Flat Army Summary

Emir Zecovic | Posted on August 6, 2018 |

5 min read ⌚

Creating a Connected and Engaged Organization

Are you ready to take your management knowledge on to the next level?

Over the course of thousands of years, the hierarchal form of leadership has remained etched into the hearts of those seeking and having power.

The day has finally come to put a stop to that!

Who Should Read “Flat Army”? And Why?

If at some point in life, you wish to coordinate a group of people and make them feel worthy, this book comes as a blessing to you.

To put it briefly: It’s best suited for decision-makers who are still searching for the uniqueness and students who are eager to dig up the mysteries of proper leadership.

Don’t skip it!

About Dan Pontefract

$Dan Pontefract$ Dan Pontefract is a management expert, coach and a teacher who places emphasis on leadership as a form of achieving greatness in the business community.

He is the author of several books.

“Flat Army PDF Summary”

At the peak of the industrial era in the early 20th century, management had a pivotal role in controlling the output. Likewise, it became crystal clear that the command-and-control management style had lost its grip on productivity and efficiency and corporations started to suffer due to its rigidness.

To this day, this management approach is still not eradicated. The dynamic and progressive society now demands sometimes way more innovative than a hierarchical system, which is not only outdated but entirely fruitless.

Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol

The well-renowned and highly proficient industrial efficiency expert Frederick Taylor along with Henri Fayol cast doubt on the hierarchical structuring as a whole. They outlined the importance of remodeling the command-and-control post by engaging the workforce in the operations.

Although most of the organizations nurture rigidness, and they are not keen to give up on their power, they have to realize that employees no longer wish to be perceived as merely a disposable workforce.

They arrived at a conclusion: “To lead is a way of life. Being able to coordinate, control, run, and plan is in tight correlation with the idea of knowing how your subordinates react and want to be treated. The rigidness that was applied on a colossal scale in the past has seen its last summer. “

Nowadays, employees and workers want to be incorporated in the decision-making and all the other processes and mechanisms.

The bottom line is – collaboration and communication are critical to achieving success and staying on the top of the world. When we speak about interaction, we mainly refer to maintaining contact that has no hierarchical boundaries between the interlocutors.

All things considered, the management system needs to get back to the drawing board and weight its options. No one wants to be a part of an exploitation system that disregards the basic needs of the employees and stripes them of even more fundamental rights.

Flat Army Management to the Rescue.

If you are skeptical about the previously mentioned hierarchy, a “flat” structure can clear up the uncertainty in next to no time. Army, for instance, derives from Armada (Spanish) which stands for a group of battleships moving towards the enemy.

In other words, Flat Army has a symbolic meaning that unlike other concepts, strongly relies on team efforts. Constructing a system around a single goal is a unique way of inviting all the parties to play a part in accomplishing the mission.

The Flat Army’s approach entails integration and relatedness as the core principles which propels the organization. This new form of management links all layers of the corporation and helps them to work in the spirit of mutual understanding and togetherness.

There’s not a single person on this planet who doesn’t want to be a part of a harmonious working environment. Being in tune with the corporate mission, and being able to apply The Flat Army Strategy to the full extent requires:

- Trust

- Authenticity

- Understanding

- Open-Mindset

Expertise

All these things come into play when an execution of a task is underway. Leaders must present collaboration and dialogue as the backbone of the organization.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is perhaps the role model of this new leadership ideology that we are trying to convey. As a mentor and a person to be idolized as far as connected leadership is concerned, he stresses out the importance of sharing critical info and data with his subordinates when the time is right.

In addition, he lays out 15 attributes that display the effectiveness of the Flat Army Approach. Connected leaders must not only abide by the ground rules but also look for a way to improve them:

“Trusting” – Don’t feed your vanity and allow others to express their opinion. Reward them for making mistakes, as long as they are within the context of planned improvements.
“Involving” – Don’t put anyone on the side, and double-check that everyone has a role to play. Destroy all the shallow obstacles that are preventing the employees to seize the day.
“Empathizing” – Don’t be overly critical and focus on the growth of the organization. Applying the reward-punishment system is not only outdated but highly ineffective as well.
“Developing” – Pave the way with vision and intentions that incite the employees to develop and grow as professionals.
“Communicating” – This is not a one-way street, but a dialogue that lowers the chances for any misunderstanding to occur due to unclear instructions.
“Analyzing” – Don’t draw conclusions single-handedly; allow others to gauge the level of your competence to see whether the analysis is accurately presented.
“Deciding” – Take into account the consequence and rewards of your decision-making. Stay flexible, and prepared to adapt if such thing is required.
“Delivering” – Don’t rush into making split-second decisions. When you ran into trouble, dive into thorough investigation and devise a plan to overcome the situation you are facing.
“Cooperating” – Sprinkling a dose of enthusiasm and positivity is the embodiment of a successful cooperation. Don’t become a loner; it sends negative vibes to the Universe.
“Clowning” – You don’t need us telling you that people who love their jobs and are relaxed cannot fit into the group of underachievers. Raising the morale of your employees is as critical as formulating a long-term strategy.
“Coaching” – Mentor your subordinates, provide guidance and give them feedback. This is the recipe for having motivated and highly creative associates around you.
“Measuring” – Don’t forget to use “quantitative business metrics,” for the purpose of measuring the level of achievement.
“Exploring” – Get out of your comfort zone, and put a weight on all your options. Take the burden off your shoulders by understanding the surroundings.
“Adapting” – We can’t emphasize enough on how important it is to remain flexible at all costs.
“Bettering” – There’s no such thing as perfection. Never settle for anything less than utter dedication and friendliness. Work to improve that atmosphere.