Written by Lee Kirby, Co-Founder & Chairman of Salute Mission Critical
I just finished reading the book Radical Inclusion by GEN (R) Martin Dempsey and Ori Brafman. Full disclosure, I have read all of Ori Brafman’s books and have been inspired by GEN Dempsey’s leadership for years. The case for Radical Inclusion is the case for leadership that is more inquisitive, more open-minded, more collaborative, less concerned about control, and more capable of operating at the speed of memes. It is the case for leadership committed to developing optimum solutions that will endure.” GEN Martin Dempsey.
I believe the military was the catalyst for my mind set on inclusion. The military took a back hills farm boy from Tennessee and introduced me to an environment completely different from anything I had experienced to date. I learned quickly that the value of a team is how each individual can focus on the objective while bringing their unique background to the discussion and producing a better plan than one done in isolation. I was fortunate because many of my leaders, along the way, embraced and enforced collaboration rather than control and we achieved far more than otherwise.
At Salute, we operate with the same concept and embrace inclusion as a strategic imperative. It has resulted in over a thousand Veterans being introduced to the data center industry. And our doubling in size each year to produce the momentum that has brought even greater value to our clients. From the newest employee to the most experienced, ideas are welcomed and considered in the context of providing the best possible service. This results in projects completing faster with higher quality results and employees feeling the sense of pride that goes with being included in the plan and delivering on it. Radical Inclusion is a concept that works both in the military and civilian sectors and Salute has benefited greatly from its adoption of these principles. Thank you GEN Dempsey and Ori Brafman for your insight and leadership on this topic.