Three Leadership Lessons I Learned In The Army
I went through Army ROTC Basic Training back when the Soviet Union was our only threat. It was at Fort Knox, Ky,. In August. It taught me a few things. Some obvious -- don't run up and down hills in Kentucky in August. Some not so obvious -- machine guns are fun. And three that I've used ever since.
Basic training is the same for officers and enlisted men and with good reason. It gives everyone a common experience and vocabulary. Kind of like companies where everyone has to do one job (sales, assembly line, etc.) before they take on the job they were hired for.
After Basic you get more specialized training. There is no training in the world than can substitute for experience when it comes to leadership. That's the big difference when it comes to post-Basic assignment. Enlisted men come out as privates and are expected to learn by following orders. Officers come out as second lieutenants and actually have the authority to give orders. That explains a classic Army adage: "There's nothing more dangerous than a second lieutenant with a map."
Here are three lessons learned at Basic Training and in the company of other from other soldiers in and out of the service.
1. Troops eat first, officers eat last. Take care of the troops, they are your responsibility. See to their welfare first. Your job is to make it possible for others to do their job. It's amazing how many people get that exactly backward.
2. Always ask the sergeant. Every organization has sergeants. They are the ones who've been there forever, know how things actually work and can get things done. Don't confuse rank (job title) with competence. The sergeant may not always be right, but he or she can always stop you from being wrong.
3. Lead, follow or get out of the way. Originally a quote from Tom Paine. In the Army it is attributed to a paratrooper from the 101st Airborne during the Battle Of The Bulge. Someone asked, "What should I do?" This was his response. This is not a statement to be made to subordinates but one to ask of yourself.
The classic popular image of a military leader is probably something like George C. Scott in Patton, intimidating, yelling and a bit of a prima donna. While these types definitely exist, they are far more the exception than the rule. The best officers I've known have all been low key, hard-driving types. They may not make as much noise but they get a lot more done. It is interesting that I have found there to be a correlation of quiet and dangerousness. Everyone I've ever known in some sort of special forces role could easily pass for an accountant.
As a final note, if you want to know what Basic Training was like in the 1980s go watch Stripes. It was filmed at Fort Knox either right before or right after I was there. It's not precisely right but it has a "truth" that I haven't run into elsewhere. The scene where the soldier throws the pin and keeps the grenade? It happened. There's a reason you don't train with live grenades.
With thanks to my brother, SSG Aristedomus von Hoffman, US Army.
