationships. Its current focus is “Building Cohesive Teams,” and cohesive teams are the reason I’m still a soldier.
I joined the Army because I was a broke, hungry, and a failing college student. Somewhere along the way, I found a new purpose and reason to serve.
2008. Baghdad. I was hungry, hot, and thirsty. I’d been deployed for 14 months and although I was physically miserable, I decided to renew my commitment to “Uncle Sam” and the American people. Why did I do it?
I did it because of those to my left and right. Sure, I had a family growing up. My family loved me, but not like these guys. They would and still will do anything for me, as I would and will do anything for them, including make the ultimate sacrifice. Who wouldn’t want to be on a team like this?
Be engaged, be present, and be face-to-face with your people. This is the core of servant leadership and great teams.
The Family
Being engaged means operating as a collective unit—a family. When I was on a 12-person, regionally dispersed team across the state of Mississippi, we always referred to each other as family and treated each other as such.
Sure, we didn’t always agree, but you didn’t mess with one of us without having to face us all. We spoke to each other almost daily. We were involved in every facet of each other’s lives in and out of uniform.
It was common for us to see each other once a month regardless of the physical distance. When we were at group events, we always stayed at the same hotel. We ate at the same time, at the same table, at the same restaurant.
We tackled our mission as a collective whole. If one of us was falling behind, we banded together to bring everyone up to the same level. We all crossed the finish line together. If there was a need amongst the team, we tackled that together as well. This behavior generated an authentic sense of belonging.
As a recent member of a Battalion staff, I also had a cohesive team. We knew where each other lived and the names of each other’s children. We checked on each other. We cared for each other. When bad weather was coming, there was never a time in the 19 months I was there, I wasn’t offered a place to stay. When the winds were high or the temperature took a significant drop, my phone would ring because they feared for my safety in my travel trailer.
What do we gain from this cohesiveness? 100% trust and cooperation. We each trusted each other to fulfill individual responsibilities and obligations. Because of this, we were free to be fully engaged in our daily grind to create the most amount of good for the organization. We were not micro-managed; we were rather empowered to be successful.
Building Cohesive Teams by Serving
My passion lies in building cohesive teams, and I’ve found that people are connected to your leadership energy and passion—not your talent. There’s a very big difference in being the best in the world and being the best for the world.
Servant leaders know this. They are the few, the behind the scenes, difference makers. Servant Leadership is a philosophy and set of practices that enrich the lives of individuals, build better organizations, and ultimately create a just and caring world.
Servant leaders maintain a consistent focus on making everything and everyone around them better. They carefully consider how their decisions impact those they lead and will consistently place those they serve far above themselves. They, in effect, love their people.
Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in our charge. Servant leaders embody two simple rules of leadership: #1 It’s not about you! #2 It’s only about you! Straight from author Simon Sinek.
It’s Not about You!
The best leaders create more leaders. The best leaders inspire people to have confidence in themselves. Servant leaders focus on the growth, development, and well-being of their people. Served followers feel valued and desire to improve. Performance increases and served followers become servant leaders themselves. Realize that you are only successful when they are successful.
It’s Only about You!
If you want to inspire change in those around you, you must first change yourself. The environment you create around you is a direct reflection of your thinking and your behavior. Be the change that you want to see in the world. You must be authentic! You cannot be someone else. You must be the best version of yourself!
Five Levels of Leadership
People follow you in an ascending hierarchy of leadership.
1. They must (compliance).
2. They like you (liker-ship).
3. They like the success you bring (achievement-based).
4. You help them grow (they like what you do for them).
5. They follow you because of who you are and what you stand for and represent (servant leadership).
Each layer goes deeper and deeper, requiring a more intense level of commitment towards both the leader and the organization.
It’s About Commitment
Why do people follow you? Because they want to or because they must? How committed are you? Will you rise to the challenge and change the environment around you? Will you accept the challenge to make every interaction positive? Will you step out of the spotlight and allow the light to shine on those around you? Will you lead with love?
I expect the same of everyone I serve with. I expect their best and I expect them to be better. This is how we earn the trust and confidence of those we serve with.
Be engaged, be present, and be face-to-face with your people.
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Another Servant Leadership Article
Bryan Cheney is a proud 19-year Non-Commissioned Officer in the United States Army. He is a combat veteran of OIF(x2) and OEF(x2) and has served in numerous assignments across the Nation as a United States Army Reserve Career Counselor. His passion is in building teams and seeing others reach their highest potential. Bryan constantly encourages others to “Ring True!”
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The thoughts and ideas expressed in this article are solely the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Defense.
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