Strategy #41: Be a FILO leader

First In, Last Out (FILO) is an approach to inventory management. It also happens to be a great leadership technique for promoting a high-loyalty organization. One of the cultural values that has made the Israeli army such an effective fighting force is the Palmach Doctrine, which states that in battle officers are to be at the forefront in the attack and last out in the event of retreat (First In, Last Out – FILO). This has several benefits for combat effectiveness. First, officers are less likely to order suicidal “Charge of the Light Brigade” assaults if they know they will be up front on the point, and they are less likely to order a premature retreat knowing they will be leading the rear guard protecting the back door for everyone else to escape.  Second, knowing that their officers will be in front of them on attack and behind them during retreat inspires a high degree of respect and trust among the ranks.

If you want to create a high-loyalty organization, be a FILO leader. That doesn’t necessarily mean being first in the office every morning and last one out in the evening. In fact, it might actually mean the reverse – setting an example of putting family first (since it really is true that people will pay more attention to what you do than what you say). No, what it means is that people know that they can trust you to always be out there in front of them, leading the charge, in times of change; that you will be there in the trenches, sleeves rolled up getting the work done during the day; and that when times get tough, you will be there protecting their interests and sharing in the sacrifices. In his book Gates of Fire (one of the finest works of historical fiction I’ve ever read), Steven Pressfield wrote a passage about Spartan King Leonidas that describes the FILO leader as well as anything I’ve ever seen. Here it is:

“A king does not abide within his tent while his men bleed and die upon the field. A king does not dine while his men go hungry, nor sleep when they stand at watch upon the wall. A king does not command his men’s loyalty through fear nor purchase it with gold; he earns their love by the sweat of his own back and the pains he endures for their sake. That which comprises the harshest burden, a king lifts first and sets down last. A king does not require service of those he leads but provides it to them. He serves them, not they him.”

Steven Pressfield: Gates of Fire

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