Over the years I developed this; twenty-five years of serving with some of the greatest soldiers ever walked the face of the Earth, refined, filtered and distilled down to three simple Rules. Meditate upon them.
RULE # 1: NEVER LIE TO THE TROOPS.
Joe Snuffy can smell a lie a mile off. Once you’ve lied to your men, you are no longer the leader; you’re just the guy standing out in front of the formation.
RULE# 2: NEVER TELL A MAN TO DO SOMETHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DO YOURSELF.
Show your team you are willing and able to do every job on the team, no matter how low-down, dirty or dangerous.
RULE# 3: NEVER GIVE AN ORDER YOU KNOW WILL NOT BE OBEYED.
Find logical, common-sense options out of by-the-book dilemmas; otherwise you will only set yourself up for ridicule and failure.
STORMBRINGER SENDS
Oh so true!
ReplyDeleteLong time reader, first time writer.
Greetings from Finland
-Tvälups- *
*master of arms
Very true. Submariners had three slightly different, easier to remember- Be a man, know your stuff, take care of your men.
ReplyDeleteAnd of the three, the last is the hardest. Because it is just sooo easy to give the damn order and walk away. But stupid orders which are not obayed chip away at a leader's ... Stature, his (or her) important parts.
ReplyDeleteWell said. Chris in Houston