Way of the Shepherd and Its Relevance to the Military

¶ … Shepherd and its relevance to the Military

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 tended 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 through 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" 1. 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 coincide with a different chapter in the book. The simple metaphor provides a succinct overview for Leman's leadership method.

Analysis

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 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.

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" 2.

One of the most salient points that Leman makes it 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.