Latest Book Review: Leadership in the New Normal, by General Russel L. Honore

One of the big things I've gotten into lately is sitting down and binge watching a documentary on Netflix. It seems the platform has upped its game on this front of late and i've found myself consuming everything from the Concordia cruise disaster to the death of a preacher's wife. Once I start, they've got me hooked!

One I particularly enjoyed earlier this summer was a retelling of everything that went down during Hurricane Katrina. A programme that marked the 20th anniversary of the tragedy and all that unfolded in the days, weeks and month surrounding it.

One surprise discovery from this documentary gem was the US Military leader, Lt General Russel Honore

I'm prone to enjoying anything that has courageous displays of leadership but there was something different about Honore that made me sit up and pay attention. 

I found myself reaching for my phone and searching him up to learn more about him and in the days afterwards ended up purchasing his book, Leadership in the New Normal.

Pitched as a "short course" in leadership, he describes the New Normal as something that can bring about great harm but also something that offers "opportunities for greatness and for real leadership."

A straight talker who loves to repeat the phrase "say what you mean and mean what you say" - something my old boss Paul McCorquodale also preached consistently. Honore talks throughout the book about ensuring leaders operate from a position of "decision superiority" - a seek first to understand philosophy of ensuring you have all the facts and truly understand what you're dealing with prior to making quick decisions. A leadership decision the great Stephen Covey would certainly get on board with. 

In Honore's words effective leadership is about

📌 Doing the routine things well

📌 Being willing to take on the seemingly impossible, and 

📌 Never being paralysed into inaction by criticism or the fear of it. 

In simpler terms, a leader's job is to "see first, understand first, and act first."

That last one really hit home for me. How often do leaders fail to act because we're worried about whether its the right call or we fear the consequences if it were to go wrong.

Great leaders take risks. They make decisions and make things happen. Exactly what Honore did in the wake of multiple critical failures in the aftermath of Katrina and the mess he inherited picking it all up part way through.

You can only make brave, smart calls if you're properly informed though. And that requires the basics to be done exceptionally well. Great leadership involves outstanding communication!

As Honore says throughout the book, leadership is a moment. It is isn't about being loud. Its about being respectable. People follow calm as well as decisiveness. "Inspire trust by being trustworthy" as he puts it.

For the New Normal, in his words, needs leaders to "inspire people to willingly follow." No great change comes without leadership as he opens the book.