I recently went one-on-one with Brigadier General Bernie Banks (U.S. Army, Retired). Bernie is the Director of Rice University’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders and the co-author of the newly released book The New Science of Momentum: How the Best Coaches and Leaders Build a Fire from a Single Spark.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences have been most instrumental to your growth as a leader?
Gen. Banks: Adam, thank you for your willingness to solicit my leadership perspectives. I have forged my approach to exercising leadership over the course of my lifetime. I grew up in a military family and my father’s roles took our family all over the U.S. and to Europe. Sports, school related activities, and being the oldest child in my family were my primary leadership learning labs as a child and adolescent. Later, I was privileged to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point for my undergraduate studies where I participated in intercollegiate athletics and held student government leadership roles. Afterwards, I embarked on a 29-year military career that afforded me the opportunity to lead teams ranging in size from 10 to over 3000 people in the U.S. and abroad. Today, it is my great honor to serve as the Director of Rice University’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders (an entity committed to elevating the leadership acumen of all Rice students). I have learned valuable leadership lessons at every stage of my life journey.
Adam: What failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most impactful to developing your leadership skills?
Gen. Banks: I suffered a major setback in college due to a lack of accountability and sustained effort. Consequently, I learned a lot from that experience about what it takes to hold people accountable (starting with self) while pushing them in a sustainable manner in order to achieve important goals.
Adam: What do you hope readers take away from your new book?
Gen. Banks: We want the readers to understand that momentum can be manipulated and extended through intentionality. Our model presents a conceptual framework for how leaders can systemically address the generation of momentum.
Adam: What is your best advice on building, managing, and leading teams?
Gen. Banks: It is my perspective that the best teams are built and sustained by focusing on their B-A-S-I-C-S. The basics are as follows:
“Building Blocks” – Clearly articulated operating principles
“Accountability”
“Simplification” – Clearly identifying priorities of effort and stripping away organizational noise
“Introspection”- Systemizing learning and ensuring routine reflection
“Communications” – Assigning process to ensure effective communications throughout the team/organization
“Sustainability” – Routinely making investments short-term in service of generating long-term vitality
Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader?
Gen. Banks: Research indicates that leadership is highly contextual. Additionally, we have never been able to identify a generalizable set of effective leader traits. The most effective leaders I have observed or studied were technically competent, mission focused, and people centric while also possessing positive character. They were trustworthy, effective communicators, behavioral role models, empathic, influential, and driven.
Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Gen. Banks: In order to become more influential (and leadership is all about influence), they must become more trusted. Trust is the cornerstone of influence. You can build trust through enhancing your competence, improving your follow through on commitments, building stronger relationships, and seeking to align your interests with those of your followers.
Adam: What are three key leadership lessons from your time in the Army that are applicable to a broad audience of leaders?
Gen. Banks: Mission first. People always. Drive change.
Adam: What do you believe are the most important issues facing the country and the world? Are you optimistic about our ability to address them?
Gen. Banks: It is my belief that the weakening of civil discourse and our willingness to seek compromise threaten the democratic process in very serious ways. I believe a reckoning will transpire that will force us to address these alarming trends.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Gen. Banks: Push harder, push routinely, never embrace mediocrity.
