Building Your Leadership Phalanx

This is where we embrace the Leadership First Approach™ to help organizations close the gap between where they are now, and where they want to be. Because real progress begins with leadership.

This is where we embrace the Leadership First Approach™ to help organizations resolve their people-problems, achieve their goals, and experience rises in revenue. Let’s enhance your leadership teams so we can close the gap between where your organization is now, and where you want it to be. Real progress begins with leadership.

Have you seen the movie "The 300" (2007)? If you haven't, then you now have plans this evening. And you're welcome.

In the movie, Gerard Butler plays King Leonidas. In this one scene he describes a Greek battle formation called a Phalanx.

"We fight as a single, impenetrable unit. That is the source of our strength... A single weak spot and the Phalanx shatters."

In ancient Greece, the Phalanx was more than just a military formation—it was a symbol of unity, discipline, and collective strength. Soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder, shields overlapping, and spears pointed outward. Each individual soldier was crucial, but the true power of the Phalanx was in its ability to function as one seamless unit.

They marched forward as one entity.

Today, this ancient tactic offers valuable lessons for modern leadership teams striving to achieve their goals.

Unity and Collaboration

In a Phalanx, the strength of the formation came from the unity of the soldiers. Each soldier's shield protected not just themselves but also their neighbor. It underlined the the principle of cohesion.

Similarly, a leadership team’s strength lies in its ability to collaborate and support one another. When leaders work together, they can shield each other from challenges and push forward as a cohesive unit.

Just as the Phalanx was unbreakable when united, so too is a leadership team when it stands together, supporting one another. A strong cohesive leadership team becomes a company's greatest advantage.

Alignment and Consistency

The soldiers in a Phalanx moved as one, with a clear, shared objective. There was no room for individual agendas or un-orchestrated deviations.

A successful leadership team must be aligned on its vision and goals, and committed to consistency. Maintaining momentum is crucial for achieving long-term success. Leaders must stay committed to their roles and responsibilities, even when the going gets tough. And when every leader is moving in the same direction, the team can advance more effectively, just like a Phalanx.

Alignment and consistency are the spears that pierces through challenges. When every leader is pointed in the same direction, the team becomes an unstoppable force.

Trust and Mutual Dependence

Soldiers in a Phalanx relied on each other for protection. If one soldier fell or broke formation, it endangered the entire unit.

Trust is the foundation of any strong leadership team. Leaders must rely on each other, give one another the benefit of the doubt, and know that their colleagues will stand by them in times of need.

In a Phalanx, trust was not optional; it was essential. In leadership, the same is true—trust is what holds the team together.

Strength in Diversity

While the Phalanx was a uniform formation, it was made up of individuals with different strengths and skills, all contributing to the collective power of the unit.

A diverse leadership team brings a variety of perspectives and skills, which, when harnessed effectively, can create a powerful, unified force.

Diversity is the strength behind a leadership Phalanx, bringing together different skills to form a stronger whole.

Building Your Leadership Phalanx

Here are four key themes to explore within your leadership team and begin building your own Leadership Phalanx. This is by no means an exhaustive list of what your leadership team might need to function as one seamless unit. But it's a place for you to get started. In no specific order...

(1.) Commit to ongoing learning.

Remember that progress and development don't happen overnight, and change is not like a light switch. The Greek Phalanx was the culmination and perfection of a slowly developed idea that originated many years earlier. As weaponry and armor advanced through the years, the Phalanx became complex and effective. When every member on a leadership team can commit to their individual development, and then come together to leverage their strengths as a unit, they become a force that pushes forward to achieve the "bigger and better" that they're reaching for.

(2.) Stay long-term oriented and near-term focused.

The Phalanx usually advanced at a walking pace. And this slow approach helped them to maintain formation. The Phalanx would be weakened and become useless if they did not advance as one. Leadership teams that "slow down to speed up" are the ones that make it all the way. They take the time to stay aligned with the vision and goals, and with one another. They are dedicated to the marathon, not just the sprint. Modern leadership teams don't have to progress at a walking pace—after all a primary objective in the work I do is to help teams achieve real progress faster and easier. But leadership teams do need to move at a pace that allows them to stay the course, together.

(3.) Have the conversations that need to be had.

'Teaming' is hard. Every person comes to the table with their own ideas, perspectives, biases, and opinions. And people are complex. They are cool and inspiring — and they are also hard, weird, and very unpredictable. So you put a bunch of leaders in a room together and conflicts can arise. The strength of a Phalanx depended on the ability to maintain the frontline. If a Phalanx failed to maneuver in a structured manner, it would lead to a quick defeat.

When working with a leadership team, we often start by deciding if there are any conflicts that need resolving first. Are there a few leaders who've been mad at one another for ages but keep ignoring the elephant in the room? Is there one leader that exhausts everyone by constantly changing their mind, and now everyone listens to them with a grain of salt? Is there a leader who dominates every discussion, leaving little room for others to contribute? We lay all the cards on the table, we have facilitated conversations where people can get things off their chest, we create agreements about how everyone can move onward. We take the time to begin restoring the trust and respect that is needed in order to build their Phalanx.

4. Choose a battle cry.

In the movie "The 300," the soldiers cry out "Aou! Aou! Aou!" as they prepare for battle. It's pretty 'effing' powerful. For them it's more than just a shout—it’s a potent symbol of their unity, strength, and shared purpose. This battle cry rallies them together, preparing them to face any challenge with courage and resolve.

For a leadership team, creating a modern-day "battle cry" can serve a similar purpose, fostering a deep sense of connection and shared commitment. Your battle cry doesn’t have to be a literal shout, but it should be a phrase, mantra, or ritual that encapsulates what your team stands for. Whether it’s a motto that reflects your team’s core values or a word that symbolizes your kick-ass-ery, it should be something that everyone can rally behind.

Heck, maybe you choose not to recreate the wheel and just use the shout from the movie. Use it to cheer one another on, to energize yourselves, to celebrate a win, to show solidarity when someone has a hard day, etc... If you do it in any way like the movie, That would be pretty rad, actually. "Aou! Aou! Aou!"

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My goal here is to encourage you and your leadership team to think differently about collaboration and cohesion.

Just as the ancient Greeks knew the power of the Phalanx in battle, modern leaders can harness that same power by working as a unified, disciplined, and aligned team. In today’s complex and fast-paced world, the strength of your Leadership Phalanx could be the key to achieving your organization’s greatest victories.

So ask yourselves... Is your leadership team functioning as a well-structured Phalanx, or are there gaps in your formation? Consider how you can strengthen your team’s unity and alignment to become an unstoppable force.

If you're not sure where to start, then let's have a chat. Leadership teams that work with me drastically enhance their ability to "team" so they can leverage their collective cohesion as their greatest advantage... We build them a Leadership Phalanx.

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To find out more about how to make "teaming better" your greatest advantage with a Leadership First Approach™, you can visit www.BusinessExcelerated.com , or message me here  on LinkedIn.