String Theory for Soldiers

String Theory for Soldiers is probably not what you think.

I don’t always agree with the militarisation of management, but there are definitely nuggets of knowledge to be had from all areas of the human experience, the special forces most certainly included.

I once had the great fortune of meeting an old SAS soldier who shared his String Theory for Soldiers with me.

This theory most certainly wound and bound itself (pun intended) into my attitudes about leading and being lead.

The story of the theory starts with my old friend being told he will be leading a team on exercises and they need to beat another team on the same course. His CO then promptly sits him down with a piece of string at the mess table.

The CO tells him that to be a great leader he needs to be able to move the string from one side of the table to the other, without getting the string bunched up. It has to arrive nice, and long, and orderly at the end of its journey.

The only way to do this is to place your finger at the front of the string and smoothly lead it along by your finger. If, of course, you try and push it from the back, the string becomes a bunched-up, tangled mess.

The String Theory comes from the observation of truly great leaders in the military and in life, they take the lead and they lead clearly and visibly from the front.

Great leaders take responsibility, they serve their staff and they are seen. They don’t hide at HQ ordering their team about, alienating them and shoving from the back.

PS – Thank you Charlie Mike for your String Theory for Soldiers.