Abstract
Embracing Senior Leadership is a great leadership book. If you want to lead a leadership seminar or teach a course, use it as a syllabus and lecture guide. Indeed, the Army War College and The Defense Academy of the United Kingdom bought the book for their faculty. The Air War College selected the book as its primary text for the class of ’22. So, there are some “heavy hitters” who agree.
It is an essential book because, although leadership is a vast field of study, the C-suite or the senior level is rarely explored in depth. In addition, the book also provides information that is thought-provoking and important even for readers who aspire to something other than senior positions. And, who knows what opportunities may open for you? Lincoln started as a rail splitter, Truman as a haberdasher, and Reagan as a lifeguard.
Dr. James W. Browning, CAPT, USN (ret), is uniquely qualified to give senior leadership guidance and advice. In the forward, he notes that he was “fortunate to be in the rare position to write this book [having] been in the leadership development businesses for three decades” (p. xx). In senior leadership positions, he has served as Chairman of the Department of Strategic Leadership and consultant at the Eisenhower School in Washington, D.C.; Director of the U.S. Navy’s worldwide leader development programs; Chief of the Library of Congress Corporate University; and CEO of a leadership training and consulting firm. He has also done his research. Browning interviewed 200 senior leaders in business, industry, and the military and numerous U.S. and Canadian corporate university program directors and other leadership scholars. He also conducted more than 300 one-on-one executive coaching sessions.
Browning is an excellent writer, and the book is beautifully organized and outlined like a professor’s lesson plan and lectures. There is an excellent flow from section to section and chapter to chapter as the big picture develops.
But, each chapter can stand alone (this makes for easy reading when your time is limited or you are traveling). The book begins with a brief discussion of the difficult environment in which senior leaders of today must operate and the difficulty and importance of the job. He also notes the high failure rate of senior leaders. Then, in true military style, he “Tells ’em what he is going to tell ’em,” providing a brief overview of each chapter.
Leadership is a special skill set. We have the term “born leaders,” and there is still some discussion about the efficacy of leadership training. However, the U.S. military and civilian agencies, realizing the importance of leadership, have devoted much time, energy, and money to trying. In China, despite a traditionally strict separation of military and civilian education, a few courses on “Military Sociology” have been offered. And, in Russia, military and political leaders may be discovering in Ukraine that their traditional harsh “Shut up and do it” leadership substitute has its problems.
In addition, some have learned the hard way that being an expert in your field may not make you a good leader. The surgeon, lawyer, or CPA promoted based on excellence in their field may find themselves victims of the “Peter Principle.” And placing them in senior leadership may lead to wasted professional expertise and unhappy subordinates.
Senior leaders do not grow naturally from mid-level leaders. Success at this level does not guarantee success at the senior level. Many proven lower level leaders advance to senior leadership only to struggle and fail. Browning makes a strong case that upper level leadership is different in significant ways. And “senior leadership” should be considered a special class of leadership.
In the first section, he clearly differentiates between lower level or what he terms “operational leadership” and senior leadership. He draws on significant military and civilian experience and research to show a fundamental difference between the two. He defines “operational leadership” as focusing primarily on the organization’s internal functioning. The major responsibility of operational leaders is to ensure their organization is running smoothly and reaches operational excellence. Most of the problems they face have occurred before and therefore have predictable solutions.
Senior leaders must look beyond organizational boundaries. Their major responsibility is to safeguard their organization’s survival. “They must also ensure that the organization is accomplishing its mission and meeting or exceeding stakeholder and customers expectations” (p. 4). In addition, senior leaders are responsible for the lives and livelihood of their employees and others relying on their organizations. Restraining themselves from the lure of meddling and micromanaging, they must remain alert to internal issues, opportunities, and problems. And the challenges they face are often new and require new solutions.
Senior leadership is an awesome responsibility. However, interviews with senior leaders reveal how poorly equipped many have felt when taking on the job. Sad statistics also show how many fail.
Browning promises that “This book will provide the practical solutions that will enable (readers) to master (some) critical factors and perform the unique work with excellence” (p. xx). There is a lot of information, but his stated objective is “not to overwhelm . . . but, to provide . . . knowledge and insights that will motivate you to reflect and take action to enhance your ability to succeed at any leadership level” (p. xxi) especially at the senior levels.
To be successful as a senior leader, Browning makes the case that one must have mastered three critical factors: the job, the ability, and a plan. That is, they must have the depth of knowledge and skills required for the job. They must have the personal readiness to perform at the senior level. And, they must have a good plan for a successful transition into a senior position. In addition, they must be skilled at decision-making and gaining support for their vision, strategies, objectives, and decisions.
The book is divided into three parts plus a very informative “Why this Book” forward, “Final Thoughts,” and three Appendices. Don’t skip over the forward because here Browning provides important information on what is to follow and an interesting discussion on leadership in today’s volatile and challenging environment. He indicates that in the following pages, the focus will not be on theories, principles, or specific jobs but “what you truly need to know to be successful” (p. xix).
Each of the book’s three sections addresses one of Browning’s three critical factors: the job, the ability, and [the] plan. Parts I and II provide a comprehensive, in-depth understanding of what it takes to be a successful senior leader and the approaches and actions that can increase personal readiness to perform the required work.
Part I also addresses the unique responsibilities and challenges of Senior-Level work. These include operating in a “wicked strategic environment,” rising to specific challenges (ranging from limited resources to dealing with the media) and gaining the competencies essential to performing well. Other topics include stress-tested advice on building and leading a senior leadership team; decision-making; identifying necessary changes; leading and managing organizational transformation; and managing and shaping organizational culture. Readers may find that one of the most interesting and important chapters is strategic leadership in times of crisis.
Part II focuses on the second critical factor, “the ability” or the personal readiness to do senior-level work. If readers haven’t been drawn into self-examination by this point, here is their big chance. Browning challenges the reader to examine five critical dimensions of their personal readiness for senior leadership: (1) Cognitive capacity, that is, remembering, perceiving, thinking, and reasoning, and the 24 skills associated with these abilities; (2) Social capacity, that is, interpersonal and emotional intelligence; (3) Personal capacity, for example, traits, values, and preferences; (4) Technical skills and business acumen; and (5) Behavioral capacity, that is, ability to change or adapt habitual behavior patterns.
The “social ability” factor may seem unimportant, but as someone with experience in Washington, Browning is aware of the importance of personal contacts. In D.C., for example, it is good to have what some insiders call “an angel on the hill.” This is someone in an influential position (e.g., Congress) who shares your objectives and will help you understand and deal with their organization.
Self-tests, exercises, and “Pause and Reflect” sections are augmented by examples of competencies related to each of the five key dimensions of personal readiness. “Making it Happen” provides advice on effectively using the insights gained in this section. Browning also offers sage comments, “Business savvy . . . is more than just business acumen. It is part logic, part intuition, part know-how, part business acumen, combined with experience and confidence” (p. 147).
Part III provides assurance that, “If you decide this senior leader position is right for you, the following two chapters will help you be ready to assume your new leadership position” (p. 168). The first chapter in the section is a real-life example of successful preparation and transitioning to a senior leadership position. It includes “lessons learned” by one who has survived the leap. The final chapter highlights the challenges of the first year in a new senior-level position. It provides down-to-earth guidance based on interviews with others who have successfully navigated this course. Browning also offers a long list of food-for-thought questions and 24 mentoring suggestions and warnings. He then provides first-year tactics for success in your senior leadership position.
Following the final chapter is a series of Appendices that are well worth reading and provide additional important information. Appendix A discusses “The Buzz saw Model of Strategic Leadership.” Appendix B contains warnings about “Factors Derailing Senior Leaders.” Appendix C provides “Techniques for Building Rapport and Collaborative Relationships.” And Appendix D provides guidelines on “Assessing Your New Organization.” “Final Thoughts” examines three crucial elements: aspiration, ambition, and drive. And readers are challenged to evaluate if they have what it takes to succeed in senior leadership.
Readers may want to keep this book to use as a resource. This would have been more easily accomplished if there had been an index. But “Final Thoughts” is indeed the final section of the book. Nevertheless, if you only get one book on leadership this year, get this one. It is readable and well-organized. And you will get years of valuable knowledge, research, and experience in one jam-packed but easy-to-read volume—even if you aren’t aspiring to “reach the C-Suite and thrive.”