War And Peace: What They Have In Common

HOT READS FOR THE PRACTITIONER

Title: I was there

Competency: leadership

Who benefits: those who have responsibility for attracting, developing and retaining leaders; students of leadership

Consultant Usage: background material for organizational consultants, executive coaches, management/leadership trainers

What’s it about? What do war and peace have in common?  Leadership.  Doesn’t matter if we are writing about Military Generals or School Principals.  One thing we know for sure about generals, principals and everyone else who are leaders – there are good ones and there are bad ones.

One other thing we think they all have in common.  Too often the bad ones are left in place.  They not only underperform, they undermine.  They undo all the good an organization has achieved.

And all too often the bad ones are protected by the very organization that suffers from their lack of competencies.  Once again Pogo is right.  We have met the enemy and they is us.

Today I would like to recommend a powerful post on a Blog and an accompanying book just released in the past two weeks.  I am going to retell a story from the book and recount my own recollections.  For sadly I was on the periphery of one of the United States’ most disgraceful moments in history.

The Blog post is by Thomas Ricks.  The post is aptly named What Ever Happened to Accountability?  It appears at first glance to be an article about the military.  But in no way is it that limiting.  It is everything about leadership.  It is often harsh and blunt.  And needs to be said.  It is about how to lead the military … and business, schools and volunteer groups.

The article begins by quoting a non-military leadership guru, Peter Drucker, from his famous and seminal book The Effective Executive.  The quote bears repeating:

“It is the duty of the executive to remove ruthlessly anyone—and especially any manager—who consistently fails to perform with high distinction. To let such a man stay on corrupts the others.

“It is grossly unfair to the whole organization.  It is grossly unfair to his subordinates who are deprived by their superior’s inadequacy of opportunities for achievement and recognition. Above all, it is senseless cruelty to the man himself. He knows that he is inadequate whether he admits it to himself or not.”

There is another absolutely spot-on quote in the post from Lieutenant General Matthew Ridgway: “Can’t execute my future plans with present leaders.”  Tell me in what organization of any nature does this not apply?

I read this post 5 times to make sure I got it.  I surely hope you can find time to read it once.

I have read excerpts from Rick’s just released book The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today .  He writes stories about the great leaders of WW II, especially General George C. Marshall.  General Marshall sets the standards by which others should be judged.  Then Ricks writes about the subsequent decline of American military leadership from World War II to the present.  How the military went from Drucker’s most famous utterance “Do the right thing” to the morbid, almost subversive “What is the politically correct decision.”

The low point was Viet Nam.  The My Lai massacre.  How did we get there?  March 16, 1968 more than 350 civilians, mostly the elderly, women and children shot up close and personal by Lt. William Calley and his platoon.   The night before Captain Ernest Medina told Calley and his men that nearly all the civilian residents of the hamlets in SÆ¡n Mỹ village (including My Lai) would have left for the market by 7 a.m.  His parting quote that evening was “They’re all V.C., now go and get them.”  That was how low military leadership had sunk.

This story is personal.  During this time I was Lt. William Bradley, combat platoon leader in this same 11th Brigade, Americal Division.  I trained with these guys in Hawaii.  I bought Captain Medina’s clunker (an old army tradition) before he left for Viet Nam.  I followed 6 months later (sold the car to a junk dealer for $25).

I saw combat in the same areas.  I also found out firsthand how the system worked.   During my tour of duty I was called to Brigade Headquarters for two weeks of staff duties (glorified gofer).  I sat in on the daily “Intelligence” Briefings.  I heard what the Brigade Commander and his underlings (I think in this case it is the appropriate word) said.  Simply put, much of the non-daily marching orders were about CYA (Cover Your Ass).  There were more discussion of internal politics than military strategy.

Here is my most disgusting memory. I was the second lowest rated Lt. in my Battalion.  I had performance reviews just like any employee in any organization.  Only in my performance reviews I was rated primarily on one metric.  Body count.  How many people did my platoon kill?  I was berated frequently for not killing enough “enemy”.  Farmer has a hoe in the field.  Could be a gun.  Kill him.  Someone sees you coming and runs away (never mind empty handed), kill her.

To my knowledge, my platoon only killed enemy combatants.  According to that attitude, I lacked the requisite leadership skills.

Please read Rick’s Blog and if you are so moved, his new book.  He speaks the truth.  I know.  I was there.

Catch you later.

Bill Bradley

Bill Bradley (mostly) retired after 35 years in organizational consulting, training and management development. During those years he worked internally with seven organizations and trained and consulted externally with more than 90 large and small businesses, government agencies, hospitals and schools.