Give ‘em… Happiness, Harry!

When it comes to employee happiness, business leaders play a larger role than we might assume. Recent McKinsey research shows today’s employees rate their relationships with management as the top deciding factor in job satisfaction—which matters very much, as research also shows happy employees are 20% more productive than unhappy ones. But, what do today’s employees want--specifically—to be happy, and how do we learn how to give it to them? The answers to both questions might surprise you.

Most people remember Harry S. Truman for the long list of world-shaping decisions he made during his two terms as president. Among his accomplishments, Truman eliminated the communist threat in Greece and Turkey, initiated the Marshall Plan, helped organize the Berlin Airlift, helped form the UN and NATO, established the CIA and NSA, and put an end to racial segregation within the US military. What isn’t as commonly known about our 33rd president, however, is that Truman not only learned how to lead a country by leading an undisciplined group of military misfits, but that his approach to creating team happiness was way ahead of its time. Truman’s approach consisted of several principles:
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1. Leaders care about their people.  During WWI, when Truman took command of Battery D, 129th Field Artillery, the majority of its 200 men were detained to quarters for drunk and disorderly behavior. Having cycled through several officers who’d failed to “bring them into order,” the men immediately sized up and dismissed their new leader. When Truman released the soldiers from their first lineup under his leadership, they responded with a disrespectful “Bronx cheer.” That evening, several noncommissioned officers within the group released horses to run through the camp and staged a drunken brawl in an attempt to anger their new leader. The next morning, the unit woke to learn that while they’d slept, Truman had demoted anyone who’d participated in the pranks… and that he’d put plans in place to improve the quality of their food rations. Truman took an interest in their lives outside their military service, asked about their families, encouraged them to write to their mothers and sweethearts, and restructured their time so they could do so. It became apparent to the men that Truman cared about them as people, and their behavioral issues disappeared.
2. Leaders protect their people. In September 1918, the 129th Field Artillery (including Truman’s Battery D) began a 10-day march through heavy rains and “mud as thick as paste” to the Argonne Forest for the largest American military action up to that point—the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Food was scarce and carefully rationed, and exhausted, hungry men and horses began to falter. As the incline increased, men steadied themselves on the artillery wagons, which was forbidden because of the extra load it placed on the horses. Regimental commander Col. Karl Klemm noticed, and he immediately ordered the men to advance up the hill at double-time. Fearing his soldiers would be too tired to fight when they reached their destination, Truman ordered Battery D off the road and commanded them to camp down for the evening. When a high-ranking officer asked what Truman was doing, allowing his soldiers to rest, Truman responded, “Carrying out orders, sir.” The orders, of course, were his own. Truman’s men learned he could be trusted to protect them, and in return, they trusted him when he pushed.            
3. ​Leaders lead their people.  During WWI, batteries were ordered to fire within a narrow, restricted zone called a “sector” in order to protect American soldiers in neighboring units from death by friendly fire. During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, however, Truman observed German cannons preparing to fire upon the infantrymen his men were protecting. Truman acted immediately, ordering his men to fire out of sector to destroy the enemy’s cannons. Klemm, already angered with Truman for having allowed Battery D to rest, severely reprimanded him. The next day, Truman, again, observed German cannons preparing to fire upon the infantrymen. Again he ordered his men to fire out of sector to destroy the guns. Truman would have been court martialed if Gen. John J. Pershing had not intervened, crediting Truman’s leadership with saving the lives of many American soldiers. Through all of this, Truman’s men observed that when decisions needed to be made quickly, Truman was prepared and willing to lead, and they loved him for it.

While Truman forged his leadership skills during extreme circumstances, his leadership principles are just as applicable in today’s environment. Recent studies show that employees who believe their leaders care about them as people, have their backs, and will lead them confidently toward the stated goal report the highest job satisfaction. In today’s shifting world, prioritizing employee happiness is a good business decision, and one that’s completely within our skill-set to deliver.

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