Watson,
Robert A., &
Ben Brown.
The
Most Effective Organization in the U.S.: Leadership Secrets of the Salvation
Army.
New York:
Crown
Business,
2001.
What is
The Salvation
Army? Is it a service organization
or a
church? Yes.
That is, it is both. In
The Most Effective Organization in the
United States, former National Commander Robert A. Watson, with Ben Brown,
writes much about the organization’s dual mission of preaching the good news of
Jesus Christ
and helping needy people. The Salvation
Army would say this is a single mission because they so closely relate saving
people with serving them.
The title of the book is taken for
Peter Drucker’s
praise for the Army. The authors do not
for a moment shy away from the
Christian
history,
motivation and mission of the organization.
Even so, this book is aimed at
business
and organizational
leaders
who want their companies to be more effective.
It’s good to start with this focus on mission. The Army is extremely mission focused. Everything they do and the way they do it,
including how they organize, manage and lead, is done to achieve the
mission. The first lesson in
effectiveness is that an organization needs a transcendent mission, something
greater than making money that can bring purpose to people’s lives.
Clear mission allows the Army to attract great people. People need meaning and purpose in life, and
finding people with personal missions that align with the organization’s leads
to passionate employees. They’re not
just employees, they’re partners. They
also see their clients, often people in very bad situations, as potential
partners. People who have been
transformed by Christ and who know the value of the help they received from the
Army, when they are on their feet again, are potentially very committed and
motivated volunteers, employees and officers.
As one would hope from a Christian organization, the Army places a high
value on integrity. Integrity is closely
linked to accountability. They are very
careful to assure that all they do advances their mission. Likewise, they want their people, especially
officers, to live their values. They
also want their constituents to trust that they will deliver on their
promises. The Army careful about
accountability. Their local leaders have
extraordinary latitude, but they also have great responsibility and are
answerable for themselves and their programs.
They are open and transparent so clients and donors know that the
resources entrusted to them are used well.
One of the things that impressed me about the Army is that their
commitment to mission and accountability makes it easier for them to say
no. If it doesn’t fit, or if it isn’t
sustainable, they let it go. Even
existing programs are not sacred. If
it’s not working, if it begins to distract from the mission, it is dropped even
if a lot as already been invested in it.
I enjoyed this book much more that most business books. I admit it appealed to my own
sensibilities. It’s also a glimpse
inside an organization that most people know relatively little about. The authors explain how the Army accomplishes
so much with its resources with so little management structure. They’re way is adaptable to business, but
probably requires a lot more discipline than many top business managers may
have.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Google
