Insights from a retired Navy SEAL commander:

Some leaders are exceptional at getting the work done—think crew leaders. Others are better at designing or managing the system that produces the work.

Both of these leaders are essential—but require very different skills.

Last weekend I listened to four-star (ret) Admiral William H. McRaven speak about the difference between tactical and strategic leaders.

McRaven spent 37 years as a Navy SEAL and oversaw the operation that captured Osama bin Laden. After retiring, he became Chancellor of the University of Texas System.

As the (ret) commander of the entire Special Operations Command, he shared compelling stories with humility and quiet confidence.

One of his ideas stood out, because it maps perfectly to the landscape industry.

Tactical vs. Strategic Leadership

In the SEALs, a team or squadron leader overseeing a mission is operating tactically. Their job is execution: planning the mission, coordinating the team, and ensuring success in the moment.

• Did the mission succeed, to plan?
• Did everyone come home safely?

That’s similar to the role of a crew leader in a landscape company. They are responsible for the day-to-day execution of the work:

• Did the work get done to standard?
• Did the crew operate safely and avoid accidents?

As leaders move up in the SEAL organization—to command multiple platoons or larger units—their role becomes more strategic.

They are no longer focused on executing a single mission. Instead, they are allocating resources, setting priorities, coordinating multiple teams, and thinking about the larger objective.

In landscaping, this is similar to a division manager or director. Their job is less about the work happening on a single job site and more about how the entire system functions.

Why the Transition Is Difficult

McRaven noted something that caught my attention:

Some of his best tactical leaders—excellent team leaders in the field—struggled to make the transition to becoming leaders of leaders. And sometimes the opposite happened: individuals who were only average at the tactical level became outstanding strategic leaders.

We see this in the landscape world all the time:

• Your best salesperson does not automatically become a good sales manager.
• Your best foreman may not become a good supervisor, let alone department manager.
• Someone who wasn’t the strongest “boots in the ditch” operator may become a more effective leader of teams and systems.

This is why mentoring and developing your people is so important—leaders must figure out where each person can do their best work.

The Key Differences

• Tactical leaders fix problems. Strategic leaders fix the causes of problems.
• Tactical leaders focus on today or this week. Strategic leaders think months—and sometimes years—ahead.
• A tactical leader might say: “We had another job go over budget.” A strategic leader will ask: “What in our estimating or production process is causing jobs to go over?”

Your Challenge: Operate Strategically

Ask yourself:

“If I disappeared for two weeks, what would break?”

• If the answer is jobs, crews, or client communication, you may still be operating largely in a tactical role.
• If the answer is leadership development, strategic course correction, or financial strategy, then you are operating more strategically.

The reality is that great companies need both kinds of leaders.

Next time you visit the shop or walk the field, think about which track your future leaders are on.

Because when the right leaders are in the right roles, you will win both the week’s battle and the larger yearly goal.

Go get em!

Regards,
Jeffrey Scott

P.S. When we visit our two host companies for our Summer Growth Summit (in Detroit), you will see two companies who are focused on developing their people and putting them in the right roles. Go here to learn more—our super early bird ends May 8.