Over the past month I was responsible for running a selection board in which Marine Squadron and Battalion commanders were to be selected.  The committee doing the selection was made up of both Marine General Officers and Colonels – the equivalent of multiple CEOs and a robust board of directors.   My job in the whole process was to ensure that the selection board was conducted fairly, remained on schedule, as well as provide to the selection board all the logistical and administrative tools they needed to do their job.

In thinking through how to conduct the board and keep the board members happy and productive, the first thought that struck me was how was I, being very junior in rank to the board members, going to keep them on track and “lead” them through the process.  I recognized that they weren’t going to listen to me based upon my “rank” or my “experience” ; no, I was going to need to approach this situation in a completely different manner.

Leading your superiors is never easy – but it can be done.  Over the course of the past month I learned that to provide leadership and guidance to those of higher stature or rank than you, you must:

1. Set and Maintain a Schedule – Having a schedule displayed on screens around the room allowed for each board member to develop and maintain situational awareness with regard to the priorities of each day.  Further, I would also open the day’s events by standing in front of the boardroom and verbally going over the day’s priorities and schedule.  The same would occur in the evening.  I would close the day with covering our schedule and priorities for the next day as well as congratulate them on the work we had covered during the day.   Being consistent also makes us dependable, and when we are dependable, we build trust.  Trust is the key to leading your superiors.  Without trust, we become just another voice that has to be filtered out.
2. Provide information – In our day and age of instantaneous information, many people have become accustomed to having whatever information they need readily available.  In this particular situation, before speaking to the boardroom at large, I would always brief the senior member of the board on the day’s events, point out potential friction points, and recommend where we could be more efficient.  This information allowed the senior member to maintain “control” of the situation and allowed him to make the decisions he was required to make.  By providing information, I empowered the senior member to make decision that both he felt confident in and that were for the benefit of the entire group.
3. Make it Personal – With so many strong personalities in the room, it was imperative that I attempt to understand the unique requirements that each board member had.  This can’t happen in day one, but over time, if you pay attention, patterns will emerge as to what each individual deems important and not important.  By making an effort to meet the “important” needs of each member I was able to earn their trust and ask them to make hard decisions, or carry a bigger load when required.

In some fashion or another, we are all leaders.  Even when we exist multiple levels down from where the executive decisions happen we can still have influence.  However, in order to lead and influence those we work for we have to first be consistent, then provide the information they need, and finally make it personal by understanding what is important to them.  Though doing this is not always easy, the payoff is always worth the effort!