“There is no end state, no end to this war, just a steadfast
commitment to engage in the fight every day, as the
survival of your organization depends on it.” (p. xii)

Mike Sarraille & George Randle with Josh Cotton, PhD, based on extensive Special Operations training, challenge traditional notions of competency or resume-based hiring widespread in the workplace. It’s worth listening to Jim Collins’ audio about hiring based on core values alignment, as a “what to do,” while the authors offer a blueprint for “how to do it.”

The authors begin by sharing 2019 Conference Board findings: The overwhelming majority of CEOs cited the ability to attract and retain quality workers as their top concern (p. xi). Similar to Whitney Johnson’s observations in Build An A Team, one only need look at LinkedIn for a short time to notice the overwhelming focus on individual accomplishment, competency, or mastery as the primary basis for hire.

Part I of the book shares nine core selection characteristics common to special forces, along with introducing a talent mindset. Part II comprises the core of the book, offering a different strategy for hiring well worth considering.

This review correlates the authors’ nine core characteristics to Academy Leadership assessments (360 review) & workshops and recommends applying Talent War findings via one’s Personal Leadership Philosophy (PLP) and a Commander’s Intent.

A Talent Mindset

It is the individual who never gives up, who performs in high-pressure situations, and who will win when others say it’s impossible (p. 22).

When our Academy Leadership team conducts 360 assessments, we’re looking for transition from focus on leadership competencies to six leadership characteristics, or who a leader is:

• Leadership Image
• Developing a Following
• Judgement/Decision-Making
• Personal Ethics
• Coaching/Mentoring
• Building Teams

Sarraille learned the same (p. 19), initially judging like most hiring managers, and eventually understanding the Special Operations assessment and selection process destroys any previously held notions of what talent looks like (p. 21). What counts? Through the authors’ research and interviews, nine core characteristics identify an individual as having high potential (p. 23):

• Drive the unrelenting need for achievement and constant self-improvement
• Resiliency the ability to persevere in the face of challenge and bounce back from setbacks
• Adaptability the ability to adjust according to the situation, learn new things, innovate, and try new methods
• Humility self-confidence in one’s ability while understanding that there’s always room for improvement and that others’ experiences and knowledge are valuable
• Integrity an adherence to not what is legal but also what is right
• Effective Intelligence the ability to apply one’s knowledge to real-world scenarios
• Team-ability the ability to function as part of a team, placing the success of the whole above the needs of the self
• Curiosity a desire to explore the unknown and question the status quo in pursuit of better, more effective solutions
• Emotional strength a positive attitude, high empathy, and control over one’s emotions, especially in chaotic and stressful situations

It’s worth returning to Collins’ words about alignment and the use of our leadership philosophy. How many of these nine characteristics are explored during a hiring interview, and how many of these traits are addressed in the core values, operating principles and expectations sections of our PLP? Notice similarities with the prior six leadership (360) capabilities.

Imagine hiring for a position and objective that is completely new. That’s what the authors realized was happening. No one has prior Special Operations experience, so the most effective selection is based on mindset and character (p. 64).

Another distinction is continuous training. Not just for those designated having special status, but everyone. The authors believe that a talent mindset not only accounts for hiring talented people but also includes the continual development and investment in that talent through their tenure in the organization (p. 28).

Who does your hiring? Probably a staff manager unconnected to day-to-day organizational, or line work. Special Operators treat recruitment and selection strategically. When you put high-performing business leaders into HR, you can transform the department into a powerful, strategic function within the company (p. 42).

Leadership Strategy

“Hire Character. Train skill.” (p. 83)
Peter Schutz, former CEO | Porsche

A recurring theme. The authors also cite Herb Kelleher, legendary Southwest Airlines co-founder and CEO: “We draft great attitudes. If you don’t have a good attitude, we don’t want you, no matter how skilled you are. We can change skill levels through training. We can’t change attitude.” (p. 87)

It's worth revisiting hiring criteria. Do you even know what your organization’s requirements are? The authors see companies making three common mistakes when it comes to looking at experience (p. 96):

1. They require experience that doesn’t matter to job performance.
2. They require very specific experience when general experience would be just as good.
3. They prioritize industry experience over character.

“Lieutenant Colonel Brian Decker distinguishes the big difference between Special Operations and the private sector:

“The private sector abdicates their selection process to
academic institutions, to credentials and to resumes.
We look at those types of things, but we’re more concerned
about the input that goes into accomplishments.” (p. 101)

We can think of another leadership lesson from the military, in addition to the PLP -- a Commander’s Intent.

“You need to create the perception that your organization will offer
a challenge -- a chance to do the biggest, hardest, most dynamic,
fastest-changing work that will ultimately set your workers up for
success in every facet of their lives. Then you pose the question to
challenge potential talent: do you have what it takes?” (p. 160).

Many of us are familiar with Dan Pink – and his conclusion that autonomy, mastery and purpose are primary motivators once we’re paid enough to not think about our work. The authors create a useful Employee Value Proposition, or EVP, on page 167 showcasing the Venn Diagram intersection between Growth and Development Opportunities, Work Environment and Culture, Compensation and Benefits and Purpose. We can call the EVP the Why? of our enterprise.

An Academy Leadership three-day Leadership Excellence & Executive Coaching Course concludes with the Coaching to Develop Leaders workshop. Why? The authors answer the question for us. The greatest responsibility of all leaders is to be a coach and mentor and to develop the subordinate leaders below them (p. 183).

Train to Retain

Who gets non-technical training in your organization? A common attendee comment in Academy Leadership courses: “My boss needs this more than I do, but would never attend.” In Special Operations, assessment and selection is unique in that it is combined with training (p. 197). For everyone.

Feedback matters. The authors recommend identifying which new employees are performing well and which ones are not. Then return to the notes and documentation from the hiring process (p. 235). Continuous improvement.

Summary

A worthy call to action for vastly improving our hiring processes.

“When you become a leader, your impact is no longer limited to
what you can accomplish individually, every person you lead
becomes an extension of you, creating an exponential impact.”
(p. 255).

JE | March 2021