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An Emotionally Intelligent War?
by Susan Dunn
One of my clients sent me an article and the subject line read "war eq example."
We dialogued - is that an oxymoron? He wanted me to write about it. How could I write about an emotionally intelligent war? We decided dealing with the death of a loved one in an emotionally intelligent way is also a horrible possibility, and a necessity. And so, dear reader, I proceed.
From the beginning, I hoped if we took over Iraq, we would do it like the Romans did. The Roman Empire lasted as long as it did, as spread out as it was, because they did things in an emotionally intelligent manner.
Rome conquered. But what it did was bring things to the conquered countries they liked: roads, aqueducts, and civil order. At the same time, they never enforced their own culture or religion on the conquered provinces.
The people's lives improved in practical ways, Rome kept them safe from the eternal strife in the countryside, and they were able to continue with what mattered to them - their beliefs and their customs. The people in the far-out provinces, who would've been hard to control, were extremely disinclined to revolt once the occupying troops left. The Romans established Pax Romana. "Pax" means "peace."
This article isn't how I feel about the war, and the Roman "Empire" is not to be suggestive. However, I have friends who left Iraq. Adel saw his father executed by a firing squad for opposing Hussein years ago. In fact he and his mother were forced to watch the execution. Adel says to me, when we watch an Iraqi troop surrendering on tv, "You don't know how grateful they are. They have no food, no medicine there."
Food, medicine, roads, peace. Emotional intelligence is a global possibility because we all speak the same language in our dreams.
FORCE MAJEURE
In an article called "Force Majeure: What Lies Behind the Military's Victory in Iraq," Fred Kaplan writes about the evolution of the US military. "Three major changes have taken hold within the military—a new war-fighting doctrine, advanced digital technology, and a less parochial culture." He goes on to list the changes made, how flexible the military has become.
In 1982, he says, Wass de Czege rewrote the Army's war-fighting manual. The previous edition, written in 1976 by Gen. William DePuy recommended "a strategy of attrition warfare, a static line of defense against the enemy's strongest point of assault, beating it back with frontal assaults and superior firepower."
Wass de Czege's rewrite outlined a strategy emphasizing agility, speed, maneuver, and deep strikes well behind enemy lines.
I had no idea the military rewrote this sort of thing periodically. Again, within the framework of things we'd rather not have to deal with, it's intelligent to rethink your position often, flexibly and creatively. "Static" anything doesn't work.
Meanwhile the other branches were revising their look at things, also emphasizing "surprise."
The only way to cope with a world of constant and rapid change is to be able to change constantly and rapidly. This is emotional intelligence.
TEAMWORK - a "SOFT" Skill
"The second new thing about the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan," writes Kaplan in this brief review of military history, "was that it was truly a ‘combined-arms' operation—a battle plan that involved more than one branch of the armed services, working in tandem. This had never really happened before."
Joint Vision 2020, issued in June 2000, emphasized a strategy of "full-spectrum dominance … a synergy of the core competencies of the individual services, integrated into the joint team … a whole greater than the sum of its parts."
Does this not sound like our core strengths theory—first the individual, then the strengths of the team? This is emotional intelligence.
In life, it works best to go with your strengths. In an adversarial position, don't find where the opponent is strongest and build your defenses there, find where they are the strongest and don't even mess with them there.
In a partnership, in working together, find the strength of the other and don't build defenses there or "mess with it"—use it to the advantage of the team and the project.
Partners unite because of complementary skills and talents and can fall into bickering because they're different.
INTENTIONALITY
Now we move into Intentionality, an EQ competency. So the doctrine was written, Joint Vision 2020. Did it actually take place? Yes, by intent. One Joint Forces Command publication called it "a common joint culture… [T]he institutional barriers of inter-service rivalry, even hatred, were gradually broken down," they said.
If you work in an office, does this sound familiar? Perhaps they intentionally achieved a culture of emotional intelligence. Fred Kaplans's article is available here.
In fact, in an article in The Air & Space Power Journal, 2002, in an article entitled "Emotional Intelligence Implications for All United States Air Force Leaders," Lt Col Sharon M. Latour, USAF and Lt Gen Bradley C. Hosmer, USAF, Retired offer practical ways for leaders to incorporate EQ skills.
WAR EQ EXAMPLE
"New Trust Develops Between US Troops and Iraqis," is about the city of Najaf. "American troops are doing more than winning the war," it says. "They are also working hard to win the hearts and minds of Iraqi citizens."
How do you win the heart and mind of someone? This is right at the heart of EQ. People don't remember what we say, they remember how we make them feel.
The people of the city of Najaf thought that the Americans had come to desecrate their sacred holy site, Ali's tomb. One Iraqi at the front of the terrified and dissenting mob yelled, "The city OK, the mosque of Ali no." Imagine having to speak something so important to you in a language you hardly know.
The American officer in charge ordered his troops: "Everybody take a knee. Everybody smile." They descended down on one knee, weapons to the ground, and smiled. What better gesture to indicate no harm was meant? Every culture understands someone down on one knee, and a smile.
"At the same time coalition troops have been destroying Saddam's forces," says the article, "they have also found they have to destroy the fears of villagers. In fact, soldiers are finding the best way to defuse difficult situations is to show kindness to local villagers. In the battle for the hearts of the Iraqi people, it is a strategy that seems to be working."
"Knowing others and know oneself, in one hundred battles no danger. Not knowing the other and knowing oneself, one victory for one loss. Not knowing the other and not knowing oneself, in every battle certain defeat." -- Sun Tzu, The Art of War
About the Author
Susan Dunn, The EQ Coach, GLOBAL EQ. Emotional intelligence coaching to enhance all areas of your life - career, relationships, midlife transition, resilience, self-esteem, parenting. EQ Alive! - excellent, accelerated, affordable EQ coach certification. Susan is the author of numerous ebooks, is widely published on the Internet, and a regular speaker for cruise lines. For marketing services go here.
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