This paper examines Kevin Leman and William Pentak's "The Way of the Shepherd," a management philosophy based on pastoral metaphors, and analyzes its applicability to military leadership. The seven core principles—awareness of personnel, discovering individual strengths (SHAPE), follower identification, safe environments, directional leadership, corrective discipline, and leading with heart—are systematically compared to military contexts. The paper demonstrates that the shepherd-flock metaphor is particularly relevant to military structures, where leaders must know their troops, leverage individual capabilities, earn respect through example, ensure security, provide clear direction, maintain discipline, and inspire trust and devotion.
The Way of the Shepherd, authored by Kevin Leman and William Pentak, is a work of non-fiction pertaining to management in the world of business. The book was largely written as an interview conducted by Pentak in which he was able to glean seven principles of management that Leman utilized, and which were disseminated to the latter by one of his former professors. The reader is privy to the exchanges between these two men during the course of their interview, the most interesting aspect of which involved Leman tending to his sheep at a ranch.
Tending to sheep is both a visual and literal metaphor for a leader tending to his followers. This metaphor is utilized throughout the duration of the book in which those working for an organization are likened to sheep and those leading it are likened to how a shepherd interacts with his sheep. The most salient points of this metaphor involve the shepherd guiding the sheep with his staff—which is akin to a leader providing direction for his organization to meet its goals—and the shepherd protecting and disciplining his sheep with his rod, which is akin to protecting and disciplining one's organization with the power of leadership.
Leman strongly advocates a leader having first-hand knowledge of his employees and their condition for working; this concept is not only the first of the seven principles discussed, but also the preeminent philosophy that permeates each of the other principles. Those additional principles include discovering the shape of your employees, make them identify with their leader, keep your organization a safe place, employ the staff of direction, employ the rod of correction, and lead with heart. Conveniently, each of these mantras and their underlying principles coincides with a different chapter in the book. The simple metaphor provides a succinct overview for Leman's leadership method.
There are a number of ways in which the seven principles elucidated in this manuscript pertain to the military. In fact, the metaphor of shepherd and his sheep applies even more to the military than it does to the business world. Troops that are stationed in foreign places require the guidance of their leaders to move them correctly, protect them, and help them achieve the goals that otherwise they would be at a loss to do in a new environment.
This concept is certainly applicable to the first of the seven principles, in which a leader must be cognizant of the condition of his flock. Awareness of the different personalities and how they mesh with one another in the military is critical to the sort of cohesion and unity that is required to keep men disciplined and on task to fulfill objectives. Military leadership demands this foundational awareness because the stakes—personnel safety and mission success—are substantially higher than in civilian business environments.
This notion is intrinsically related to the second principle in the chapter entitled "Discover the SHAPE of Your Sheep." The various letters in the acronym SHAPE are references to strengths, heart, attitude, personality, and experiences—all of which apply to the individuals a leader is managing. For practical purposes in the military, a leader should know these individual facets for his cadre so that he can leverage them best to his advantage, and also use them in a way so that they can account for weaknesses and make sure "they're a good fit".
Understanding the SHAPE of each service member allows commanders to assign roles and responsibilities that capitalize on individual capabilities while shoring up potential weaknesses across the unit as a whole.
One of the most salient points that Leman makes is to emphasize the importance of having followers identify with leaders—which is the third principle. There is a preeminence associated with this idea as it relates to the military, especially due to the hazardous situations in which military personnel find themselves. Those that are able to lead by example will always earn their men's respect and have them identify with the leader. In military contexts, where subordinates may be called upon to risk their lives, identification with and trust in leadership becomes a matter of operational effectiveness and personnel safety.
The fourth principle, providing a safe environment for one's employees, is essential for the military, especially when soldiers are deployed in hostile, foreign environments. Providing such an environment may entail making sure that camps and fortifications are bereft of the enemy, but also providing job security and the basic security that soldiers need to feel right about their jobs. Securing the environment helps to get soldiers the valuable food and rest to continue on their missions. The Department of Defense recognizes that soldier welfare and environmental security directly impact unit readiness and morale.
The fifth principle revolves about the metaphorical staff of direction, which simply requires leaders to lead by resorting to force secondly and utilizing other aspects of leadership primarily. This metaphorical staff is a leadership tool. Specifically, leaders must know where they themselves are heading and how to best get their companies to follow suit. Clear direction ensures that every member of the unit understands organizational objectives and his or her role in achieving them.
The sixth principle involves the rod of correction, which is that secondary use of force, rank, and discipline to attain compliance if it is not readily given utilizing the fifth principle. This principle is one of the foundations upon which the United States military is based. Discipline and order are at the forefront of how companies maintain focus on their objectives in any sort of environment. It is necessary for leaders to discipline their men when there are any attempts to forgo established procedure and rank. Without consistent application of corrective measures, unit cohesion and mission focus deteriorate.
"Passion and trust in military leadership"
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