How Sitting Bull Succeeded as a Manager
Murphy wrote, "Ironically,
most Americans think of Custer’s folly rather than of
Sitting Bull’s genius that day in June. Yet Sitting
Bull was a brilliant strategic visionary, planning, as he
reminded Indian commissioners in 1884, for his
“children’s children and even beyond that.
Strategic thinking requires a willingness to consider all
alternatives, to share the information needed to develop
them, and to commit to following through on a plan of
action that best serves the long-term interests of the
whole community."
If
you just can't wait, click here for a link to an explanation of
planning for business –
the people you need, the vision of the long-term
outcome. Otherwise, just keep reading and you'll get to
it by the end of the workshop. Patience is a virtue, you
know.
The
three characteristics that Sitting Bull embodied most were
commitment, courage and honesty. He believed that the
survival of his people depended on his success, and was
willing to put everything he had, including his life, into
the success of his mission. Because he was so committed, he
was willing to share power, to listen to others. Sitting
Bull regularly discussed with other Sioux leaders and
warriors what was working and what was not. He had to
honest enough to face any weaknesses and change what was
not working, it was a matter of survival. By all accounts,
Sitting Bull detested the federal soldiers and everything
they stood for, but he was willing to study their methods,
to determine their weak points, and when the Sioux lost a
battle, to try to understand what the 'bluecoats' did that
worked. He adopted their organized attack plans, versus
individual warriors counting coup.
Study the competition. Take stock of your own strengths and
weaknesses. As Murphy said about Sitting Bull, "...the
strategic discussion revealed the need to benchmark the
opposition’s skills, identifying strengths to emulate
and weaknesses to exploit."
Any
small business, from a restaurant to computer repair, would
do well to copy Sitting Bull’s strategy.
Click here to read one example of how
management weakness can ruin good
employees.