How do you know if you care ?

 

Well for one thing, if you care, you listen to your juniors officers and your soldiers. Now, when we say Listen, we don’t mean that silted balcony / conference rooms that so many officers engage in and stand up to an enlisted man and say, “ How old are you, son? Where are you from ? How long you been here ?

 

To care, WE must Listen. You care if you Listen to him ( your officers / Soldiers . Really Listen to him! WE care if WE really wonder what he’s doing on his off-duty activities. When WE are about to tee-off on Saturday afternoon, when WE are  at the club at happy hour, if We are Wondering, if there’s a little creeping nagging in the back of our head, “ we Wonder, we Wonder what the officers are doing. “ DO YOU DO THAT ? What are the officers are doing ? Where do they go ?

 

WE cannot expect a officer to be a proud officers if you humiliate him. WE cannot expect him to be brave if you abuse and cow him. WE cannot expect him to be strong if you break him. WE cannot ask for respect and obedience and willingness to assault hot landing zones, hump back-breaking ridges, destroy dug-in emplacement if your soldiers has not been treated with respect and dignity which fosters unit esprit and personal pride. The line between firmness and harshness, between strong Leadership and bullying, between discipline and chicken, is a fine line. It is difficult to define, but those of us who are professionals, who have also accepted as a leader of men, must find that line.

 

It is because judgment and concern for people and human relations are involved in Leadership that only men can lead, and not computers. I enjoin you to be ever alert to the pitfalls of too much authority.

 

Beware that WE do not fall into the category of the little man, with a little job, with big head. In essence, be considerate, treat your subordinate right, and they will literally die for US.