In this episode of @TheScienceofLeadership Dr. Collins Dr. Collins talks with retired General Scott Wallace about trust and the dangers of micromanagement in leadership. General Wallace shares insights from his experiences, including the Thunder Runs in Iraq, underscoring the need to trust subordinates and the value of realistic training. He discusses supporting subordinates through mistakes, the importance of communication, and personal involvement in key decisions. They explore the science of trust and its impact on retention, psychological safety, and decision-making. The conversation concludes with advice on hiring well and moving away from micromanagement.

General Wallace is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and holds three Master’s degrees. During the Vietnam war, he served as an armor officer, and from 2001 to 2003, he was the commanding General of the Army’s Fifth Corps, which included the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In 2005, he became the commanding General of the U.S. Army’s Training and Doctrine Command. He was awarded numerous medals, including a Defense Distinguished Service Medal, a Legion of Merit, and a Bronze Star. Following retirement, he has served on the Board of Directors of Oshkosh Corporation and CACI International.

Key concepts include leadership, trust, training, communication, decision-making, micromanagement, relationships, retention, psychological safety, decision-making, and shared experiences.

Takeaways

• Trust your subordinates and believe that they are fundamentally good people who want to see the organization succeed.

• Tough, realistic training is essential for developing teamwork and a culture of trust within the organization.

• Leaders have a responsibility to create conditions for training and to underwrite the mistakes of their subordinates.

• Communication is crucial in conveying expectations and providing proper guidance and supervision.

• In critical decisions, there are times when the leader personally needs to be involved. Trust is essential in leadership and creates a reciprocal state where trust is extended and returned.

• Trust strengthens relationships, increases retention, fosters psychological safety, and improves decision-making.

• Leaders must trust themselves, create opportunities for training and shared experiences, and identify areas where extra oversight may be necessary.

• Micromanagement is not sustainable in complex organizations and leaders must learn to let go.

• Hiring the right people, training them, and making tough decisions when necessary are key responsibilities of leaders.

Sound Bites

• "Trust your subordinates and believe that they are fundamentally good people who want to see the organization succeed."

• "Tough, realistic training is a glue that binds organizations together and leads to a culture of trust."

• "Leaders have the obligation to create conditions for training and underwrite the mistakes of their subordinates."

• "The leader might need to be personally involved in decisions associated with it."

Key References

• Burke, C. S., Sims, D. E., Lazzara, E. H., & Salas, E. (2007). Trust in leadership: A multi-level review and integration. The Leadership Quarterly.

• Dirks, K. T., & Ferrin, D. L. (2002). Trust in leadership: Meta-analytic findings and implications for research and practice. Journal of Applied Psychology.

• Edmondson, A. C. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly. • Covey, S. M. R. (2006). The Speed of Trust. Simon & Schuster.

• Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2017). The Leadership Challenge. Wiley.