First Do No Limiting
I recently saw a quote from an old boss of mine. The full paragraph is below, placing it in context, but the part that seems notable (pointed out by a friend of mine) is the, “it is important for a leader to … not limit the potential of those they serve.”
The command sets the tone/culture – which is difficult to quantify. I believe the best culture allows decision capability to those “closest to the fight,” while still maintaining a sense of responsibility should a problem arise. By properly leveraging the concepts of mission command to empower every Tiger to lead at their level, I’m expanding our influence and positively impacting the squadron in a way I could never do by myself or by taking a more hands on approach. Much like a doctor takes an oath to first do no harm, it is important for a leader to first not limit the potential of those they serve.
That’s not a groundbreaking idea to me, and it fits right along with other guidance to avoid the trap of saying “no” to everything.
Still, I think here it’s said very well, and I like the relation to the hippocratic oath.