Two Bull NCO's (E7's) look out over a field of Privates at a Training post. The Young Bull says to the Old Bull, "Let's run down there and put them all at attention." The Old Bull replies, "Let's send down a few bucks to get them in formation and we can walk down and tell them the plan without losing our voices."
The old bull asks the young bull: "What's their primary mission here? To learn sleep deprivation or to learn their specific jobs?" "Soldiers first!" the young bull (under 10 years in the Army) says. "Some of them will never be Soldiers, no matter what paygrade they attain," the old bull (over 20 years and 3 wars) replies, "but what good are they as Soldiers if they can't do their jobs?"
When I was a young private, there were no young E7's and there was never a question of whether or not the E7's were qualified for their positions. They had been around the block a time or two and didn't need to throw their weight (rank) around. They mentored their E6's and E5's in how to lead their Privates. When a Private needed some "special attention," it was their lower NCO's that did it, and the goal was to bring the miscreant to, and above the standard.
A good leader not only enforces the rules, whether or not he likes them, he also knows the purpose behind the rules he's enforcing. "Because I said so!" may be a reason he gives when the lesson being taught is to comply with orders immediately, but it's not the reason he's uttering the order. He knows what the goal of the task is, not just that he has to get the the privates to complete the task. It's called the Commander's Intent and a seasoned NCO will look for that first in an OPORD, and get it spelled out in meaningful words if his officer has just "checked the block."
Too many people in leadership positions are more interested in commanding respect than in earning it. Too many people in leadership positions fail to understand the difference between commanding and leading, between management and leading. A true leader does not have to question if his Troops will follow.
A true leader will not have to beat them into submission. They will follow, because he is setting the example, because he is out front and has their respect. They know he has done it before, when he was younger and in better shape, and he's doing it again. They know that even if hasn't provided a reason for doing what he's ordered, he has a reason, a good reason, for whatever misery he's leading them through. He won't have to say "because I said so," because when the slacker asks his buddy, the buddy will say, "because the Platoon Sergeant said so," with the full disgust that it would even be questioned.
A true leader may break the rules, because implementing the rules may not achieve the Commander's Intent. He won't break the rules to rebel against them, but to achieve the mission. And he'll stand tall when he's called on the carpet for it. He'll own up to his infractions, knowing that if he is disciplined for the infraction, the punishment was earned and worth the alternative. And because he plays for keeps rather than plays it safe (following the rules while letting the mission fail), he'll earn the respect of his Troops, peers, and officers, even if they don't like him personally.
As the old bull walked away from the young bull, he realized that they were talking about two different things. The young bull still didn't know what being a Soldier was. The young bull still thought pretty formations, privates snapping to parade rest, and forcing them to his will was what the military was about. The old bull knew that these were just tools to win battles and keep Soldiers alive on the battlefield. The old bull knew that instant compliance with orders meant he wouldn't have to explain why to a Private ordered to take out an enemy machine gun.
The young bull was still enamored with the feel of power that a young Private would break out in a sprint when ordered to "MOVE!." The old bull doesn't often need to utter that command, but when he does, it's ordered with the urgency of necessity, not just the air of anger. The anger in his voice is a training tool, not an emotion that has overtaken his frustration of ineptitude.
A true leader is always trying to develop his replacement to higher proficiency and efficiency than he attained. A manager too often is worried that his subordinates will overtake him. A true leader doesn't need to command respect because he has earned it long before he had the rank.
Stumble It!
