How a leader can help and hurt his team’s performance

By George Haldeman

At the risk of not being terribly original, I am going to quote Sun Tzu as I relate centuries old concepts which are relevant to the casino industry today. In chapter 3 Attack on stratagem, Tzu says there are 3 things a leader can do bring misfortune on his army.

First is giving orders while being ignorant of the facts. Second is interfering with the administration of the army without knowledge of the internal affairs of the army. Finally, interfering with fighting while ignorant of military principles will bring misfortune on the army. He says this sows doubt among the officers.

If we apply these principles today in the casino industry today, leaders should be hiring competent people and provide them with the resources they need.  A good leader will make sure he has all of the facts before providing direction. Once they have done these things, they will get out way and let people do their jobs.

Tzu goes on to say there are 5 points that assure victory.

1. He who knows when to fight and when not to fight will win.
2. He who understands how to handle superior and inferior forces will win
3. He whose forces are united in purpose will win
4. He who is well prepared and lies in wait for those who are not prepared will win
5. He whose generals are able and not interfered with by the king will win

Again, we can relate these centuries’ old concepts to the casino industry. Knowing when to take on a competitor is critical to success. You do not want to take on the largest competitor in the market on their strength. Instead, take them on where they are weak especially if they don’t know you are in the fight.

Knowing whether your property is stronger than the competitor in a given area is critical to success. Market research and business intelligence can help with this issue. They also help to make sure your team is united in their purpose by ensuring they have all of the same information as the leader. They will, of course, also need to be fully versant in the company’s strategies as well.

A good leader will also ensure his team is properly prepared and then gets out of the way so they can do their job. If your team is well prepared and has the information they need, they be nimble and therefore hindered if the leader tries to interfere.

Just because certain concepts have been around a long time does not mean that leaders of today understand them. Looking back can sometimes advance a leader’s skills. In tough economic times, companies cannot afford slips in leadership. Reading and re-reading Tzu can help hone anyone’s leadership skills.

George is a Principle in Strategic Gaming Advisors