I just spent an inspirational afternoon listening to Stanley McChrystal (The former commander of U.S. and International forces in Afghanistan. A four-star general, he is credited for creating a revolution in warfare that fuses intelligence and operations).  You can view his February 2011 talk at TED here http://www.ted.com/talks/stanley_mcchrystal.html.

In General McChrystal’s speech, he hit upon several key leadership moments, namely:

• Leaders can let you fail, and yet not let you be a failure!
• As a leader, how do you stay credible and legitimate?
• Transparency, ability to listen, reverse-mentorship are the keys to successful leadership.
• The cumulative pressures that are on leaders are like nothing experienced before.
• A leader isn’t good because they’re right, they’re good because they’re willing to learn and to trust.
• Leadership isn’t easy and it isn’t always fair… You can get knocked down and it will hurt… it can leave scars. But if you’re a leader, the people you’ve counted on will help you out. And if you’re a leader, the people who count on you need you on your feet.

However there was one part of his presentation that had me wondering just how serious are you as a leader?  It was the part of his speech where he reviewed the power of relationships.  The relationships that leaders have can be very broad as well as diverse.  However, in General McChrystal’s case he is a US Army Ranger, and as such lives by the “Ranger Creed.” The Ranger Creed is more than a mantra, has more meaning than a poem, and is a way of promising that as a fellow US Army Ranger that you have each others back.

Here is the original US Army Ranger Creed:

• Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high esprit de corps of my Ranger Regiment.
• Acknowledging the fact that a Ranger is a more elite soldier who arrives at the cutting edge of battle by land, sea, or air, I accept the fact that as a Ranger my country expects me to move further, faster and fight harder than any other soldier.
• Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong and morally straight and I will shoulder more than my share of the task whatever it may be, one-hundred-percent and then some.
• Gallantly will I show the world that I am a specially selected and well-trained soldier. My courtesy to superior officers, neatness of dress and care of equipment shall set the example for others to follow.
• Energetically will I meet the enemies of my country. I shall defeat them on the field of battle for I am better trained and will fight with all my might. Surrender is not a Ranger word. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country.
• Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission though I be the lone survivor.

—Ranger Handbook SH 21-76

So as a leader, what do you stand for?  How do your people know that you have their backs each and every day?  Do your actions “walk the talk” US Army Ranger Creed-style?  What’s your leadership promise?