Posted on Apr 18, 2017
MG Mike Diamond here. I'll be by to discuss leadership and ways to improve the performance of your organization. What questions do you have?
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From RP Staff: We’re honored to host Major General Mike Diamond for a Live Q&A. He has commanded the Theater Support Command in the Middle East back in the early days of OIF/OEF and served as Director of Coalition Coordination and Deputy Director of Logistics at CENTCOM. MG Diamond has designed a process model, based on his own personal experiences in both military as well as civilian sectors, that can help everyone better lead their team. Along with his son, Capt. Christopher Harding (USAF), they have published a book, "The Diamond Process: How to Fix Your Organization and Effectively Lead People" being released April 17. Please post your questions below!
If you're interested, you can grab a copy of MG Diamond's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Process-Organization-Effectively-People-ebook/dp/B071CPGP48/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid= [login to see] &sr=8-1&keywords=the+diamond+process
If you're interested, you can grab a copy of MG Diamond's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Process-Organization-Effectively-People-ebook/dp/B071CPGP48/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid= [login to see] &sr=8-1&keywords=the+diamond+process
Leadership
Organization
Process Improvement
Performance
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 21
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CALLING ON RP MEMBERS AND CONNECTIONS - PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO REVIEW THIS RALLYPOINT Q&A POST WITH MG MIKE DIAMOND. POST YOUR QUESTION TODAY!
GREAT OPPOTUNITUY TO ASK THE TOUGH & CURIOUS QUESTIONS ON LEADERSHIP AND HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR ORGANIZATION.
THE RALLYPOINT FORUM CONTINUES TO PROIVDE THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO ALL OF OUR VETERANS, SERVICE MEMBERS, AND RETIREES TO REACH OUT & ASK QUESTIONS TO FORMER LEADERS OF OUR COUNTRY. PARTICIPATION IS NEEDED TO KEEP THIS TYPE OF FORUM MOVING FORWARD.
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
CAPT Michael MoranCOL Korey JacksonCOL George Smith
GREAT OPPOTUNITUY TO ASK THE TOUGH & CURIOUS QUESTIONS ON LEADERSHIP AND HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR ORGANIZATION.
THE RALLYPOINT FORUM CONTINUES TO PROIVDE THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO ALL OF OUR VETERANS, SERVICE MEMBERS, AND RETIREES TO REACH OUT & ASK QUESTIONS TO FORMER LEADERS OF OUR COUNTRY. PARTICIPATION IS NEEDED TO KEEP THIS TYPE OF FORUM MOVING FORWARD.
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
CAPT Michael MoranCOL Korey JacksonCOL George Smith
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SSgt Boyd Herrst
Volunteering for points is not like volunteering for$ Casey, members recieve no monetary value. It's when one recieve s a monetary value then it's not volunteering..
just going to work..
just going to work..
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SGM Mikel Dawson
COL Mikel J. Burroughs This has been one great thread, thanks for having the General here to talk with us. I have enjoyed reading his responses to every question ask. RP - Thumbs UP
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No questions from me, MG Mike Diamond. I just wanted you to know that I also served in the 377th TSC (then TAACOM) from JUN86 through DEC88. I was one of two Assistant CE Staff Officers serving in the Security, Plans and Operations division. MG Alvin Jones was the CG and presented me with my gold oak leaves!
After reading your impressive bio, I must leave you with a hearty, WAR EAGLE!
After reading your impressive bio, I must leave you with a hearty, WAR EAGLE!
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LTC Stephen C.
Concur, MG Mike Diamond, and I certainly expected my WAR EAGLE to not go unchallenged! COL Jean (John) F. B., a fellow alumnus of yours, and I have a good time on RP discussing the rivalry!
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COL Jean (John) F. B.
MG Mike Diamond - LTC Stephen C. ROLL TIDE!!! ands WAR EAGLE (when not playing the Tide)... :-)
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MG Mike Diamond Thank you for taking the time to share with us. My son is a retired Colonel, and I visited him many times. What I learned from his soldiers was that he was a soldier's soldier. This meant he didn't gloat over being a high ranking officer. He got down to their level and spoke to them in a way that wasn't demanding. Do you find this is a good approach, or do you feel you need to separate yourself from the others to make sure they know you are in charge?
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MG Mike Diamond
I first see a leader as having to learn to be a good follower. Also, one has to learn to serve. I see myself as serving all of those 'subordinate' to me to help them succeed at what they are doing.
I took a very similar approach as did your son. Kudos for him. I'm sure he was successful and much appreciated by those who served with him.
I took a very similar approach as did your son. Kudos for him. I'm sure he was successful and much appreciated by those who served with him.
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MG Mike Diamond What do you think of the current situation in the Middle East? What leadership concepts did you incorporate in your book that you used in the military?
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MG Mike Diamond
Mikel, I see many improvements. We are getting better leadership especially from our CINC. We appear to be developing a foreign policy. We are getting back to our position as global leaders again.
I tried to incorporate the rigor, structure, discipline from the military and process improvement, change management, soft skills I learned from the civilian side of things to put together in the book
I tried to incorporate the rigor, structure, discipline from the military and process improvement, change management, soft skills I learned from the civilian side of things to put together in the book
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
MG Mike Diamond - Sir it sounds like a great book. Thanks for providing the link to the book here on RallyPoint. I to believe we are getting the right leadership to turn our foreign policy into a victory position on the world scene. Let's hope we can get a lot accomplished in the next 3 years and hopefully 4 more after that. Thanks for your contributions here on RP.
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Sir, thanks for your time:
I am old school. I feel the Army screwed up by getting rid of the SPC ranks (5 and up). It is my belief not everyone is a leader and by forcing all service member SGT and up to be a hard stripe is a fail. I have seen many good technical soldiers but were the worst leaders and by forcing them into leadership positions set many of them up for failure, which I seen many do despite trying to get them on the right track. Your thoughts are appreciated.
I am old school. I feel the Army screwed up by getting rid of the SPC ranks (5 and up). It is my belief not everyone is a leader and by forcing all service member SGT and up to be a hard stripe is a fail. I have seen many good technical soldiers but were the worst leaders and by forcing them into leadership positions set many of them up for failure, which I seen many do despite trying to get them on the right track. Your thoughts are appreciated.
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MG Mike Diamond
Mikel I could not agree with you more!! Specialists were held up to be technically focused workers who were critical to mission success in many units. We got away from processes in things like SQT and MOSQ. We are still paying for that today.
Some of those technically slanted leaders were forced into leading people much to their chagrin and misfortune for both them and the miltary.
Some of those technically slanted leaders were forced into leading people much to their chagrin and misfortune for both them and the miltary.
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SGM Mikel Dawson
MG Mike Diamond - Thank you Sir. I never understood getting away from SQT. For me this is the back bone of the Army, making sure soldiers KNOW their jobs.
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MG Mike Diamond — Sounds like a bonafide opportunity to collect Leadership CEUs (Continuing Education Units) from a world-class leadership network! Is there an accredited education sponsor in the RP network that can make CEUs happen for webinar attendees?! Looking forward to attending a 'Diamond of a webinar', Sir.
Diamond, M.J. & Harding, C.R. (2017, April 18). The Diamond Process: How to Fix Your Organization and Effectively Lead People. Retrieved from http://amzn.to/2nZogXZ & https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/home/productlinks/customize?asin= [login to see]
Disclosure: Using the links posted here won't make a man rich but it will fund my passion for research.
Diamond, M.J. & Harding, C.R. (2017, April 18). The Diamond Process: How to Fix Your Organization and Effectively Lead People. Retrieved from http://amzn.to/2nZogXZ & https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/home/productlinks/customize?asin= [login to see]
Disclosure: Using the links posted here won't make a man rich but it will fund my passion for research.
Amazon.com: The Diamond Process: How to Fix Your Organization and Effectively Lead People...
Amazon.com: The Diamond Process: How to Fix Your Organization and Effectively Lead People (9781626343924): MG (Ret.) Mike J. Diamond, Christopher R. Harding: Books
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MG Mike Diamond I was interested to learn that your son Christopher Harding collaborated with you in writing and publishing "The Diamond Process: How to Fix Your Organization and Effectively Lead People."
Many businesses from small-to-large have family members working together successfully. The old saying we choose our friends but not our family seems applicable. Fixing businesses is many times less complicated than "fixing" relationships with family members.
1. What advice can you give about conditions where (a) working with family members makes business sense and (b) what are the strengths and weaknesses of involving a spouse or adult relative in strategic business decisions [obviously abiding within applicable laws]?
2. I am curious why you have a different last name than your son :-)
Thanks for mentioning me COL Mikel J. Burroughs
Many businesses from small-to-large have family members working together successfully. The old saying we choose our friends but not our family seems applicable. Fixing businesses is many times less complicated than "fixing" relationships with family members.
1. What advice can you give about conditions where (a) working with family members makes business sense and (b) what are the strengths and weaknesses of involving a spouse or adult relative in strategic business decisions [obviously abiding within applicable laws]?
2. I am curious why you have a different last name than your son :-)
Thanks for mentioning me COL Mikel J. Burroughs
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MG Mike Diamond
Chris is actually my step son by considered "my son".
Family working relationships are very testy at a minimum. My wife and I have worked in our property investment business for over 20 years now. The most difficult thing is separating business from marriage or other family relationship. At the end of the day, you have to honor the relationship as enduring.
There is much iron in your words that fixing businesses (or organizations) is many times less complicated than fixing relationships with family members!
My advice on conditions where working with family members makes business sense is look into the roles that each will serve and role play how that will work out. If the vision is that it will work out, then do it. If it looks shaky, don't.
Involving a spouse or adult relative in strategic business decisions makes sense only if that person has capability to be strategic.
Family working relationships are very testy at a minimum. My wife and I have worked in our property investment business for over 20 years now. The most difficult thing is separating business from marriage or other family relationship. At the end of the day, you have to honor the relationship as enduring.
There is much iron in your words that fixing businesses (or organizations) is many times less complicated than fixing relationships with family members!
My advice on conditions where working with family members makes business sense is look into the roles that each will serve and role play how that will work out. If the vision is that it will work out, then do it. If it looks shaky, don't.
Involving a spouse or adult relative in strategic business decisions makes sense only if that person has capability to be strategic.
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Thank-you, sir, for bringing this book and main idea for our perusal here on RP. I see the mess our nation is in right now has been exasperated by a lack of clear leadership. We have contrived to be led by a group of politicians who are by definition hirelings who do not love their sheep. I am elated that the POTUS now is a business man, with a clear understanding of subordination, and made a case for electing him. His policies have been implemented with a flurry of activity and now a danger has surfaced where all of those hirelings have attempted to torpedo the entire administration. I am a retired military member who remembers my oath by voting when given an election and I do contact my elected representatives on the issues I care about. I am concerned that Washington DC is heading toward a meltdown where the legislatures attempt to sink presidential policies, the courts set policy, and an attempt at impeachment is made.
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MG Mike Diamond
Politics is something we in the military are cautioned and coached to stay away from for a very good reason. Our leadership in DC has improved, we have a foreign policy that can work. You are right in pointing out that we have more factions working against each other than there are in the Middle East. Scary thoughts! Good leaders are depended on to work through the maize and solve our problems. Hope can not continue to be a course of action!
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Question: When leading, what is the right balance between 'knowing all the details' and 'accepting too much risk'? What are the key indicators that a leader is operating/influencing within a band of excellence?
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MG Mike Diamond
A leader must know the what, why, how of processes their people do as that they have enough information to make decisions and most importantlyu resource them to be successful at what they do for the team.
One could create a dashboard of metrics that could display whether a leader is being impactful for his/her organization. I found out quite a bit talking to the lowe level EMs in an organization that were pretty adept at telling me unadulterated ground truth
One could create a dashboard of metrics that could display whether a leader is being impactful for his/her organization. I found out quite a bit talking to the lowe level EMs in an organization that were pretty adept at telling me unadulterated ground truth
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