Hannibal, Leadership and Earning Your Team’s Respect
One of the main ways that a new leader fails is when they are about to become the new leader of a group. Nothing is more important in leadership than setting the right tone for your group. Because many people confuse having a title with having authority, the alienate their team from the first day. Their attitude is, “I’m the new boss and when I say jump, you say ‘how high?’ are we clear?” Now compare that approach to how legendary Carthaginian warrior and general Hannibal Barca took the reins of power and did so with tact, and respect towards his men. Hannibal came close to destroying the Roman Empire between 201 and 218 B.C.E., but that’s a story for another time.
Now imagine the scene if you will, a ferocious army that had been commanded by Hamilcar Barca, Hannibal’s father. They had been assembled to hear Hannibals first speech to the troops as their new commander. Hamilcar was deeply respected and beloved by his me, and had taken his death hard. Sadly, Hamilcar had died during a battle when he essentially sacrificed himself to save his two sons who were also at the battle. Some time later after Hannibal’s brother-in-law Hasdrubal was assassinated, Hannibal was promoted to commander-in-chief by the army and confirmed in his appointment by the Carthaginian government.
One time before a battle, Hannibal had his army was assembled so he could speak to them. He said:
“Now as for me, my men, there is not one of you who has not with his own eyes seen me strike a blow in battle; I have watched and witnessed your valor in the field, and your acts of courage I know by heart, with every detail of when and where they took place: and this, surely, is not a thing of small importance. I was your pupil before I was your commander; I shall advance into the line with soldiers I have a thousand times praised and rewarded; and the enemy we shall meet are raw troops with a raw general, neither knowing anything of the other.”
Hannibal acknowledged the past bravery and feats of his men in battle. He reminded them that he always fought side by side with them, rather than sitting in safety far behind the fighting. Are you this kind of leader? Do you have this kind of leadership in your organization?
Hannibal was was the first to enter battle and the last to leave the field. He ate the same food as his men, and rather than sleeping on a nice soft bed in a tent reserved for officers, he slept on the cold, hard ground alongside his men. Is it any surprise that his men would die for him? Would any of your team die for you? Okay, maybe that’s a bit extreme, but to what extent would any member of your team go to protect you? If you haven’t fostered that kind of loyalty among your team, take a step back, pause, reflect and ask yourself, how can you EARN this kind of intense respect from you team?