I’ve now spent over three years “on the bridge” of two very large organizations --- U.S. Southern Command in Miami and, of course, more recently U.S. European Command. As I reflect on my experience, both at this level and really since becoming a ship captain, I have come away with 15 things that have stood kept me in pretty good stead. Some of them I’ve picked up from my bosses along the way, some I’ve discovered through reading biography biographies of people I admire and history of events that have impacted my life and thought, and others are purely my own, often learned from my own failures and shortcomings.

These days, I offer them to other senior folks in my command, not as strict guidance, but as a reflection of some ideas that are valuable to me – things that work well and fit my own personality and style. I then encourage senior leaders to decide what works for them. I think the important thing for any leader, in the military or out, is to come up with his or her own list, try them out over time, and – if they come to fit pretty well – try to live them; therein, of course, lies the real challenge.

1. Speak and write with simplicity and precision. Don’t accept imprecision from those around you.

2. Use humor often. It can relieve tension in large meetings.

3. Prepare deeply for the key events. Making sure you understand which events truly matter.

4. Stay physically fit. Pursue medical issues aggressively.

5. Be your own spokesman and briefer.

6. Spend the most time on personnel matters – at least one fourth of all disposable time.

7. Carve out time to think. Write down your thoughts. Share them with others whose opinions you respect.

8. Have a relaxing weekend routine. The opportunity to recharge out of the immediate venue is priceless.

9. Don’t lunge at the ball. So many decisions are made in haste, under pressure, via emotional reaction, or with incomplete facts. Take the time to gather the information you need. Don’t be driven by anyone else’s timeline unless absolutely required (i.e. the law).

10. Details matter, but think big thoughts. Balance the time spent on both – absorbing and understanding details AND sitting back from the thicket of the day-to-day and trying to think through new ideas, concepts, and necessities for the enterprise.

11. Understand the process. So often, the outcome is paradoxically less important than getting the process right. “In on the takeoff, in on the landing.”

12. Look at the law or the regulation for yourself. Don’t rely on summaries, staff member’s or lawyer’s opinion as to what the law says. Get it and read it yourself.

13. Organize yourself. Don’t turn over your personal organization to assistants, no matter how good they are. Much of the value of getting organized – putting things in the right folders, following up on memos sent, building a “day folder” – is that you are forced to think holistically about the events. The essential material thus gets into your head.

14. Carve out time to read. Take a balanced approach—fiction, non-fiction, professional journals – it all fits together in the end.

15. Remember that a true leader is servant to all, master to none.

Sometimes people ask me about things to avoid. I suppose the thing I work the hardest to avoid is losing my temper. Anger is so counter-productive in any work place. The job of a leader is to bring order out of chaos – when the leader blows up, it only injects chaos into the equation. And in order to avoid losing your temper, the best approach is not to take yourself too seriously, recognize everyone (including you) makes mistakes, and keep balance between your life and work – there is a difference.

So, that's my personal list of "15 Things for Leaders." Since everyone has their own beliefs and personal style when it comes to leadership, I'd enjoy hearing from you on this topic: What leadership principles are important to you and why?

Admiral James G. Stavridis
Commander
U.S. European Command