fundamental attributes and professional qualities that all leaders must possess:
When an officer is commissioned, he takes an oath, inherent in which is the sacred responsibility for the lives and well-being of those entrusted to his leadership. This responsibility transcends normal duty hours — it is twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week — and includes the 'whole person.' We must not only make the soldiers we lead the best soldiers possible, but also take care of their families, and develop each soldier to be a productive citizen.
Other fundamental qualities arc also required:
A leader should be physically fit (soldiers will not respect a physically sloppy commander). He must be confident in his own abilities. He must be mentally tough, particularly on himself. He must be courageous. He should be willing to take risks. He should train his subordinates by providing them with an environment in which to grow — expecting mistakes and acting as a 'heat shield.' He should not serve for his own personal ego, but for those entrusted to him and for his unit. A leader should never need to be told what to do; he must be a man of vision, always looking ahead and planning ways to take his unit to higher levels. A leader should never take credit for his own successes or the successes of his unit. He should give all the credit to his men — for this is all the credit that most may ever receive. We should always remember that it is squads, platoons, and crews that win battles and ultimately wars.
A leader must create within his unit 'a healthy environment, and I don't mean by that mere physical health. He must make an environment that promotes the total health and growth of the whole person. In such an environment, each person will believe that what he or she is doing at this particular time — serving their country — is the most important thing they could possibly be doing. Great honor and self-respect come with this; these can never be taken away.
A leader must develop for his unit a 'spiritual soundness program' that meets the spiritual needs of both soldiers and their families (you will find that many soldiers come from an unhealthy environment).
A leader must cause his troops in whatever type of unit to believe that their mission is vital, and that they must prepare for it to their utmost. Soldiers must also understand that those serving beside them have the same motivation and dedication, and they should therefore respect and take care of each other. If your objectives in developing this environment are appropriately understood, every soldier should look forward to each day and expect it to be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. He will, as a corollary, believe his unit is the best unit in the Army, and will want to be nowhere else. He wants to be here serving with his buddies.
A leader must talk to his troops. They must clearly understand the unit's mission and training objectives. They must understand the leader's goals and objectives, as well as his expectations in terms of professional standards, conduct, and duty performance.
A leader must get his troops started off right. He should have a formal program to personally welcome and orient all new replacements. They get to know him, they come to understand the importance of their mission, and they learn what is expected of them and what they can expect of the leader. If this is done right, they should leave the orientation with the conviction that they are in the best place they can be — serving their country as members of the right unit, where they are going to be taken care of.
Another important part of the command welcome program is 'sponsorship' — especially for married personnel. Each couple should be assigned a sponsoring couple, who should arrange for quarters, have the refrigerator stocked with food, and meet and welcome them. Company commanders, first sergeants, and the unit chaplain should oversee this program. The company commander and chaplain should visit the new couple within the first week of their arrival.
A leader should never leave his troops 'on their own' on weekends — especially unmarried troops. He should require subordinate commanders to establish positive programs to keep the troops constructively occupied and involved over the weekends.
A leader is responsible for morale, good order, and discipline. He must know what is going on in the barracks and have a system of inspections executed by the chain of command, for which they arc held accountable.
Every soldier is important. I have always given my subordinates this charge: 'You should put into every soldier the same love, devotion, and caring you would want someone someday to put into your own son or daughter.' But after you've done this, if they still fail to perform to standards — if you can't depend on this soldier in combat-then get rid of him soonest.
A leader is responsible for the training of his unit, and mission training should be his first priority. All training activity should be oriented toward maximizing combat readiness for the mission. Training programs should be as realistic as possible, including live fire. The only exceptions are for the safety of the troops. This builds not only proficiency but confidence in both individuals and units. The proficiency required at the small-unit level cannot possibly be obtained through simulations.
A cadre training program, unique to the unit, is necessary to ensure the proficiency of subordinate leaders and staffs. Certain units have unique mission requirements for which subjects are not adequately taught in institutionalised service schools (for example, 'anti-armor defense of the airhead' [34] for airborne units). It is the commander's responsibility to know what these are and to structure training programs to ensure unit proficiency by all subordinate leaders.
A leader must have the respect of his troops. This respect is earned — cre — ated not only by the programs I've already mentioned, but also by sharing the troops' hardships. As a division commander, I made it a practice to participate in every battalion-size operation. I would often slip into the rear ranks of a company and walk with them all night to assess their readiness and discipline, and to listen to what they were talking about. You must assess for yourself what the troops are capable of doing and where additional training is needed. That way the troops will come to trust you and talk to you — and 'tell it like it is.' They will also have faith in you and know you will take care of them. They have no one else to look to for their security and well-being.
Training must be your first priority. Training for combat. No soldier ever complained to me about tough, realistic training. Soldiers know this is life insurance. You can't fool a soldier.
A commander should maintain a constant state of readiness in his unit. It must be able to accomplish its combat mission
Competition both within and among units is healthy — so long as it is not at the expense of another individual or unit. Competition for the Expert Infantryman's Badge or Expert Medical Badge is a good example. These should benefit each individual as well as their units, and should include formalized training programs to ensure that each person and each unit emerges as a winner. There is no glory or pride in second place — and no alternative to defeat in battle.
LEARNING FROM OTHERS
When I entered the Army in 1958, I do not remember hearing the words 'role model' or 'mentor.' But, as I gained experience, several people distinguished themselves above others. I learned from these men things that were not taught, and which I did not read about in a field manual.
The first officer I came to respect as a 'role model' was Colonel Jim Bartholomees, the rock-solid Commander of the 3rd Special Forces Group. I joined the 3rd SFG as a captain in July 1964, when it was forming as part of President Kennedy's Special Forces buildup. Colonel Bartholomees knew how to get the most out of people, while 'taking care of them' in the process. He created a command environment that provided the latitude and encouragement for subordinates to use their own initiatives and abilitics. I never heard him raise his voice or belittle anyone.
In the years ahead I worked for several other outstanding leaders — each with maybe a little different leadership style; yet all were role models, and worthy of emulation and application to my own leadership style and abilities. A leader should never try to be something — or choose a style-that he is not. He should take from the gifts of his teachers / mentors and apply them to his own abilities.
To the following men, in the positions they held then, I owe more than words can say:
