Leadership is ultimately about understanding and caring for people
which is why we believe that servant leadership, a style that puts
the well-being of employees or team members at the forefront,
is what we should teach to all young people (p. 9).

Although Dr. Leon Jablow IV doesn't explicitly endeavor to define leadership or the traits and characteristics of leaders (p. 3), his shared classmate stories perhaps compose a composite Leadership Philosophy. Many of the book's contributors shared what leadership means at a personal level, but the seven other components of a leadership philosophy: Personal values, operating principles, expectations, non-negotiables, priorities, personal pet peeves and commitment to feedback also surface.

Consider as a capture statement for the United States Naval Academy (USNA) class of 1991: Serve, love, coach.

USNA Class of 1991 Leadership Philosophy

Leadership is about inspiring people to be the best version of themselves (p. 76), and requires you to sacrifice of your time, talent, and your resources (p. 34). Of all the desired qualities of a leader, the most inarguably essential is love (p. 35). The best leaders are team captains, shoulder to shoulder with their teams on the field (p. 31).

We lead with our example, our attitude, our devotion to and love for the team and not by trying to be the hero of each game (p. 131). This allows buy in at a much deeper level and - know we're empowered (p. 11). Inspiring people through respect and compassion will foster a growth environment like no other (p. 12).

A leader strengthens relationships (p. 62).

Ours is a culture where we develop decision-making without having a fear of making mistakes, and correcting someone as privately and gently as possible (p. 52). It is about over-communicating and not over reacting (p. 39). The area that is most missing, across the board, is moral courage (p. 36). Understand your team's talents, life, and motivations (p. 54).

Invest in people before processes (p. 64).

True leaders often are quiet, unpretentious and care for their subordinates (p. 44). Think of leadership as an opportunity to always learn something (p. 49). Have humility to allow yourself to be imperfect. Have the courage to build a team to buttress your weaknesses (P. 41). The highlight of leadership is the ability to recognize your own ignorance on a topic enough to ask for help (p. 18).

Let's seek to build a better machine (p. 89). Let's fuel a fire that will not extinguish (p. 109). This will help others on their journey to grow into leaders themselves (p. 56).

Common Service Branch Values

A central part of the The Talent War (pp. 106-107) reveals 85% of the attributes the SOF (Special Operations Forces) community seek in new recruits are common; such as teamwork and adaptability/resilience.

Leadership is about making yourself as smart, physically strong,
and empathic as you can be in order to provide guidance to everyone in
the command, while accomplishing the mission (p. 155).

The USNA Class of '91 service branches likewise share these values along with physical courage, like the Navy SEALs. Leadership is about making yourself as smart, physically strong, and empathic as you can be in order to provide guidance to everyone in the command, while accomplishing the mission (p. 155). A holistic sense of energy management is also evident. Create a care plan centered around Mind, Body, Spirit for each Marine (p. 106). At the core, leadership is a sense of team identity. Leading by example, soliciting input, gaining consensus with others, and articulating the desired outcomes are team building basics (p. 128).

Summary

Jim VanderMeer summarizes well guidance provided to nearly every leadership course, webinar, or talk given the past several years:

Leadership is a verb, not a noun (p. 85).

Dr. Jablow generously provided a copy of his book for review.

JE | July 2022