Before I deployed to Afghanistan my brother sent me a gift. It was a six -inch, fixed-blade hunting knife with a leather sheath and classic, simple style. Engraved into the blade was a quote I had never seen before: “Wars may be fought with weapons but they are won by men” –General George S. Patton. Enclosed in the package with the knife was an encouraging and hopeful letter, wishing me a safe deployment. He included the rest of the quote: “It is the spirit of the men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory over hardship”. I took that letter with me to Afghanistan, where I had many opportunities to contemplate the truth of those words.
The relationship between “the men who follow and of the man who leads” is vital. That relationship takes on its own nature; its very own spirit as Patton describes it. It is that relationship which stands at the heart of every organization and leads to its ultimate victory or defeat. In our Army today there are two keys to nourishing this spirit and the success of our nation in its future conflicts. Leaders across the Army must look to our history, to the examples of our predecessors in order to learn the secrets of their successes.
The first key to building a culture of victory in our Army today may seem quite simple, but is of the utmost importance. We must treat our subordinates with respect. We must encourage their better natures, not through degradation or harsh treatment, but rather through empathy, reason and sincerity. When I was in Officer Candidate School, I was required to commit to memory Schofield’s Definition of Discipline:
“The discipline which makes the soldiers of a free country reliable in battle is not to be gained by harsh or tyrannical treatment. On the contrary, such treatment is far more likely to destroy than to make an army. It is possible to impart instructions and to give commands in such a manner and in such a tone of voice as to inspire in the soldier no feeling but an intense desire to obey, while the opposite manner and tone of voice cannot fail to excite strong resentment and a desire to disobey. The one mode or other of dealing with subordinates springs from a corresponding spirit in the breast of the commander. He who feels the respect which is due others cannot fail to inspire in them regard for himself; while he who feels, and hence manifests, disrespect toward others, especially his inferiors, cannot fail to inspire hatred against himself.”
Today I keep that definition printed on the front door of my office, so that every morning as I start my work, I am reminded of my obligation to the soldiers who serve under me in my unit. It is essential that we as leaders remember our Soldiers are volunteer citizens from the greatest Democracy in the history of the world. We need to talk to our soldiers; we need to communicate to them the importance of the tasks we assign them. Undoubtedly there will be instances when military necessity will force leaders to simply order their subordinates to accomplish a set of tasks, without sufficient explanation. As much as it is possible, however, we must remember that our soldiers are the top-one percent of our citizenry, and they deserve our attention and our care. They deserve to understand the logic behind the missions they will carry out.
The second duty we have as leaders is to always share in the hardships our soldiers are forced to suffer. We can look to the example of BG William O. Darby himself, who led from the front and shared in the greatest dangers of the enemy fire both in North Africa and then again in Italy. We often talk about “leading from the front”, but the trouble is it is often easier said than done. We must demand of ourselves as leaders a higher standard. We must be visible to our men, in all hardships at all times, whether it be in garrison, training, or combat. Our presence or absence will often be the determining factor in the attitudes of our units.
If we as leaders in the United States Army can commit ourselves to these two responsibilities, to treat our soldiers with the respect they deserve and to always share in their hardships with them, then I have no doubt we are fit to face whatever challenges this next century has lying in wait for us. It will not be the victory of our bright leaders, or even the victory of our strong soldiers. Rather it will be the victory won by the loyalty that binds us together as one fighting spirit. It will be our victory together over hardship and tyranny.
No comments:
Post a Comment