In my humble opinion, you are about to read the greatest and most influential
address/document ever written regarding the topic of Leadership. Although
written for a graduating class of army student officers over 100 years
ago...it's truth is just as relevant today as it was back then and just as
applicable to any field of business...in any industry. The lessons are universal
in nature and truly captures the essence of what leadership is all about. Anyone
who wishes to lead, in any capacity, should stop what they're doing and take the
few moments to read the genuine wisdom that is below and then spend the rest of
their lives in pursuit of living it out. Many years ago, this address of Major
C.A. Bach dramatically changed my perspective on what a true leader is and now
it's my honor to share it here with you. I hope that it blesses you as much as
it has blessed me.
Leadership
Address by Major C. A. Bach of the United States Army, Giving
Farewell Instructions to the Graduating Student Officers of the Second Training
Camp at Fort Sheridan, Wyoming, in 1917
In a short time each of you men will control the lives of a certain number of
other men. You will have in your charge loyal but untrained citizens, who look
to you for instruction and guidance. Your word will be their law. Your most
casual remark will be remembered. Your mannerisms will be aped. Your clothing,
your carriage, your vocabulary, your manner of command will be imitated. When
you join your organization you will find there a willing body of men who ask
from you nothing more than the qualities that will command their respect, their
loyalty and their obedience. They are perfectly ready and eager to follow you so
long as you can convince them that you have these qualities. When the time comes
that they are satisfied you do not possess them you might as well kiss yourself
good-bye. Your usefulness in that organization is at an end.
From the standpoint of society, the world may be divided into leaders and
followers. The professions have their leaders, the financial world has its
leaders. In all this leadership it is difficult, if not impossible, to separate
from the element of pure leadership that selfish element of personal gain or
advantage to the individual, without which any leadership would lose its value.
It is in military service only, where men freely sacrifice their lives for a
faith, where men are willing to suffer and die for the right or the prevention
of a wrong, that we can hope to realize leadership in its most exalted and
disinterested sense.
Therefore, when I say leadership, I mean military leadership. In a few days
the great mass of you men will receive commissions as officers. These
commissions will not make you leaders; they will merely make you officers. They
will place you in a position where you can become leaders if you possess the
proper attributes. But you must make good, not so much with the men over you as
with the men under you. MAKE excuses for the shortcomings of others, if you
wish, but hold yourself to a strict accountability if you would attain
leadership in any undertaking. Men must and will follow into battle officers who
are not leaders, but the driving power behind these men is not enthusiasm but
discipline. They go with doubt and trembling that prompts the unspoken question,
"What will he do next?" Such men obey the letter of their orders but no more. Of
devotion to their commander, of exalted enthusiasm, which scorns personal risk,
of self-sacrifice to insure his personal safety, they know nothing. Their legs
carry them forward because their brain and their training tell them they must
go. Their spirit does not go with them. Great results are not achieved by cold,
passive, unresponsive soldiers.
They don't go very far and they stop as soon as they can. Leadership not only
demands but receives the willing, unhesitating, unfaltering obedience and
loyalty of other men; and a devotion that will cause them, when the time comes,
to follow their uncrowned king to hell and back again, if necessary. You will
ask yourselves;
Of just what, then, does leadership consist? What must I do to become a
leader? What are the attributes of leadership, and how can I cultivate them?"
Leadership is a composite of a number of qualities. Among the most important I
would list Self-confidence, Moral Ascendency, Self-Sacrifice, Paternalism,
Fairness, Initiative, Decision, Dignity, Courage, Self-confidence results,
first, from exact knowledge; second, the ability to impart that knowledge; and
third, the feeling of superiority over others that naturally follows.
All these give the officer poise. To lead, you must know! You may bluff all
of your men some of the time, but you can't do it all the time. Men will not
have confidence in an officer unless he knows his business, and he must know it
from the ground up. The officer should know more about paper work than his first
sergeant and company clerk put together; he should know more about messing than
his mess sergeant; more about diseases of the horse than his troop farrier. He
should be at least as good a shot as any man in his company. If the officer does
not know, and demonstrates the fact that he does not know, it is entirely human
for the soldier to say to himself, "To hell with him. He doesn't know as much
about this as I do," and calmly disregard the instructions received. There is no
substitute for accurate knowledge!
Become so well informed that men will hunt you up to ask questions; that your
brother officers will say to one another, "Ask Smith - he knows." And not only
should each officer know thoroughly the duties of his own grade, but he should
study those of the two grades next above him. A two-fold benefit attaches to
this. He prepares himself for duties, which may fall to his lot any time during
battle; he further gains a broader viewpoint which enables him to appreciate the
necessity for the issuance of orders and join more intelligently in their
execution. Not only must the officer know but he must be able to put what he
knows into grammatical, interesting, forceful English.
He must learn to stand on his feet and speak without embarrassment. I am told
that in British training camps student-officers are required to deliver
ten-minute talks on any subject they choose. That is excellent practice. For to
speak clearly one must think clearly, and clear, logical thinking expresses
itself in definite, positive orders. While self-confidence is the result of
knowing more than your men, Moral Ascendency over them is based upon your belief
that you are the better man.
To gain and maintain this ascendency you must have self-control, physical
vitality and endurance and moral force. You must have yourself so well in hand
that, even though in battle you be scared stiff, you will never show fear. For
if by so much as a hurried movement or a trembling of the hands, or a change of
expression, or a hasty order hastily revoked, you indicate your mental condition
it will be reflected in your men in a far greater degree. In garrison or camp
many instances will arise to try your temper and wreck the sweetness of your
disposition.
If at such times you "fly off the handle" you have no business to be in
charge of men. For men in anger say and do things that they almost invariably
regret afterward. An officer should never apologize to his men; also an officer
should never be guilty of an act for which his sense of justice tells him he
should apologize. Another element in gaining Moral Ascendency lies in the
possession of enough physical vitality and endurance to withstand the hardships
to which you and your men are subjected, and a dauntless spirit that enables you
not only to accept them cheerfully but to minimize their magnitude. Make light
of your troubles, belittle your trials and you will help vitally to build up
within your organization an esprit whose value in time of stress cannot be
measured.
Moral force is the third element in gaining Moral Ascendency. To exert moral
force you must live clean; you must have sufficient brain power to see the right
and the will to do right. Be an example to your men! An officer can be a power
for good or a power for evil. Don't preach to them - that will be worse than
useless. Live the kind of life you would have them lead, and you will be
surprised to see the number that will imitate you.
A loud-mouthed, profane captain who is careless of his
personal appearance will have a loud-mouthed, profane, dirty company. Remember
what I tell you. Your company will be the reflection of
yourself!
If you have a rotten company it will be because you are a rotten captain.
Self-sacrifice is essential to leadership. You will give, give, all the time.
You will give of yourself physically, for the longest hours, the hardest work
and the greatest responsibility are the lot of the captain. He is the first man
up in the morning and the last man in at night. He works while others sleep.
You will give of yourself mentally, in sympathy and appreciation for the
troubles of men in your charge. This one's mother has died, and that one has
lost all his savings in a bank failure. They may desire help, but more than
anything else they desire sympathy. Don't make the mistake of turning such men
down with the statement that you have troubles of your own, for every time you
do that you knock a stone out of the foundation of your house. Your men are your
foundation, and your house of leadership will tumble about your ears unless it
rests securely upon them. Finally, you will give of your own slender financial
resources. You will frequently spend your own money to conserve the health and
wellbeing of your men or to assist them when in trouble. Generally you get your
money back.
Very frequently you must charge it off to profit and loss. Even so, it is
worth the cost. When I say that paternalism is essential to leadership I use the
term in its better sense. I do not now refer to that form of paternalism, which
robs men of initiative, self-reliance and self-respect. I refer to the
paternalism that manifests itself in a watchful care for the comfort and welfare
of those in your charge. Soldiers are much like children. You must see that they
have shelter, food and clothing, the best that your utmost efforts can provide.
You must see that they have food to eat before you think of your own; that they
have each as good a bed as can be provided before you consider where you will
sleep. You must be far more solicitous of their comfort than of your own. You
must look after their health. You must conserve their strength by not demanding
needless exertion or useless labor.
And by doing all these things you are breathing life into what would be
otherwise a mere machine. You are creating a soul in your organization that will
make the mass respond to you as though it were one man. And that is esprit. NO
accurate thinker will judge another person by that which the other person's
enemies say about him. And when your organization has this esprit you will wake
up some morning and discover that the tables have been turned; that instead of
you constantly looking out for them they have, without even a hint from you,
taken up the task of looking out for you. You will find that a detail is always
there to see that your tent, if you have one, is promptly pitched; that the most
and the cleanest bedding is brought to your tent; that from some mysterious
source two eggs have been added to your supper when no one else has any; that an
extra man is helping your men give your horse a super-grooming; that your wishes
are anticipated; that every man is "Johnny-on-the-spot." And then you have
arrived! You cannot treat all men alike!
A punishment that would be dismissed by one man with a shrug of the shoulders
is mental anguish for another. A company commander who, for a given offense, has
a standard punishment that applies to all is either too indolent or too stupid
to study the personality of his men. In his case justice is certainly blind.
Study your men as carefully as a surgeon studies a difficult case. And when you
are sure of your diagnosis apply the remedy. And remember that you apply the
remedy to effect a cure, not merely to see the victim squirm. It may be
necessary to cut deep, but when you are satisfied as to your diagnosis don't be
diverted from your purpose by any false sympathy for the patient.
Hand in hand with fairness in awarding punishment walks fairness in giving
credit. Everybody hates a human hog. When one of your men has accomplished an
especially creditable piece of work see that he gets the proper reward. Turn
heaven and earth upside down to get it for him. Don't try to take it away from
him and hog it for yourself. You may do this and get away with it, but you have
lost the respect and loyalty of your men. Sooner or later your brother officers
will hear of it and shun you like a leper. In war there is glory enough for all.
Give the man under you his due. The man who always takes and never gives is not
a leader. He is a parasite. There is another kind of fairness - that which will
prevent an officer from abusing the privileges of his rank. When you exact
respect from soldiers be sure you treat them with equal respect. Build up their
manhood and self-respect. Don't try to pull it down.
For an officer to be overbearing and insulting in the
treatment of enlisted men is the act of a coward.
He ties the man to a tree with the ropes of discipline and then strikes him
in the face knowing full well that the man cannot strike back. Consideration,
courtesy and respect from officers toward enlisted men are not incompatible with
discipline. They are parts of our discipline. Without initiative and decision no
man can expect to lead. In maneuvers you will frequently see, when an emergency
arises, certain men calmly give instant orders which later, on analysis, prove
to be, if not exactly the right thing, very nearly the right thing to have done.
You will see other men in emergency become badly rattled; their brains refuse to
work, or they give a hasty order, revoke it; give another, revoke that; in
short, show every indication of being in a blue funk.
Regarding the first man you may say: "That man is a genius. He hasn't had
time to reason this thing out. He acts intuitively." Forget it! Genius is merely
the capacity for taking infinite pains. The man who was ready is the man who has
prepared himself. He has studied beforehand the possible situations that might
arise; he has made tentative plans covering such situations. When he is
confronted by the emergency he is ready to meet it. He must have sufficient
mental alertness to appreciate the problem that confronts him and the power of
quick reasoning to determine what changes are necessary in his already
formulated plan. He must also have the decision to order the execution and stick
to his orders. Any reasonable order in an emergency is better than no order.
The situation is there. Meet it. It is better to do something and do the
wrong thing than to hesitate, hunt around for the right thing to do and wind up
by doing nothing at all. And, having decided on a line of action, stick to it.
Don't vacillate. Men have no confidence in an officer who doesn't know his own
mind.
Occasionally you will be called upon to meet a situation,
which no reasonable human being could anticipate. If you have prepared yourself
to meet other emergencies, which you could anticipate, the mental training you
have thereby gained will enable you to act promptly and with calmness. You must
frequently act without orders from higher authority.
Time will not permit you to wait for them. Here again enters the importance
of studying the work of officers above you. If you have a comprehensive grasp of
the entire situation and can form an idea of the general plan of your superiors,
that and your previous emergency training will enable you to determine that the
responsibility is yours and to issue the necessary orders without delay. The
element of personal dignity is important in military leadership. Be the friend
of your men, but do not become their intimate. Your men should stand in awe of
you - not fear! If your men presume to become familiar it is your fault, and not
theirs. Your actions have encouraged them to do so. And, above all things, don't
cheapen yourself by courting their friendship or currying their favor. They will
despise: you for it.
If you are worthy of their loyalty and respect and devotion they will surely
give all these without asking. If you are not, nothing that you can do will win
them. It is exceedingly difficult for an officer to be dignified while wearing a
dirty, spotted uniform and a three days' stubble of whiskers on his face. Such a
man lacks self-respect, and self-respect is an essential of dignity. There may
be occasions when your work entails dirty clothes and an unshaved face. Your men
all look that way. At such times there is ample reason for your appearance. In
fact, it would be a mistake to look too clean - they would think that you were,
not doing your share. But as soon as this unusual occasion has passed set an
example for personal neatness.
And then I would mention courage.
Moral courage you need as well as mental courage - that kind of moral courage
which enables you to adhere without faltering to a determined course of action,
which your judgment has indicated is the one best suited to secure the desired
results. You will find many times, especially in action, that, after having
issued your orders to do a certain thing, you will be beset by misgivings and
doubts; you will see, or think you see, other and better means for accomplishing
the object sought.
You will be strongly tempted to change your orders. Don't do it until it is
clearly manifested that your first orders were radically wrong. For, if you do,
you will be again worried by doubts as to the efficacy of your second orders.
Every time you change your orders without obvious reason you weaken your
authority and impair the confidence of your men.
Have the moral courage to stand by your order and see it
through. Moral courage further demands that you assume the responsibility for
your own acts. If your subordinates have loyally carried out your orders and the
movement you directed is a failure the failure is yours, not
theirs.
Yours would have been the honor had it been successful. Take the blame if it
results in disaster. Don't try to shift it to a subordinate and make him the
goat. That is a cowardly act. Furthermore, you will need moral courage to
determine the fate of those under you. You will frequently be called upon for
recommendations for promotion or demotion of officers and non-commissioned
officers in your immediate command. Keep clearly in mind your personal integrity
and the duty you owe your country. Do not let yourself be deflected from a
strict sense of justice by feelings of personal friendship.
If your own brother is your second lieutenant, and you find him unfit to hold
his commission, eliminate him. If you don't your lack of moral courage may
result in the loss of valuable lives.
THERE is something wrong about the man whose wife and
children do not greet him affectionately on his
homecoming.
If, on the other hand, you are called upon for a recommendation concerning a
man whom, for personal reasons, you thoroughly dislike, do not fail to do him
full justice. Remember that your aim is the general good, not the satisfaction
of an individual grudge. I am taking it for granted that you have physical
courage. I need not tell you how necessary that is. Courage is more than
bravery. Bravery is fearlessness - the absence of fear. The merest dolt may be
brave, because he lacks the mentality to appreciate his danger; he doesn't know
enough to be afraid. Courage, however, is that firmness of spirit, that moral
backbone which, while fully appreciating the danger involved, nevertheless goes
on with the undertaking. Bravery is physical; courage is mental and moral. You
may be cold all over; your hands may tremble; your legs may quake; your knees be
ready to give way - that is fear. If, nevertheless, you go forward; if, in spite
of this physical defection you continue to lead your men against the enemy, you
have courage. The physical manifestations of fear will pass away. You may never
experience them but once. They are the "buck fever" of the hunter who tries to
shoot his first deer. You must not give way to them.
A number of years ago, while taking a course in demolitions, the class of
which I was a member was handling dynamite. The instructor said, regarding its
manipulation: "I must caution you gentlemen to be careful in the use of these
explosives. One man has but one accident." And so I would caution you. If you
give way to fear that will doubtless beset you in your first action; if you show
the white feather; if you let your men go forward while you hunt a shell crater,
you will never again have the opportunity of leading those men. Use judgment in
calling on your men for displays of physical courage or bravery.
Don't ask any man to go where you would not go yourself. If
your common sense tells you that the place is too dangerous for you to venture
into, then it is too dangerous for him. You know his life is as valuable to him
as yours is to you.
Occasionally some of your men must be exposed to danger, which you cannot
share. A message must be taken across a fire-swept zone. You call for
volunteers. If your men know you and know that you are "right" you will never
lack volunteers, for they will know your heart is in your work, that you are
giving your country the best you have, that you would willingly carry the
message yourself if you could. Your example and enthusiasm will have inspired
them.
And, lastly, if you aspire to leadership, I would urge you to study men. Get
under their skins and find out what is inside. Some men are quite different from
what they appear to be on the surface. Determine the workings of their mind.
Much of General Robert E. Lee's success as a leader may be ascribed to his
ability as a psychologist. He knew most of his opponents from West Point days;
knew the workings of their minds; and he believed that they would do certain
things under certain circumstances.
In nearly every case he was able to anticipate their movements and block the
execution. You cannot know your opponent in this war in the same way. But you
can know your own men. You can study each to determine wherein lies his strength
and his weakness; which man can be relied upon to the last gasp and which
cannot.
Know your men, know your business, know
yourself!
~Major C. A. Bach -
