(latnell Hmtiecaitg Slibratg BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIFT OF HENRY W. SAGE 1891 Cornell University Library U133 .M64 Leadership: oiin 1924 030 720 324 The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924030720324 Leadership A Study and Discussion of the Qualities Most to be Desired in an Officer, and of the General Phases of Leadership which have a Direct Bearing on the Attaining of High Morale and the Successful Management of Men By Arthur Harrison Miller Major, Coast Artillery Corps, U. S. Army With a Foreword by Edward L. Munson Colonel, General Staff Chief of the Morale Branch War Plans Division G. P. Putnam's Sons New York and London Ube fsntclierbocftet press 1920 \ -i Copyright, 1920 BY ARTHUR HARRISON MILLER /*V ;ro EDWARD L. MUNSON, Colonel, General Staff FOREWORD Leadership is an essential quality which all officers are presumed to possess. But the amount of actual possession is a variable. Some come by it naturally and in high degree as a result of inherited qualities. In others, and by far the greater number, it needs to be developed. For such development, proven "rules of conduct are an accepted and safe guide. The pages of this book ably sum- marize the results of the broad experience of many efficient leaders and show the qualities contributing to their success. The sugges- tions offer a direct short cut to the under- standing and acquirement of true leadership, instead of the slow process through experi- ence, wherein the right way is learned as much by error as by success. It is believed that from them all officers may benefit, each according to his needs. Further, that under the development of better standards of guidance, the army as a whole will profit. In presenting these in attractive and assimi- lable form, the author has rendered a valuable public service. Edward L. Munson. PREFACE Leadership has gained recognition and prominence in the military world far greater than the mere tactical and technical manipu- lation of troops in the field. It has come to mean much more than this. Before the great test of the World War came, the sub- ject of leadership as a definite study, aside from its tactical application, was given but sUght consideration. In the schooling of officers no course was included nor lectures given in leadership as a human science or in its relation to military success as a morale factor in peace or war. The necessity and vast importance of such study is made ap- parent in the light of the significance which Napoleon attached to the mental quality of leadership, — "The morale is to the physical VIU Preface as three to one. ' ' Mental and physical train- ing and instruction in tactical leadership were present to an excellent degree. It seems to have been assumed, however, that giving a man an education in these and in the routine administration work of a military organiza- tion fitted him to be a leader. The result was that the young officer was obliged to learn many things by hard experience and through trial and error; there was not the desired uniformity in matters of personal leadership. If captains A, B, and C always have con- tented and efficient organizations, while other officers on the same post have not, there can be no question but that the success of Captains A, B, and C is due to their superior methods of leadership. By stand- ardizing the methods of Captains A, B, and C and giving them to Captains X, Y, and Z and all other officers, I believe that it is possible to increase their value and the effi- ciency of their organizations. That is what Preface IX I have endeavored to do in Leadership, so that younger officers may be shown much in the matter of handling men that they would otherwise have to learn by trial and error. In order to crowd as much of value as possible into the shortest space I have merely set down methods and "formulae" without going into the psychological reasons or "deriva- tions." In any group of men there are always two classes, the leaders and the fol- lowers. The idea of " get men into the army in any way — circumstances will keep a cer- tain nimiber of them there and self-preserva- tion will make them fight," has perhaps been entertained to a small degree in the past. Men can be depended upon to fight to save their lives, but such a spirit is not the spirit of a successful army. It is the duty of every officer, not only to be a leader himself, but to develop leadership in his men. The holding of a commission does not make an officer a leader. It assumes that he is a leader, but X Preface it is up to him to prove that he is. An oflficer cannot be a good officer if he is not a good leader; he may be able to fool himself and some other officers but he cannot fool his company. In the same way, if you want to know how good a Colonel is, don't ask a General, ask one of his captains. |_Leadership is not a matter of physical size and quality, but of mental size and mental quality]\ The success of an army in peace or war depends on the human-leadership ability of its officef personnel. Since, and perhaps to some ex- tent as a result of the World War, the im- portance of this kind of leadership has been gaining recognition every day. It is now often discussed in conference — Generals are talking about it and it is frequently spoken of in the General Orders and Circulars of the War Department as a definite subject, sepa- rate and distinct from the matter of tactical leadership. It behooves the thoughtful and progressive officer to move with the trend. Preface XI Those who do not will probably be left in the wake. The responsibility of leadership in- cludes not only the officer but extends through him and beyond him to his men. In the words of a prominent General : Every soldier, down to and including the last recruit, will sooner or later become a leader in a smaller or greater sense. In battle, as battles are now necessarily conducted, direct responsi- bility very frequently goes out of the hands of the officers, and small groups of men must ac- complish objectives themselves; hence leadershio must be asstmied by some or all of these men. Any one of them may be placed in a position where he must act independently and make his own decision on his own responsibility, which requires thinking and acting on his own judg- ment. It requires leadership. In commending this book to the present and. future leaders of the armed forces of the United States, I wish to convey my sincere thanks to the officers who have been of such valuable assistance to me by their xu Preface encouragement and interest. I desire par- ticularly to express my appreciation to Major General Leonard Wood and Major General William G. Haan; to Colonel Edward L. Munson, Chief of the Morale Branch, General Staff, who has labored devotedly in the interest of the oflBicers and men of the army and who was one of the first to recognize that morale, and leadership, which is the creative and directive force of morale, are subject to scientific de- velopment; to Major Reynolds J. Burt, and to Lieut. Colonel James E. Edmonds. I also wish to correct any mistaken impression which may be derived from my use of the word "doughboy" in Leader- ship. It is not applied to the enlisted man to distinguish him from the officer. Of course to be a "doughboy" a man must be an infantr3rman. This is the only require- ment. It does not make any difference whether he is a private or a colonel of Infan- Preface Xlll try. The affection with which the title of "doughboy" is regarded by Infantry officers is perhaps best explained in the words of one of the best known ' ' doughboys ' ' in the Army : "I've been an infantryman for twenty-one years and I am very proud of my right to the title of "doughboy."' A. H. M. CONTENTS CHAFTBR PACK I. — ^Leadership and Morale . i II. — Character and Personality id III. — The Leader and the Soldier . 56 IV.— The Leader and the Organization 83 JtV LEADERSHIP CHAPTER I LEADERSHIP AND MORALE Relation of Leadership to Morale — Leadership the Direc- tive Force of Morale — The Germ of Leadership — What Leadership Is — An Efficient Organization. Leadership is to morale as the keystone to the arch, as the structural steel to the walls of the building, as the favorable Leadetsw wind to the sails of the ship. Lite 2re "^Jpi! morale, leadership is an intan- gible force, directing and compelling the thoughts and acts of men along certain lines to the achievement of a definite purpose. Morale and leadership are so interwoven and accoupled, so mitered and mortised together that they are, in fact, inseparable. 2 Leadership The combination might be likened to the closed electric circuit, morale being the Morale Is the cuiTent — the powerful electro- Dynamo and Leadership motive-forcc, and leadership the the Conduc- tor conductor which guides and trans- mits this force to the motor. Either one with- out the other is of no practical value. Morale without leadership is like the dynamo, in itself a perfect mechanism, but revolving to no other purpose than the generation of electrical energy, uselessly shooting its sparks into an uncomprehending space. Leadership without morale is but a dead or crossed wire, in itself a useful and potent instrument, but poWerless without the vital force it was de- signed to conduct straight to a definite task. The ideal and effective organization, or to carry out the simile, the only perfect elec- The Quality trfcal systcm, IS the one which of Leadership Determines embodies both of thcse two factors. TTltimate Power Of t]?e two morale is by far the more necessary. For men infused with high Leadership and Morale 3 morale will follow a poor or indifferent leader even through adversity — just as electricity will follow a poor or weak conductor in spite of the resistance, but not without loss of power and not with the same strength at the motor as if it had followed a good conductor. This is precisely what will, in all probability, happen with an organization high in morale and led by an officer who is a leader mainly in name. It may survive a certain amount of hardship, adversity, resistance, but it will not reach the ultimate goal, the final test, the big purpose, drive or battle with the same reserve power, the same determination to win, as if it had been led all the way by a born or skilled lead- er, encountering little resistance on the way. The big task in hand is to amalgamate both of these cardinal requisites into the personnel of our army, making it a dynamo Leadership and Moiale constantly generating the vital Are Essential to Success in current of high morale which in war or Peace turn is conducted from the dynamo by skilled 4 Leadership leaders, offering little or no resistance to the achievement of the purposes for which the army exists. An army constructed and maintained by this fonnula, well trained and equipped, is an indomitable fighting force that will stand with the greatest tenacity under stress, exhibit the grimmest fortitude in adversity, carry cti through camp, trench, hunger, cold, mud, storm, and shrapnel and respond loyally to the supreme test when it comes. Or, it will enter with enthusiasm into the routine tasks and pursuits of peace times, however tedious they may seem, learning new things, perfecting the old — a homogeneous, self-respecting, and respected body. Morale and the creating of high morale is a vast and important subject in itself — a science Moraie-The "ivolving a number of sound HanSungof principles of psychology applied to the everyday life of the soldier. The state of morale is very largely influenced by environment, individual and group Leadership and Morale 5 thought, racial characteristics, use and di- verting of instincts, contentment, food, cloth- ing, shelter, and work. The Morale Branch, War Plans Division, General Staff, was or- ganized for the purpose of stimulating morale in the armies of the United States. A realiza- tion of the value and importance of this work has found root with such amazing rapidity that a complete morale organization has been established throughout the army and courses in the subject have been included in West Point, training schools, and all colleges which have Reserve OflBcer Training Corps units. Many valuable data have been disseminated throughout the army by the Morale Branch, ^^orale work has often been referred to as the scientific handling of men^j Naturally any discussion of morale would include many aspects of leader- j^^^^^^j^ _ ship, and vice versa, for, as has '^''leadlngof been shown, the two are indissolu- ble. Thus it will be seen that there are two 6 Leadership avenues of approach to this dual subject. The one used in this discussion will be the avenue of leadership or the scientific leading of men. Instead of using the terms better known to morale, those used will be more closely associated with leadership — the per- sonality and character of the leader, his relationship to the individual and to the or- ganization and the many things into which these main terms can be subdivided. The question arises as to what is a leader of men. We all know that some men are bom leaders. Many a bom leader never attains an opportunity to lead. History and the files of the daily press are replete with proof that leadership is an inborn quality. Both are full of instances where men of the modest schoolmaster type, the quiet and retiring citizen or farmer, have suddenly, under stress of circumstances, leaped to leadership and successfully com- manded their fellow men through ordeals of The Geim oi Leadership Leadership and Morale 7 various kinds. The telephone operator in the Dayton flood exhibited rare qualities of leadership and heroism. The Worid War ^ abounds with instances of men in the ranks leading whole organizations after their officers had been shot down. It is almost safe to assume that somewhere in the majority of men exists a germ of leadership which, if brought to the fore, worked upon, developed and trained, will make them leaders. In many men it remains dormant for the reason that it is suppressed by environment, cir- cumstances, or more dominant qualities in their make-up. But if it does exist much can be done toward making of the individual a skilled leader. "Leader" is defined in the dictionary as ' ' one who leads or conducts ; one who occupies a chief or prominent place; es- what is a pecially, one fitted by force of ideas, character, or genius or by strength of will or administrative ability, to arouse, in- 8 Leadership cite, and direct men in conduct and achieve- ment." If we apply this definition to the standards of a true military leader we will find it expresses broadly the qualities which he must possess. Leadership is briefly defined in the diction- ary as "the ability to lead." It might be What Is defined broadly from a military ea era ip point of view as Hhe science of creating and maintaining high morale and of directing it, through the acts of men to the achiev- ing of a definite purpose or result. Basically, this means that the ability and will of a leader must be concentrated upon the task of pro- ducing an efiicient organization, possessing high morale and quickly responsive to his every order and wish. The thought at once arises as to what might be justly called an efficient organization. An Efficient There are many ways in which an Organization ■ j.- i_ /y? ■ ^ ■, organization may be efficient and many brands of efficiency. An organization Leadership and Morale 9 may measure up in one way and still be deplorably lacking in another — good on the drill field and slovenly in the barracks, or vice versa. The one which performs all duties on an equally good level is really effi- cient. That we may have a single broad standard by which to judge, let us define an efficient organization as a body of human beings trained and disciplined to common action, understanding one another through the sharing of certain knowledge and bound to- gether by a unity of will and interest which is expressed by their willingness and central obe- dience to the leader. It will be seen that this definition likewise expresses the par excel- lence of high morale. CHAPTER II CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY Simplicity — Earnestness — Self-control — ^Assiduity — Com- mon Sense — ^Judgment — Justice — Enthusiasm — Pen severance — Tact — Courage — Faith — Loyalty — Acumen — Truthfulness — Honor. The personal attributes and character of leaders are as varied as the hues of the spec- Different trum. Considering leaders gen- Kinds of Leaders erally and not strictly in the military sense, it will be found that there are many kinds. Some lead by the sheer strength of their determination which sweeps all ob- stacles before it ; others lead through thoughts and ideas which stir and incite the minds of their followers to do the things desired of them. There are those who lead through the mere possession of power, derived in one way or another. Still others lead through the psy- 10 Character and Personality ii diological force of will, personal magnetism and energy, while still another group com- mand men through fear or brute force, and these are, in fact, no leaders but drivers. The antitheses of this group are those who lead because they are loved — because they are fair and just and human and have inspired the confidence of their followers. Others have placed themselves for a time in places of leadership through trickery, falsehoods, and promises of plunder and power. Everyone can list under each of these groups a score of names of persons he has heard of or whose biographies he has read. Striking examples of each tj^e crowd the pages of history — crusaders, generals, statesmen, explorers, pirates, reformers, cardinals, and kings, all of whose virtues, vices, and characteristics are well known. The best advice that can possibly be given to officers who desire to delve deeply into the subject of leadership and build for them- 12 Leadership selves a secure foundation based on knowledge , of the experiences of others is to study the Knowledge of Uvcs of these men, past and pres- the Experi- ences of ent, sifting the gold from the dross others Is In- valuable and depositing the gold in the bank of their own personality and character. Such a plan is far better than the slow and laborious task of learning by personal experience. Ex- perience may be the best of teachers, but it would take years and cost numerous mis- takes to learn by experience many of the lessons that one might otherwise obtain in a comparatively short time by intelligent read- ing and study with the results diligently applied to one's everyday work. Man is by instinct an imitative creature — few are ex- plorers. Therefore, in building character and personality we have the lives and examples of the best for imitation and inspiration. Emer- son counseled youth; "Hitch your wagon to a star." He did not mean that one should "hitch" to an ideal beyond all practical and Character and Persbnality 13 possible attainment, but to choose a workable ideal that would be of practical everyday usefulness. With the wealth of the firma- ment to choose from, there seems but little reason for everyone not having at least one "star." An enumeration of the best attributes in character and personality of all of the great leaders would include-rsimplicity The sixteen Points of — earnestness — self -pontrol — as- Leadership siduity — com mon sense — judgment — justice — enthusiasm — pogevgrance — tact — courage — faith — loyalty — acumen — truthfulness — honor. These might well be called the sixteen points of leadership. The extent to which they are ingredients in the character and personality of a man actually determines his value as a leader. They are not ar- ranged here with any intent to give priority to their relative values; any such attempt would probably produce a result which would be a debatable subject among psy- 14 Leadership chologists and students. Their relative im- portance would prove an interesting theme. They are food for much thought, discussion, and practice. Also they are the basis and foundation of all worthy or lasting leadership. The importance of an understanding and an appreciation of them, as well as a knowledge of the lives of the men in which they have stood out, by all men who aspire to be good leaders cannot be overemphasized. Like so many blocks they can be built by the individ- ual into the -structure of his own designing. Or he can measure the structure he has al- ready built within and about himself by the one he would build, keeping that con- stantly before him as the engineer does his blue-print. Simplicity To discuss these qualities fully, even in a purely military sense, would require Character and Personality 15 several volumes. Going over them briefly, we find that simplicity, although not as important as many of the simplicity i» a sign of others, is a sign of greatness Gteatness — the bigger the man the finer his sim- plicity. Remember that pomposity and "airs" are like the inflated toy balloon — some day a pin punctures it and the result is ludicrous and pathetic. Moral: cultivate simplicity! The words of great generals to their armies befofe and after battles have nearly always been expressive of the simple ^^^ g.^ j.^.^ character of these men. A splen- °* F^n'h did example of this is the message i-eader of General Gouraud, the famous French Gen- eral, to the combined French and American armies before the expected drive of the Ger- mans in July, 191 8. Not only is it couched in words of wonderful simplicity, but it carries great force of faith, courage, and earnestness. It reads: 1 6 Leadership IV ARMfeE Au R. G. A. le 7 Juillet, 1918. Chef d'Etat-Major 3me Bureau No. 6.641/3. , ORDER Aux Soltats Frangais et Amiricaines We may be attacked at any time. You ail feel that no defensive battle will have been fought under more favorable conditions. We are warned and must look sharp. We are strongly re-inforced with Infantry and Artillery. You will fight on a ground that you have con- stantly improved yourself and made a strong fort of — invincible; every pass is well guarded. The bombardment will be terrible, but you will sustain it. The assault will be hard; in a cloud of dust, smoke, and gas. But your positions and your weapons are fearfully strong. In your breasts beat strong brave hearts of fine men. Nobody will look behind, nobody will fall back a step. Everyone of you will have only one thought; to kill; to kill many of them until they have had enough of it. Character and Personality 17 That is why your general tells you that this as- sault you will break, and that it will be a glorious day. GOURAUD. Many of the truly great men of all time have been marked for the simplicity of their manners and their dealings with their fellow men. An officer can be military, commanding, firm, and just without being harsh, brusque, contemptuous, pompous, or without assuming undue importance. Earnestness There is little need to dwell on the subject of earnestness. One should he earnest in his work and earnest in his play. E„„estness This does not mean, however, that '* '">'«po"s he should be overserious, nor that he should rob life of aU pleasure and humor — even the humorist is an earnest worker. Earnestness is akin to enthusiasm — men feel it and gain 1 8 Leadership confidence from it. When your men see you working earnestly over their problems — ear- nestly endeavoring to teach them — earnest- ly struggling to perfect some small detail — laboring earnestly in every way to make your and their organization a better one, better at drill, better at inspection, with neater bar- racks, they will feel new confidence in you, and following the example you, yourself, have set, they will enter earnestly into all tasks and activities. The officer who goes about all things half-heartedly or with an air of supe- rior indifference will reap only poor or indif- ferent results and obtain only half-hearted responses. Therefore, undertake all of your duties with earnestness. Self-Control Self-control is the secret of control of others.' To command men one must first learn to commanr" himself— psychologists and philo- Character and Personality 19 sophers are at one upon this point. The struggle of a man to subdue men is decided by his will to subdue himselfjXhis sen-controi own animaUty. Men are quick ^"^^^^Vt A. * A * Others to recognize mastery m a man who is master of himself. The man who can walk into the jungles unarmed and tame its denizens at his will is first of all supremely master of himself. Again it is the old story of the high spirited horse — in the hands of one man submissive and obedient while others can never ride him. It is that intangible something — that in- stinctive feeling of a strong and friendly being that men and animals recognize and obey. The officer who loses his temper over the mis- takes at drill or elsewhere «tTd-~'-'bawlr out" his mqir-'sacrifices a percentage of his con- trol. So does the officer who gives way to impatience, or who indulges in sar- castic remarks to his men only incur their resentment. 20 Lezulership Abraham Lincoln, who in early life was quick tempered, and later became one of the ,. , most patient of men said: "I conteonu^ learned during the Black Hawk Temper -^^ ^-^^ ncccssity of Controlling my temper and that good habit has stuck by me ever since." Hand in hand with self- control go self-reliance, coolness, and assur- ance. Diderot, the French philosopher, says : "It is the man that is master over his coimte- nance, his voice, his actions, his gestures, of every part, who can work upon others at his pleasure. ' ' An ungovernable temper does not indicate a high spirit, but a lack of mental balance. Strength of character consists of two things [says F. W. Robertson], power of will and strength of power of sclf-restraint. It requires Character ^^^ things, therefore, for its existence — strong feelings and strong conunandoverthem. Measure a man by the strength of the feelings he subdues, not by the power of those which subdue him. Chafacter and Personality 21 Assiduity Assiduity is synonymous with hard work, application, diligence. No man, however gifted by nature, ever attains sue- Hard work Made Napo- cess in his work or profession leon Great except by assiduity — unceasing effort, study, and application. So with the military leader. Major General David C. Shanks says : There is a widespread idea that a great leader like Napoleon is the heir to a heaven-bom gift that raises him beyond the level of all his con- temporaries. But let the truth be known for the encouragement of all who are willing tp attain eminence as Napoleon attained his — by hard work. In his youth that which distin- guished Napoleon from his fellows was his con- stant reading, his habit of taking many notes, and his power of application. He, himself, has said that the power of applying military prin- ciples readily and on the spur of the moment came to him by always thinking of them. Suc- cess came to Napoleon as it comes to most officers through constant endeavor. 22 Leadership MUitary life in peace times presents many opportunities for study, constructive reading, "Still I am S'^d for rounding out one's store Mkiwei* of knowledge. The officer who Angelo /. I • i "To-da "— takes advantage of them is not Raskin Qj^jy fi^-ting himself for advance- ment, but is forming a valuable habit — the habit of systematically using his spare time to a good purpose. It matters little whether the study be history, artillery, tactics, en- gineering, or what not. The officer who de- cides that he is through learning, that he knows all he needs to know about his profes- sion, is dead weight to the service. Officers who have devoted their lives to military stud- ies and pursuits have said that they learned something new every day. A favorite device of Michael Angelo was "Father Time" in his wheel chair with an hour-glass upon it, bear- ing the inscription: "Still I am learning." Ruskin's motto was "To-day." "It is only by labor," he wrote, "that thought can be Character ant) Personality 23 made healthy, and only by thought that labor can be made happy; and the two can- not be separated with impunity." Assiduity should be controlled and guided by method, order, and system, and without these energy becomes mired in confusion and disorder. Systematic action is the controlling law in combating difficulties — either armies or^every- day problems. Common Sense and Judgment Common sense and judgment may be classed as kindred virtues. They go hand in hand and no officer can survive the test of leadership tmless he possesses them in a relatively marked degree. They dominate the work of all great leaders. In the campaigns of warfare they are abso- lutely essential to the success of all plans and a necessary ingredient in the work of all officers from the newest second lieutenant Kindred Virtues 24 Leadership to the commander-in-chief. They are the basis and underlsdng principle of all military tactics. In the study of warfare record has been made of the things which, under certain conditions, are the correct, sound, and com- mon sense things to do and these are the acknowledged principles of warfare. Thus it wiU be seen that the principles of war are founded on common sense and judgment. The maxims of Napoleon have become axio- matic because in every war the principles he laid down have been found to hold true. A study of his Marengo campaign will disclose innumerable instances of the display of his superior exercise of judgment and common sense over the enemy. This was perhaps the origin of outguessing the enemy in detail. Strategy is nothing more nor less than com- mon sense and judgment raised to the nth power, plus a certain amount of deduction, and resulting in the ability of a leader to out- guess the enemy and beat him to the initiative. Character and Personality 25 In river crossings common sense and judgment are extremely important factors. Before the battle of Wagram, Na- The Basis of Military poleon decided to make a surprise Tactics forced crossing of the Stadlau arm of the Danube, which still separated him from the Austrians. He made his preparations for this during the day and, contrary to modem views, executed his design during the night. In June, 1809, he had caused numerous bridges to be constructed southeast of Vienna, connecting the right bank of the Danube with the islands located there, only one arm, I20 m. wide, remaining to be bridged. Ample material for ferrying troops across and for bridging was deposited on the island of Lobau itself and on the right bank. After making a feint opposite Essling on July ist, which in- duced the Austrians to occupy the apparently threatened point. Napoleon suddenly as- sembled a strong force on July 4th on the island of Lobau, which had been strongly 26 Leadership intrenched during the preceding weeks. To- ward 10 P.M. numerous French batteries directed a violent fire upon the Austrian positions and intrenchments along the river bank, Grosz Enzersdorf being soon in flames. After firing had continued for a short time, French infantry was thrown across. As soon as it had made a lodgment on the op- posite bank and had been sufficiently rein- forced, the construction of a number of bridges was begun and, due to the excellent preparations, they were completed so quickly that by the morning of July 5th, nine thou- sand French were on the left bank of the Danube. Johnston's tactics in Sherman's march to the sea are an excellent example of the exercise of judgment and common sense in an endeavor to offset the advantages of a force superior in numbers and equipment. By continually withdrawing his resistance he made it neces- sary for Sherman to weaken his fighting force Character and Personality 27 for the purpose of guarding his long line of communication. His plan was sound but the odds were against him. Another example exists in the early stages of the siege of Port Arthur in the Russo-Japanese War when the Japanese right flank literally advanced through the sea to outflank the Russians. For further examples one need but to scan the pages of the first dark days of the World War when the Allies were waging the struggle for world freedom against superior numbers, diabolical preparation, and on ground of which every foot could only be relinquished after all means of holding it had failed and the great- est price for it had been exacted from the enemy. They show to what a fine degree of accuracy and perfection the Allied chiefs had brought the elements of judgment and com- mon sense. They were playing a game in which an error in either would have proven very costly or perhaps fatal. One of the outstanding strokes of the French in the early 28 Leadership days of the war was the speedy mobilization of the "taxi-cab" army and rushing it into the battle of the Mame when the Germans were within twenty kilometers of Paris. It saved Paris and well ranks as a masterpiece of judgment and common sense. It was su- preme judgment and sound common sense back of Marshal Foch's strategy during the last phases of the war. No more splendid examples of the combination of these two virtues exists than that shown by the leaders of the Allied armies — ^Foch, Haig, Joffre, French, Albert the beloved king and heroic commander of the Belgians, and our own Commander-in-Chief of the A. E. F. Common sense and judgment are just as potent in the little everyday problems of Potent in military life in peace time as in the big campaigns when the fate of armies and nations is at stake. No officer can afford to ignore them. The commander who acts by "rule of thumb" alone is pre- Character and Personality 29 destined to fail. On the other hand the commander who measures his acts by the standards of common sense and judgment is building a sure foundation for achieving big things. It is axiomatic that the common sense thing to do is generally the right thing to do. Knowledge is the background of common sense and judgment. Justice Much of the respect and esteem of followers depends on their confidence in the leader's justice, fairness, and impartiality, justice— The Basis of irrespective of creed, race, or past. Respect There are few things that, will disrupt the morale of aii organization quicker than the manifest unfairness or partiality on the part of a commanding officer toward a certain man or class or group of men. Firmness without favorites or favoritism is an essential quality in leadership. A company commander and, 30 Leeulership in fact, every officer must have a mind above prejudice, partiality, and pettiness. Punish- ment must be fair, just, impartial, and pro- portionate to the degree of the offense. The same opportunities for passes should be granted all men of good conduct. The same chance for advancement, improvement, recre- ation, and study should be extended to all men. Commendation should always be fair and proportionate to the quality and value of the work. Justice does not mean severity, tyranny, or bullying. It is an easy matter to break the Justice and Spirit of a man by too great sever- Constructive Clemency ity. On the othcr hand, too great leniency and laxity will corrupt an organiza- tion. It is the happy medium that must be striven for — justice tempered by constructive clemency. Even a fool can tear down, but it takes a man of brains to build up. The spirit of a vicious mind must be broken first by firm justice and then built up again in the Character and Personality 31 right direction. Any officer can draw up a charge sheet, but it is a real officer and leader who can take the offender into his office, and in a straight man-to-man way bring him to a realization of the error of his ways, point out to him the punishment which might be in- flicted, and send him on his way with a will and determination to do what is right and with the idea that the officer believes in his ability to do it. Nine times out of ten he would not fall short of the confidence placed in him. What is more, the officer will have made him utterly loyal to him. To be absolutely sure of his reform and of the successful outcome of this course of action, it would be well to keep up an interest in the man and from time to time have an occasional talk with him, for if dropped after the first talk he might suppose that interest in him is at an end. This plan is applicable to first offenders and to most all minor infractions. It makes men out of delinquents and grain out of chaff. Any 32 Leadership officer can handle a company of men whose conduct is above reproach, but it is the acid test of an officer to make such a company out of an indifferent assortment — to bring the poor material up to the level of the good. And to do this without sending men to the guardhouse is proof of fitness to command. Enthusiasm Enthusiasm is a magic word — a word to conjure with. It comes from the Greek and Enthusiasm ^^ the Original means, "God "*^ striving within us." It makes play of work, pleasure of hardships, and suc- cess of failure. It is the difference between doing things perfunctorily merely because it is duty and doing them with vim and vigor because of a desire and gladness to do theni. A general once asked a man what work was. "Work," replied the soldier * "is anything you don't want to do." I?uty is one of the most heavily burdened words in the English Ian- Character and Personality 33 guage. It is made responsible for the million and one unpleasant tasks heaped at its door. When you tell a man to do a thing because it is his duty to do it, you add another one to the pile. But when you tell him to do it because it is part of the big game you are all plajnng — because it is a mighty good thing to do — ^because others have done it and done it well — to see if he can do as well or better — you make him want to do it — ^you put enthu- siasm in him. Enthusiasm is merely another name for esprit de corps. To the average soldier esprit de corps is something vague Real Amer- ican Enthu- and meaningless. But if you tell "'"sm your men that this wonderful thing which has made armies great and victorious is merely enthusiasm and loyalty — that it is American enthusiasm and loyalty, enthusiasm for and loyalty to one's company, battalion, battery, or regiment, they understand. TeU your men, and your officers as well, that you are 34 Leadership going to make your particular organization the best — yes, even better than the best, and that everyone is going to play the. game, to have his share of the work, the credit, and the praise. Make the work a big game and watch how all hands will buckle in and ac- complish it. That is enthusiasm. Of course, there will be some drones, but the workers will take care of them. Then show them results, — something to be proud of. Give praise and ,, encouragement, advice, instruction, and soon you will have an organization that acts and thinks according to your will. That is enthusiasm, esprit de corps, and loyalty. If the mess sergeant lacks interest in his work get him books and manuals on the subject and talk it over with him. Go over his work with him, suggesting, advising, and cautioning. Soon you will have him enthusiastic. Always remember that; enthusiasm is contagious and spreads from the leader throughout the organization. The Will to Win Character and Personality 35 Perseverance Perseverance is nothing more nor less than the will to win and is closely akin to earnest- ness and assiduity. It is that quality which brings the "plug- ger" up to his more brilliant rival — the quality which forces the winner of a race to forge ahead of the other contestants and breast the tape first. Kipling expresses it admirably in the lines, — If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: " Hold On" ! The spirit ' and truth of these words as individual Americans have experienced them are vividly recorded, not in poetry but in the crisp, official language of General Orders of the War Department for the year 1919. No more complete documentary evidence of su- preme perseverance exists anywhere than is 36 Leadership to be found in this file. Any officer in need of a little inspiration or "bucking up" will find it there aplenty. Following are a few quotations : General Orders No. 44, War Department, April 2, 1919. I — Awards of Medal of Honor. . . . L. Wardlaw Miles, Captain, 308th Infantry. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy near R^villon, France, September 14, 1918. Captain Miles volunteered to lead his company in a hazardous attack on a command- ing trench position near the Aisne Canal, which other troops had previously attempted to take without success. His company immediately met with intense machine-gun fire, against which it had no artillery assistance, but Captain Miles preceded the first wave and assisted in cutting a passage through the enemy's wire entanglements. In doing so he was wounded five times by ma- chine-gun bullets, both legs and one arm being fractured, whereupon he ordered himself placed on a stretcher and had himself carried forward to the enemy trench in order that he might en- courage and direct his company, which by this Character and Personality 37 time had suffered numerous casualties. Under the inspiration of this officer's indomitable spirit his men held the hostile position and consoli- dated the front line after an action lasting two hours, at the conclusion of which Captain Miles was carried to the aid station against his will. General Orders No. le.War Department, Janu- uary 22, 1919. II — Awards of Medal of Honor. . . . Edward C. AUworth, Captain 60th Infantry. For conspicuous gallantry and in- trepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy at Cyry-le-Petit, France, November 5, 1918. While his company was crossing the Meuse River and canal at a bridge- head opposite Cl^ry-le-Petit, the bridge over the canal was destroyed by shell fire and Captain Allworth's command became separated, part of it being on the east bank of the canal and the remainder on the west bank. Seeing his advance units making slow headway up the steep slope ahead, this officer mounted the canal bank and called for his men to follow. Plunging in, he swam across the canal under fire from the enemy, followed by his men. Inspiring his men by his example of gallantry, he led them up the slope, joining his hard-pressed platoons in front. By 38 Leadership his personal leadership he forced the enemy back for more than a kilometer, overcQming machine-gun nests and capturing a hundred prisoners, whose number exceeded that of the men in his command. The exceptional courage and leadership displayed by Captain Allworth made possible the reestablishment of a bridge- head over the canal and the successful advance of other troops. General Orders No. i6. War Department, January 22, 191 9. II — ^Awards of Medal of Honor. . . . Samuel Woodfill, First Lieuten- ant, 6oth Infantry. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy at Cunel, France, October 12, 1918. While he was leading his company against the enemy his line came under heavy machine-gun fire, which threatened to hold up the advance. Followed by two soldiers at twenty-five yards, this ofl&cer went out ahead of his first line toward a machine-gun nest and worked his way around to its flank, leaving the two soldiers in front. When he got within ten yards of the gun it ceased firing and four of the enemy appeared, three of whom were shot by Lieutenant Woodfill. The fotirth, an officer, Character and Personality 39 rushed at Lieutenant Woodfill, who attempted to club the officer with his rifle. After a hand-to- hand struggle Lieutenant Woodfill killed the officer with his pistol. His company thereupon continued to advance until shortly afterwards another machine-gun nest was encountered. Calling on his men to follow, Lieutenant Woodfill rushed ahead of his line in the face of heavy fire from the nest, and when several of the enemy appeared above the nest he shot them, capturing three other members of the crew and silencing the gun. A few minutes later this officer for the third time demonstrated conspicuous daring by charging another machine-gun position, killing five men in one machine-gun pit with his rifle. He then drew his revolver and started to jump into the pit when two other gunners only a few yards away turned their gun on him. Failing to kill them with his revolver, he grabbed a pick lying nearby and killed both of them. Inspired by the exceptional courage displayed by this officer, his men pressed on to their objective under severe shell and machine-gun fire. This was the quality which actuated the French army to hold otj at Verdun under the 40 Leadership fiercest German onslaughts. The indomit- able spirit and perseverance of the French nation in that crisis was expressed in the words "On ne passe pas." It was also the spirit of the British army at Ypres— and of the heroic little Belgian army — that quality of invincible, bull-dog te- nacity which held on through shell fire, mud, gas, cold, and unimaginable suffer- ing and hardship tmtil victory was finally won. Of necessity perseverance is an es- sential component in the make-up of every leader. Tact Tact is a peculiar thing — ^it gets people a long way who have it and it keeps people Tact and without it from getting very far. Opportaneness j^ -^ ^ quality, the Value Of which is potent both above and below. The company commander will find it useful in handling the first sergeant and other non- Character and Personality 41 commissioned officers as well as in dealing with officers of higher rank than himself. So no matter what rung of the ladder you are on, you need tact. To acquire tact it is necessary to study human nature. The tactful officer knows when and how to present things to his commanding officer to secure the desired results. Even though a request or a plan may possess merit, if presented in a poor way or at an inopportune time, it will fail miser- ably. Many officers of experience and ability are seriously handicapped and find themselves in frequent difficulties because of lack of tact. General Shanks says: "It is the oil which makes the machinery of military affairs run smoothly. When tact is lacking the military machine soon acquires a disagreeable squeak." Care must be exercised not to confuse tact with sycophancy when dealing with higher- ups. An admiral relates the following humorous incident in his early service : 42 Leadership Shortly after I reported on my first ship, I learned that if I made out an official application Tact Got an for leave, and the captain approved Admiral his First Leave it, I would be free to do as I pleased until my leave expired. So, having prepared the document in due form, I requested the marine orderly at the cabin door to hand it to the cap- tain. This orderly was an old man who had had extensive experience with the temperamental idiosyncrasies of commanding officers. He glanced at the paper and at once handed it back to me with the foUowirig wise admonition: "If you'd be a-takin' of my advice, now, you'd hand this here request in after the old man's had his lunch; he's in a h — ^1 of a humor this mornin'!" I followed this advice and my leave was granted. It is not inferred by this that everything should be presented to the commanding officer "after lunch," nor that the average commander is a "grouch," but the oppor- tuneness of the moment should always be considered. The average commander is, however, a very busy man. The wise officer will remember this and await a suitable op- Character and Personality 43 portunity to see him unless the matter is one of real urgency. What may seem of particu- lar importance to an officer in his enthusiasm over a new idea may be relatively unimport- ant so far as immediate attention is con- cerned in comparison with the pressing matters of the administration of a large com- mand. No doubt many officers have failed to "sell" an idea to the commanding officer because they tried to press it upon him when his mind and time were taken up with far more important matters. Courage From time immemorial one adjective has always been coupled with the word soldier, — "he is a brave soldier," — and that has ex- pressed everything. And, so, courage in the general military conception of the word has come to mean physical bravery and is exem- plified by ability to stand in the face of grave danger, to go "over the top," to endure 44 Leadership shrapnel and gas, to face the enemy and kill or be killed. Fighting and keeping prepared to fight is a soldier's business. Because fighting requires physical bravery, it is a foregone conclusion that it is a basic part of his make-up. There is,-ho-wever-, a great dis- tinction between courage and sheer bravado. The courage that makes true heroism is something in the line of duty, but bravado is not. No man can truthfully say that he has gone under fire absolutely without fright or fear. But there is a fear greater than fear of death, — the fear of cowardice, of being for- ever branded "yellow." The army is no place for a man who values his life more than the cause or safety of his country. ' ' Paradise is under the shadow of swords," says Ma- homet. "Battle courage," says General Haan, "is practically universal. Individual courage is less plentiful, while 'cowardice' in both is, I believe, a disease — I have seen but three cases." Character and Personality 45 "Our culture, therefore, must not omit the arming of the man," states Emerson. "Let him hear in season that he is born Emerson on into the state of war and that the c<»«a8e commonwealth and his own well-being require that he should not go dancing in the weeds of peace. . . ." Without wishing to overwork our greatest American essayist let us again use his advice in this connection : . . . If we explore the literature of Heroism we shall quickly come to Plutarch, who is its Doctor and Historian. Each of his " Lives" is a refuta- tion to the despondency and cowardice of our religious and political theorists. A wild courage, a stoicism not of the schools, but of the blood, shines in every anecdote. . . . We need books of this tart cathartic virtue, more than books of political science, or of private economy. Like glint of steel is the supreme courage flashed in the famous message of ^he supreme Foch to Joffre at the Marne: ourage "My left has been forced back. My right 46 Leadership is routed. I shall attack with the center." When we think of the courageous sacrifice of the Americans who "sleep" on the hillsides of France, there comes to mind the words of the apostle: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." But there is another supreme courage which cannot be overlooked, although to speak of it may seem like wandering a little too far afield into the realm of the ideal, for it is beyond all call of country or duty. It is the courage which has prompted men to risk or lay down their own lives for their enemies- Conningsby Dawson narrates an incident of the display of such courage: During one fierce engagement a British officer saw a German officer impaled on the barbed wire, writhing in anguish. The fire was dreadful, yet he still hung there unscathed. At length the British officer could stand it no longer. He said quietly, " I can't bear to look at that poor chap any longer." So he went out under the hail of Character and Personality 47 shell, released him, took him on his shoulder, and carried him to the German trench. The firing ceased. Both sides watched the act with won- der. Then the commander in the German trench came forward, took from his own bosom the Iron Cross, and pinned it on the breast of the British officer. All courage, however, does not come under the heading of mere physical courage. Moral courage is equally basic. It is jj^^^, moral courage that sustains men oarage in mental crises, that goes hand-in-hand with truthfulness and makes truthfulness a de- pendable thing at all times, that brings a man to admit that he is wrong after he has found out that he is wrong. It is a false and per- nicious doctrine which holds that an admis- sion of error by a leader destroys the confi- dence of his subordinates. The fool believes, or tries to give the impression that he makes no mistakes: — ^the wise man admits, profits by, and builds on his mistakes. A humorist 48 Leadership said, "Everyone makes mistakes — that is why they put erasers on lead pencils." The really big man is never afraid to admit a mistake. Lincoln said once to Stanton: "Yes, you were right and I was wrong." Faith Faith consists of three things — ^faith in yourself, faith iit men, and faith in the cause Faith Is a you are striving for. If a man Triple AUiance loses faith, or confidence, which is the same thing, in himself, all that he does is mediocre and fails to ring true. If he loses faith in his fellow men, he doubts all that is good in the world and becomes cynical, crabbed, and suspicious. Not alone this, he also loses his grip on men and in a measure ceases to be a leader. Faith in the cause in which you are serving is essential to winning. Germany devoted a vast amount of money and effort to shatter the faith of the Allies in Character and Personality 49 their cause. She knew that if she could ac- complish that it would spell victory for her. Faith like enthusiasm is contagious. Faith begets faith. Confidence begets confidence. If you tell a man that you know he can do a thing and tell him often enough you establish the certainty in his mind that he can do it. And unless you have set him a task so big as to be out of all proportion to his ability the result is inevitable for "as a man thinketh in his own heart, so is he." Tell an offender that you know that in him- self he has the power to be a model soldier, to "knock out" temptation, to live up to the rules and regulations which exist for his own good, and he will bend every effort to live up to your confidence in him. You will have awakened in him that power which he actu- ally possessed all of the time without realiz- ing it. The officer cannot "put this over" unless he himself believes the man redeemable. Faith in a purpose must be above all doubt 50 Leadership and superstition. In days gone by Hannibal^ Cjolumbus, and others turned the evil omens of their followers into augurings for good. To-day the superstition which men are prone to is the much-ridden "hunch." Men's minds should be guided out of this rut and raised above hunch-pampering. Loyalty Loyalty in oneself and the ability to in- spire loyalty in others are invaluable qualities The impor- in a leader. First in the category tance of Lojr- , aity to Orders of personal loyaltics is loyalty to the flag and all that it represents. The idea of a traitor in the Benedict Arnold sense is so absurd, so out of date, and so base as to be utterly out of the "ken" of Americans of to- day. Next to loyalty to the flag comes the loyalty to one's superior officers which, it is believed, is an ingrained quality in every American officer. In the big sense it stands Character and Personality 51 intact, but there is a dangefous pitfall in the tendency of some junior officers to assume an attitude of sympathy toward the men, be- cause of some order, rule, or regulation of the company commander or commanding officer. No such attitude should ever exist under any circumstances, either on the part of officers or non-commissioned officers. If an order, rule, or regulation has a disturbing effect on the morale of an organization, the correct procedure would be to bring the matter tact- fully to the attention of the next in authority or, if proper, to the officer who can effect a readjustment. If we carefully examine ourselves [says a gener- al officer], we shall find too often a tendency to examine the orders of our superiors. If they agree with our own ideas, we are intensely loyal. If they do not, we take them with bad grace. In other words, it is too often the case that our loyalty rings true only when the plan we are required to follow agrees with our own ideas. It is a very poor and unreliable subordinate who 57 Leadership can be depended apon to carry out energetically only those plans which he, himself, approves. Once a decision has been reached by a superior — once your duty has been laid down — ^it is time to give up your own ideas, and attempt with whole might to carry out the plan which it is your duty to follow. Loyalty to your work, your purpose, and your ideals, are summed up in the words of "To Thine SHakespcare, "To thine own self Own Self be True" be true and it must follow as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." Inspiring loyalty in others is largely a matter of example, confidence, humanness, and enthusiasm. Acumen Acumen is the quality of intellectual dis- cernment, keenness of discrimination and deduction. It is the ability of a leader to analyze a situation from the signs, to diagnose a condition from the symptoms, both quickly Character and Personality 53 and accurately. By it he arrives at decisions and on it he bases plans of action. It aids him in detecting a falling-off in morale and in anticipating the acts of his men. It is know- ing what men or armies are most likely to do under a given set of conditions or circum- stances and how they wiU react under pos- sible developments. It is the ability to dis- cern the make-up and worth of a man and to decipher his motives. Reduced to the lowest common denominator, it is common sense and applied psychology. Acumen increases with study and observation. Truthfulness Much might be said of truthfulness — most of it would sound like a series of platitudes. So suffice it to say that truthful- TheWarp ness is the warp and woof of our '"'^MmtMy ■Military fabric. Truthfulness is the essence of nobility. No man can achieve 54 Leadership greatly either as a man or as a leader without it. And the man who fails to prove up to. the test is cast ofif as slag is separated from true r metal in the crucible. ' Shading or distortmg the truth is adding a base alloy to the true metal of a man's character. "It is no proof of a man's understanding to be able to affirm whatever he pleases," says Swedenborg, "but to be able to discern that what is true is true, and that what is false is false; this is the mark and character of intelligence." The im- scrupulous leader is a liar and frequently "puts it over" for long periods, but without self respect and without the general respect of subordinates. Honor Honor is based on our own self-respect and esteem — on what w,e know to be our actual integrity and worth. It is that other self, that strong man which stands back of all men Character and Personality 55 and dictates to their consciences. It prompts men to acts of chivalry or sacrifice and sus- tains them when they are doubted by others. Te- revert again to the words of Emerson: "Honor is venerable to us because it is no ephemeris. It is always ancient virtue. We worship it to-day, because it is not of to-day. We love it and pay it homage, because it is not a trap for our love and homage, but is self- dependent, self-derived, and therefore of an old immaculate pedigree." It is an inherent quality in every normal, unvitiated mind. CHAPTER III THE LEADER AND THE SOLDIER Relationship — The American Soldier — ^Respect — Example — The Quality of Sympathy. Relationship Books in number have been written on the relationship of the leader to his men, therefore Old Goods in anything which might be said on New Wrappings the subject must be, to some extent, a reiteration of what has gone before. Any effort, however, to clarify the matter of leadership in the minds of officers or to formulate a basis of workable and practical ideas, must necessarily include the vastly important topic of this relationship. The dramatist tells us that there is no such thing as a new plot. But every year the public finds enjoyment and mental stimula- 56 The Leader and the Soldier 57 tion in a number of new plays — still they are the same old plots. They are new only be- cause the dramatist has given them a new "twist," inhabited them with a new theme, and brought out an idea or a lesson in a new way, clarified in the light of a different pres- entation or analysis. In this way interest may be added very largely to military science, whether discussing leadership, morale, rela- tionship of a leader to his men, teaching the manual of arms, extended order drill, or what not. The basic and fundamental things are not changed but presented with new person- ality. Always it is the new "twist," the new way of showing it that helps to clarify and convince. We cannot flatter ourselves that we have anything new in the psychology of military science. Xenophon, Alexander, Caesar, Hannibal, all possessed fundamental knowledge of the psychology of military science and of leadership, and each practiced it in his own way. Our duty is to understand 58 Leadership and perfect both the knowledge and the practice. It is obvious that some kind of relation- ship must exist between an officer and the men The Leader °^ ^*® Organization. What that RetalfoMhip relationship will be is determined ^^he fa-**' by the officer himself. His every dividnal , , , , ., . act and word mold it m one way or another, whether consciously or unconsciously. It is, therefore, far better that an officer should have a definite idea and plan of the kind of relationship he desires to build up than to leave it largely to chance. The basis of forming a desirable relationship is knowledge — ^knowledge of each individual in his organ- ization. It has been said of great leaders like Napoleon that they could call by name hun- dreds of men in their armies. There are perhaps few things that will cause a soldier to lose interest in his work and organization quicker or belittle him more in his own eyes than to find that his own captain does not The Leader and the Soldier 59 know him by name. On the other hand, little pleases him or quickens his interest more than to find that his company com- mander knows him by name. There are, of course, times when this is impossible due to frequent changes in personnel both of officers and men, but there should be no excuse for an officer not knowing the names of all of his men after serving six or eight weeks with them. One can, by practice, school one's memory into doing it. ' The American Soldier A knowledge to some extent of the general characteristics of the Anierican soldier is, of course, valuable. The American ^^ „ ,,, The Soldier soldier has been so abundantly aJsp'ritol analyzed and his characteristics *e Nation so voluminously classified and inventoried that even the soldier would scarcely rec- ognize himself in the results. An under- standing of the American soldier means 6o Leaderships nothing more nor less than an understanding of the country itself, its growth and progress, the trend of its thought and urge, its sports- manly love of fair play, its belief in freedom and democracy. All that is broadly typical of the American soldier is summed up in these. He embodies the prevalent spirit of America of to-day. He is alert for opportunity, keen for advancement and self-development. It takes more than clothes to wear, a place to sleep, and three meals and a dollar a day to make him contented. So, in one respect, the relationship of the officer must resemble that of the teacher in a big university. Thus can he help make the army a big, national in- stitution which men will seek to enter both for the physical and mental benefits. The character of the American soldier is fundamentally sound. Among other char- H,s acteristics it will be found that Cliaractei ^.i. i i . . . the home-loving trait is nearly always present in his make-up, although he The Leader and the Soldier 6i oftea crowds it to the background, in his restlessness or desire for adventure. He possesses a real man's paternal instinct as typified by his fondness for children and his kindness to them, both in France and at home. The instinct of gregariousness is usually strong in his make-up and combined with this is the tendency to accept men at their face value. Given a certain amount of assist- ance he adjusts himself readily to environ- ment. He is optimistic, amenable to reason, and quickly comprehends the worth of any proposition squarely presented to him. He is a firm believer in the "square deal" and resents favoritism. He is sentimental, par- ticularly toward his country and his flag, even though he is of foreign parentage. He respects constituted authority — so much so that it will usually be found that any appar- ent dissatisfaction is not deep-seated. He is critical in his judgment of an officer and cannot be lied to, bullied, or bluffed. It is not 62 Leadership difficult to gain his confidence if he is ap- proached in a fair and sincere way. He despises cant. It is a simple matter for officers to gain his respect by treating him with justice, consideration, kindly interest, and sympathy — altogether as a red-blooded man should be treated. Respect The basis of 'a sound relationship between leader and soldier is mutual respect. On the Mutual Re- part of the leader it includes re- spect the Basis of a spcct for the soldier's rights, his Sound Relationship well-being, his contentment, his individuality, his hopes,, his. ambitions, 3.nd / his work. The fact must be borne in mind that he is a human, thinking individual and not an mammate cog in a military machine. The respect of the soldier for the leader depends largely on the character and conduct of the leader and on the respect of the leader The Leader and the Soldier 63 for the soldier. It is purely a reciprocal matter in \^ch the leader must set the ex- ample because he is the leader* It is also a truism that to hold the respect of his men, a leader should not cause them to do things which will -take from them their own self- respect. If you rob a man of his self-respect not only does he cease to respect you, but becomes a loss to himself and to the army. The use of sarcasm and the practice of "bawl- ing-out" a man in front of others are the most common offenses .against a man's self-respect. Punishment is often necessary and does not rob a man permanently of his self-respect. If it is administered in an intelligent way and as a corrective measure, without undue sever- ity, punishment serves to bring a man to a realization of his misconduct. When he has , paid the price, his self-respect returns to him if he is treated as a man who has squared his reckoning and not as a confirmed offender. Punishment, however, that is unduly severe 64 Leadership does rob a man of his self-respect and incurs his everlasting resentment. All honest and sincere work is honorable. Merely because a task is menial does not Respectand i^ply the loss of self-respect by ^"^ the one who performs it. It does imply, however, that the one who performs it well is entitled to the respect of the one who requires it. The private who does well his tour as kitchen police should share equally with the mess sergeant or the first sergeant the respect of his company commander so far as service rendered is concerned. The idea too often exists that because a task is greasy or grimy, the man who performs it lowers or belittles himself. This is a feeling which officers will do well to uproot and in its place implant the thought that there is nobility in all work well and earnestly done. The only services which an officer should not require are those which he himself could not do and retain his self-respect, if positions were The Leader and the Soldier 65 reversed. J,' No man has a right to demand a service," said Theodore Roosevelt, "which he does not regard it as honorable to render. No rtian has a right to ask or accept any service unless under changed conditions he would feel that he could keep his entire self-respect while rendering it." An incident is related concerning an Amer- ican general in France, who possessed the respect of every man and officer .. Give us a who served with him. He was "* '^°^ walking up near the Front one day accom- panied only by his orderly when he came across a few soldiers packing up some sup- plies. They were dead tired and were rest- ing. Evidently they did not observe the general's insignia of rank and as he ap- proached them one of them called out to him, "Give us a hand, you! Pick up some stuff and come on." The general not only gave them a hand but made his orderly take a load too. As they trudged on he spoke to the 66 Leadership men. "You're tired, boys," he said. Such is the quality of respect and sympathy that makes a leader great to his men. It is such seemingly little things upon which men base their opinion of a leader and which tend to compel or repel their respect. Attention is not drawn to the above incident to imply that an officer should do manual labor in order to win the respect of his men. A parallel incident may scarcely ever occur in the experience of most officers, but when it does, it is the true spirit and worth of a man which intuitively speaks and acts. A private said, "We judge an officer by the way he behaves at the Front." There is Respect at » souud psychology expressed in this remark that it would be well for every officer to remember and to appljj^ to his. everyday contact with men, building a relationship that will stand the test of the "Front," when all artificiality is stripped away and the bare metal that is in him stands The Leader and the Soldier 67 out as tempered steel or as cast-iron. A soldier's idea of respect for an officer at the Front is expressed forcefully though crudely in the words : We don't take anything from guys we don't re- spect and we would die with one of the kind that is wounded and won't go back because a counter- attack is expected and he wants to keep his out- fit together. And we would die for the man who knows how to handle a lot of green guys, who don't worry us talking about our chances but who says, "Come on, boys! We're going to see Jerry to-night!" A sure road for any officer to lose the re- spect of his men is by constantly I^eckling them!" This type of officer is NaggingKiiu never satisfied — ^nothing is ever "^^"^ good enough for him. He keeps his men in a continual state of turmoil and ferment by nagging and fault-finding over petty details and trifles. He radiates discontent. Com- mendation is a language he does not speak. 68 Leadership He hoodwinks himself into the belief that he is doing constructive work — but far from it. He is not satisfied with being, for example, company commander but is imbued with the idea that his responsibility requires that he should be, figuratively speaking, first sergeant, mess sergeant, supply sergeant, duty sergeant, corporal, company clerk, and cook. Instead of putting the responsibility of carrying out their tasks upon the men who fill these posi- tions, he robs them of j;heir initiative by heckling himself into aU the minutiae of their work. The result is bound to be a demoral- ized command. It is usually the nervous or worrying t3rpe, of officer who is the heckler. He should first of all take a course of treat- ment under the post surgeon and then a course of introspection under himself. He should learn to discriminate between con- structive supervision and destructive dab- bling. Men grow and thrive under fair responsibilities, just as muscles develop with The Leader and the Soldier 69 exercise. Responsibility makes bigger and more useful men. A dough-boy relates the following incident of a heckling lieutenant: He was calling us down hard one day, when the mud was thick, and chow was not at hand, and we were dead tired — I mean dead tired. He was raving his head off and he ended with: "If you don't look out some of you birds will be seeing Leavenworth." One of the fellows replied: "You don't get the perspective. Lieutenant. I am soaking wet and Leavenworth has dry rooms and a place to sleep. " The standard for men as to what they ex- pect in a leader is pretty high and they have no mercy. Their respect is some- Respect is not Gained thing which cannot be gained by byBiua bluff or bullying — or in fact in any except an honest, man to man way. We are a pretty merciless lot of guys [said a soldier at the Front, where men were quick to sense the worth of a leader]. I was with an out- fit for a short time that had a captain who was 70 Leadership kindness itself and yet we treated him worse than the yellowest hog in the outfit. He was a fat, Falstaffian captain, who used to swell up and fiy every time he gave a command. We didn't respect him. I can't tell you why. It was just some inherent lack of authority and dignity in the man that even his uniform could not camou- flage. For one thing, he'd been on some gov- ernor's stafiE in peace time. Then he was an awful liar and braggart. Another thing which destroys the respect of men for an officer is not giving them cer- Respectand *^"^ human information under n orniBtion ^jying circumstances. If difficult things or hardships are required, it might be well to give men judicious information as to the object sought or the result desired, thus supplying an incentive founded either on pride or determination. The following speci- fic instance of this is related by a dough-boy: Sometimes the officers are good from a military standpoint, but have no sense from a human standpoint. Once we hiked twenty kilos with- The Leader and the Soldier 71 out food. We'd just been issued hard-tack and corn-willy and were about to set our teeth in it when our officer yelled: "Forward! March!" "Throw those things away!" We cursed in cadence. We said: "Throw it away! Where do you get that stufi ? " He raised the roof then and made us march fifteen more kilos at atten- tion. What he didn't tell us was that a general was inspecting us and that it wouldn't have been soldierly to have been caught eating. If he'd told us, we'd have done what he wanted without kicking much. { Accurate information also kills demoralizing rumors which spring up with regularity wherever large bodies of men are brought together. The relationship between a company com- mander and the men has often been described as that of a father to his family. „ j^ ^^^^ What in the large applies to the on'm'th ws Men" father, applies to the good leader. A good leader is as one with his men [said General Andrews]; he speaks their, language, he 72 LezMlership shares their blessings and their hardships, he is jealous of their name, he defends their sensibili- ties and their rights in the larger organization, in fact, he is the recognized guardian of their welfare, physical and mental, as individuals and as a group. He becomes their hero and is affec- tionately nicknamed. Making camp after a hard march he will not accept an invitation to lunch while his men go hungry awaiting a delayed wagon; he will not take shelter while his men lay out in a storm. In short he does everything at all times to make them feel that he is looking out for their interests, not his own selfish com- fort. It is incidentally true that when hard- ships come he will be more than repaid by their devotion to him and care for his comfort. Example Example is one of the most potent factors in the relationship between officers and Personality soldiers. It is oxiomatic that an "evader"' Organization reflects the person- ta his otgal- ality of its leader. If his person- ization , , ahty is strong, energetic, and cheerful, the same propensities will stamp the The Leader and the Soldier 73 organization. If he performs all of his duties with earnestness, assiduity, and enthusiasm and is always careful about his personal ap- pearance, the cleanliness, fit, and press of his uniform, the polish of his boots, his shave and the trim of his hair, these same tendencies will manifest themselves iii the organization. If he devotes himself to the Welfare, care, and contentment of his organization, his interest will be reciprocated by its members. LSimi- larly, under the law of example, weakness, laziness, slovenliness, and indifference on the part of a leader will characterize the organiza- tion^ All this can be summed up in the single word, example. It is perfectly obvious that example is a strong, two-edged weapon, po- tent either for good results or bad, depending on how it is used. But it must necessarily be used one way or the other for there is no clearly defined neutrality in the matter. iEverything that an officer does, either con- sciously or subconsciously— his acts, speech, 74 Leadership appearance, and attitude are observed by the men and a great deal is imitated — if an officer does it, it must be all right. Even the brand of cigarettes he smokes, and his mannerisms, are often copied, particularly if he is the ideal of his men. Thus can the importance of example be recognized. The first tendency of a soldier is to revere the officers over him [says Brigadier General W. O. A General Johnson]. But unless this tendency of^a'mp'e"' ^^ appreciated and nourished, it is and Influence easily destroyed. The officer who always appears before his men neatly dressed and shaved will hold their respect longer than one who is negligent of his appearance. The officer who is always cheerful has more influence than one who is morose. The officer who plans his remarks beforehand has more weight than one who merely thinks aloud in a disconnected way. The officer who speaks distinctly has every ad- vantage over the mumbler. The officer who plans his drill before he goes out inspires more confidence than the one who improvises as he goes along. The officer who expresses himself The Leader and the Soldier 75 too freely on mooted subjects, even though his opinion be right, sacrifices a part of his influence over those of his companions and subordinates who are contrarily minded. Every man has his heroes whom he strives to copy. Our instinct of imitation urges us to adopt any habit or knack which we admire. As we like to reproduce an- other man's tricks, we also seek to imitate his graces. Therefore, a leader whose words and movements are clear, definite, coordinated, pur- poseful, and vigorous, is likely to see his men take on an air of definiteness and vigor. Then the men begin to influence each other and man- liness and morale improve in a geometrical ratio. Impress upon the soldier the necessity of wielding a good influence over his comrades. ^Most soldiers will respond far more influence of readily to an appeal made in the ^^^"j ^" interest of theircomradesthan to any comrades amount of preaching for their own direct bene- fit; they are readier to help you work on others than they are to become the patients themselv^ Many men will not believe that they possess any influence of consequence. Give them illustra- tions that will convince them to the contrary, for instance, how one man coughing at a lecture 76 Leadership can start a whole company coughing; by laughing they can make others laugh, and so with growling. If one lies down quickly to get the full benefit of a halt, others will do likewise. A poor singer can start the crowd singing. If one throws a stone at a mark, uses the salt, slips into a wine- room, or takes a drink from his canteen others will follow. A recruit can cause half the men in the company to eat up their lunch at the first halt. The child gets the first part of his education through the urgency of the instinct of imitation and that instinct continues its influence through- out life. When men appreciate their own influ- ence, get them to wield it in favor of cleanliness, cheerfulness, definiteness of movement and speech, attention and accuracy at drill, attention to military courtesies, decency of conversation, regularity of habits, and orderliness of equipment. If you see a man set a fine example, express your enthusiasm — not cool, official approval, but personal enthusiasm. Act as if you were proud of him and glad to be in his company. If you must reprove a man, tell him that his conduct is not what would be expected from his appearance and from the estimate others had placed upon him. Under no circumstances let him feel that you regard him as a hopeless case. The Leader and the Soldier 77 The Quality of Sympathy The quality of sympathy in the relationship of leader to follower is of vital importance in all successful leadership. That a Establish a Sympathetic leader of men should establish a Relation sympathetic relation between his followers and himself, that he should be interested in the life and affairs of those under him, is not a new idea. It is as old as leadership. The object sought here is to bring about a stand- ard recognition of the necessity for the estab- lishment of the relation and to convince the doubtful by setting forth scientific reasons for the necessity. "Alexander endeared himself to his officers and soldiers," says Alexander's Sympathetic Rollin, "was truly concerned for Relations them when involved in any calamity, grieved for them when sick, rejoiced at their recovery, and was interested in whatever befell them." We have examples of this in Hephaistos, Ptolemy, in Craterus, and many others. 78 Leadership Alexander was dear to others because they were sensible he was beforehand with them in aflfliction. This circumstance made the soldiers strongly desirous to please him and fired them with intrepidity; hence, they were always ready to execute all his orders, though attended with the greatest difficulties and dangers; this made them submit, patiently, to the severest hardships, and threw them into the deepest affliction whenever they hap- pened to give him any room for discontent. Philip, father of Alexander, whom some historians have pronounced the greater soldier, Philip the paved the way for Alexander to clmadeot " establish a sympathetic relation while insisting upon a rigid dis- cipline. A soldier [says one historian], who was very thirsty went out of ranks to drink; Philip pun- ished him with great severity. Another soldier, who ought to have stood to his arms, laid them down; him he immediately ordered to be put to The Leader and the Soldier 79 death! [But the same historian goes on.] He treated those (soldiers of the phalanx) with pe- culiar distinction, honored them with the title of his comrades or companions, and by such marks of honor and confidence induced them to bear, without any murmuring, the hardest fatigues and to confront the greatest dangers with in- trepidity. The maxim of the Roman legions was that a soldier should "fear his officers more than the enemy" — but that maxim is The Bond of easily misunderstood. It was not ^"cT^tL's taken to mean that the Roman *^'°"^ legionary should fear, physically, the results of the wrath of his officers more than he would the spears and darts of the Gauls or the Ger- mans. It was taken to mean that the Roman soldier should so respect the knowledge, au- thority, and judgment of his superiors, that he would rather be slain than do anything which crossed their ideals and ideas of the discipline, valor, and skill of the Roman legions. And the Roman centurion ' ' suffered 8o Leadership with" his soldiers, slept on the ground, ate the same coarse fare of roasted corn and sun- dried meat ! ' ' Nothing save blood was want- ing to make their training the same as battle and war," says one annalist, recounting the rigor of the camps and marches in the great days of the Republic. Hannibal told his Hannibal En- soldicrs that they were his "par- dured with Us Hen ents" and "teachers" before he was their general, that he had been reared in their camps. Caught in the Alpine snows, Hannibal walked all night up and down his sleeping lines, to show that he understood what his humblest soldiers underwent. Alex- ander, on a like occasion in the mountains of Asia, did the same — ^following the example of the leader of the famous "Ten Thousand," who personally spent two days and a night rescuing half -freezing Greeks from the snow- drifts of a mountain pass. Down in New Orleans there is preserved a plain blue china plate, the most precious The Leader and the Soldier 8i possession of a prominent family. That plate was once handed out, food laden, from Napo- leon's quarters during the march napoleon's to Moscow, to the private of the ^^'°'"'*'" guards on sentry-go at the Emperor's tent fiy. It was an act typical of the thousand like it, taken by the soldiers of Napoleon as proof sjrmptoms of his sympathy for them. "Marse Robert" was the affectionate ap- pellation of the Southern soldier for General Lee. His plea to General Grant The sym- pathy of Lee for the sidearms and horses of his "»* Grant officers and men, his "tell the men it's all my fault ! " at Gettysburg, his farewell order upon the surrender at Appomattox, show the qual- ity which made men continue to follow him though they were living on starvation rations, were half-clad, and were facing inevitable disaster. The simplicity of General Grant's attire and manner, his unostentatious meth- ods of doing things, of coming and going, his care that his men got what was their due, 6 82 Leadership gained him the good will of his soldiery, so that even Cold Harbor did not shake their confidence and willingness to obey orders, "Papa" Joffre carries its own explanation. But this is to be remembered: There are two parties to sympathy. The state of mind Value of of the soldiery must be preceded Sympathetic Relations by the State of mind of the leader. By precept, example, and training, sympathy can be inculcated, stimulated in the officers' minds. If that is not done, the mere atti- tudes, gestures, and phrases of true sympathy will produce the opposite effect. The in- dividual who is incapable of sympathy, in the true sense of the word, with those who are to be his followers — is incapable of successful leadership. No matter what his technical training, his scientific attainments, he will fail in his human relations and will not estab- lish that mutuality of understanding without which success in instruction and loyalty in following are impossible. CHAPTER IV THE LEADER AND THE ORGANIZATION Pride — PersonalPride — Organization Pride — Punishment — Discipline — Recreation — Education — Singing — Humor — The Soul of an Army. Pride Pride might well be called a lever. The leader who skills himself in the use of it will find it one of the most powerful p^j^^ j^ ^ instruments at his disposal for ^""^ raising the morale, efficiency, and appearance of an organization. Soldier pride consists of two main elements: first, personal or individ- ual pride or the pride of the soldier in himself, his work, his record, his clothing, rifle, and equipment; second, pride in his organiza- tioiil whether it be a squad, corps, company, S3 84 Leadership regiment, or division, or alL of them. Both of these elements are closely interwoven for it is collective individual pride which to a large extent makes up organization pride. Personal Pride The ingredients of personal pride consist chiefly of self-respect, competition, and ambi- tion, — ^the innate desire of all normal men to succeed in an endeavor and to win praise and commendation. Its inculcation is a matter of fostering these instincts in the individual. Commendation is particularly important in this respect for it stimulates not alone the man who has excelled but all those others who have not attained the desired standard of excellence. For example, if Privates Smith, Jones, and Brown appear at inspection with scrupulously clean rifles, clothing and equip- ment in excellent shape, bunks made up with painstaking care, and spotlessly clean linen, The Leader and the Organization 85 having made an obvious effort to excel in all things, make of it a big talking point before the company — not in a way that will embar- rass Privates Smith, Jbnes, and Brown, but in a way that will make them feel that their dili- gence is being rewarded and that will stimu- late the rest of the company to endeavor to equal or surpass them. Give Privates Smith, Jones, and Brown an extra pass. Remember this — every time a soldier makes an obviously special effort to please you or to set a good example in commenda- neatness, orderliness, or cleanli- "°Pride ness and you fail to notice it or to '"" " commend him for it, you have killed in him a certain amount of his pride and interest. The same thing applies to his work, his study, or his drill. Commendation is the strongest influence in the world to stimulate pride in a man's work. Appreciate. Be quick to give praise wherever it is merited. A word of commendation for a job well done means not 86 Leewlership only as good or a better job next time, but it also rouses in the individual a sense of creative pride or self-expression so that he will put not alone his hands but his personality in his work. A great architect was given the task of building a beautiful cathedral. Instead of How a Mod- employing famous sculptors, 'he ern Cathedral was Built called his stone-masons together and giving each a block of stone, told them to create gargoyles, each one in his own fashion and according to his own imagination and creative instinct. Furthermore, he told them he believed they could accomplish what he asked of them. Of course, any one of them could have hewn a gargoyle after a given pattern. But that was not what the master- builder wanted. He wanted results express- ing the imagination and creative abiUty of the individuals. And he got it — splendid gar- goyles such as adorn the cathedrals of the Middle Ages. Why? Because he awoke and The Leader and the Organization 87 stimulated in the individuals pride in the thing they were doing and creating. He was a true leader and there is a vital lesson in the parable. ^In this age of mass occupation, vast machinery, set methods, and routine, leaders are too prone to stifle the individual. The results may loom huge in terms of output and dollars, but after all unless more attention is given to the individual and his power of self- expression, will it not ultimately lead to a race and nation of stunted imaginations and automatic men and women? It is too often the thought in the minds of people that the army is a machine. It is for the officers of the army to prove the fallacy in this thought and to make of the army as many resourceful, thinking, and creative units as there are individuals in its ranks. In the matter of pride, it should be remem- bered that all men have not the pudeandthe Standard of same standard of excellence, the Excellence same conception of what constitutes perfec- 88 Leadership tion. This is due chiefly to difference in envi- ronment, breeding, education, and training. It, therefore, behooves every officer not to con- demn too quickly a man whose conception of excellence is below the standard on account of the above reasons. What he really needs is to be educated up to the standard you expect before you can get at him through his pride. It is like learning a new language for him — something vmknown to him. If you see that he is earnestly trying but is not coming up to the standard fast enough, don't punish him — encourage him, for encouragement gets better results than driving. So, to use this power of individual pride you must know your men, understand their points of view, and know what has been their previous environment, breeding, education, and training, for it seldom happens that all of these have been the same for any two men. It is suggested as a means of stimulating individual pride in the men of his organiza- The Leader and the Organization 89 tion, that the company commander average up the percentage of efficiency which every man attains in work, drill, neat- APtide ness, orderliness, care of clothing "n"«n and equipment, etc., during a period of two weeks, posting the results on the bulletin board in groups according to merit, one group containing men who average from 90 to 100 per cent., another group from 80 to 90 per cent., another from 70 to 80 per cent., and so on down. Thus is an incentive furnished for men to attain proficiency and climb to a higher group. There is also some danger in a plan of this kind that the poorer ones, who need the most help, may get discouraged. It requires great care and watchfulness when put into practice. His pride in his individual record is another strong factor in influencing the conduct of a soldier. If the idea of a clean prideinhis slate and an honorably completed service is frequently kept before an organiza- 90 Leadership / ■/ tion it will have a strong effect in keeping its" members from committing offenses thap will impair their records. Officers should have the greatest hesitancy in permitting tlie first . blot to appear upon a man's record. If the dread of the first offense is strongly implanted in the mind of a soldier it will perhaps never be committed. It should be remembered that the first offense is the hardest to commit. If a soldier has once stained his record, how- ever, he is apt to be more indifferent as to whether or not he stains it again. Organization Pride The pride of the soldier in his organization is 'just as strong a lever as his personal pride. How to I* underlies morale and esprit de corps. The mechanics of it are simple. They consist primarily of inculcat- ing the spirit of loyalty and superiority in an organization and using the good influence of The Leader and the Organization 91 the majority to hold. the weaker minority or the straggling few up to the standard set. The mainspring of the machinery is the organ- ization commander. He sets the pace and by his example and words inspires loyalty, supe- riority, cooperation, and cheerfulness. The secret of its operation is the non-commis- sioned officer, who is the emissary of good will, the bond of union, between the leader and the rank and file. Obviously much depends on the spirit of close cooperation, harmony, and mutual helpfulness that exists between the officers and their non-commissioned officers. The company commander might look upon his non-commissioi^ed officers as the elder brothers of the family, who share ^he com- with the father the responsibility '"^ "° '^ of bringing up, caring for, and teaching the younger members. First of all he implants in them the doctrine of loyalty, superiority, and cooperation — not once but continually 92 Leadership and in as many ways as he knows how. He meets them in conference at least once a week or oftener, if necessary, — not stiff formal con- ferences, but family meetings where everyone is at his ease. He encourages them to talk- He asks their opinions and shows that he values them. He discusses with them mat- ters for the good of the organization. He dwells on attaining superiority and excel- lence, thereby lajmig the corner-stone and foundation of organization pride. He speaks of loyalty, cooperation, and the im- portance of the strict observance of military courtesy. To the first sergeant and the duty sergeants he speaks of excelling in drill and work, of Organization snap and appearance, of keeping Pride and the non-com- up the interest of the men. To missioned Officers the supply sergeant he talks of the importance of well-fitting shoes and clothing, of equipment always being in the pink of condition and of system in his storeroom and The Leader and the Organization 93 records. With the mess sergeant he discusses menus, expenditures, the preparation of food and its service. The company clerk he tells of the good impression it makes to always have reports and information requested turned in promptly. To the corporals he talks about squad pride and the responsi- bility that rests squarely upon the shoulders of each corporal in every last detail pertaining to the men of his squad, in barracks and out. He drives it all home by telling them that these are the deeds by which their organiza- tion will be judged and known. He gives them a slogan for the organization which they are to keep constantly fresh in their minds and in the minds of the men. He tells them* that every last man, from the first sergeant to the newest recruit must be .proud to be a member of that particular organization. Then to the entire organization he con- stantly hammers home the creed of superior- 94 Leadership ity and loyalty. He tells them about the chain that is no stronger than its weakest link Spreading the — ^the wsak link being the man who Doctrine to the Company gives Way undcr stress and does something which brings discredit on the entire organization. He points out that no man can go A. W. O. L., get in the guardhouse, appear sloppy at drill or inspection, perform his duties in a slovenly or an indifferent way, or fail to salute, without his act reflecting dis- credit on them all. He tells them that there must be no weak link in the chain — that it must be the duty of every man to watch for it and that to be a weak link means disgrace and disloyalty. He endeavors to put in the mind of each man a fear of the anger and gibes of his fellows that is greater than fear of pun- ishment. And so, on the foundation which he has already laid with the non-commissioned officers, he builds the structure of organiza- tion pride. There are many other things that can be The Leader and the Organization 95 builded into the structure of organization pride. Among them are pride in the prowess of its athletes, the skill of its rifle other Ele- ments in Or- team or gun crews, its baseball, "'"animation football, or basketball team, its to'y— ^radll glee club or orchestra, its boxers, the appearance of its day room or grounds, its entertainers, its mascots, its mess, its records and traditions. Every company should have its history and traditions pre- pared in the form of a brief lecture to be read to alt new men as soon as practical after join- ing the organization. This lecture should include accounts of the battles participated in and the deeds of bravery performed by its members, with the reward and recognition and the names of former men or oflficers who have gained distinction by high rank or other- wise. Pictures of these men should be pro- cured and hung in the day room or company office, suitably framed. Every company might well have its own history calendar on 96 Leadership which is noted the days in the year on which it participated in engagements or on which one or more of its members distinguished themselves. On these days the company commander might well read at reveille or retreat an account of the event for which the day is commemorated. The traditions of the organization should often be referred to by the company commander in his talks to the men. These traditions furnish a strong hold on the conduct of the men. Punishment The matter of punishment is one of the most important features of military adminis- Discipiinary ^^ation and one deserving of care- TZ^Mo. ful study on the part of all officers, omman ers Under Army Regulations the Com- missioned officer and particularly the company commander is vested with much authority in administering ptmishment for breaches of discipline and rules. The legal sanction The LeEuler and the Organization 97 for this exercising of disciplinary power exists in the 104th Article of War, and reads in part as follows: Art. 104. Under such regulation as the Presi- dent may prescribe and which he may from time to time revoke, alter, or add to, the Commanding Officer of any detachment, company, or higher command may, for minor offenses not denied by the accused, impose disciplinary punishments upon persons of his command without interven- tion of a court-martial, unless the accused de- mands trial by court-martial. . . . The disciplinary punishments authorized by this article may include admonition, reprimand, withholding of privileges, extra fatigue, and restriction to certain specified limits, but shall not include forfeiture of pay or confinement under guard. It is obvious from the above that the com- pany commander has adequate authority for the adoption of disciplinary measures that will meet all offenses not of a serious nature. The object of every company commander, g8 Leadership and in fact of every line officer, should be to use company punishment whenever it is Com an possiblc to obtain the desired re- martial only in last extremities. There are many good reasons, both direct and psy- chological, for this policy. Continual trials in an organization, and the publicity which they entail, disrupt organization pride. Every time that a captain has to call for out- side help in the form of court-martial, except in grave cases, he admits his own inferiority as a leader and his inability to manage his organization. People would have ^^ery little respect for a father who was continually obliged to resort to the police courts to con- trol his family. Thus it is obvious that by frequently resorting to court-martial the company commander sacrifices one of his most valuable assets, the respect of his men and his strongest hold on them. Justice is more apt to be met through com- The Leader and the Organization 99 pany punishments, for the reason that the company commander should know his men better than the summary court The Guard- house a officer and also know what form Last Resort of punishment would be most effective in individual cases. There also exists the danger of destroying a soldier's interest and self-respect by putting him in confinement when justice can be equally well served by another method which would be just as effec- tive in the way of punishment without invoking the stigma of the guardhouse. This is particularly important in the case of first offenders. The greatest reticence should be felt in resorting to guardhouse punishment for the first time and it should only be done after everything else has failed to produce the de- sired results. A capable leader should have very little need for guardhouse punishment. Paragraph 333 of the Manual The m. cm. on Company for Courts-martial covers this Punishment subject very clearly in official language : loo Leadership While courts-martial are the judicial ma- chinery provided by law for the trial of military offenses, the law also recognizes that the legal power of command, when wisely and justly ex- ercised to that end, is a powerful agency for the maintenance of discipline. Courts-martial and the disciplinary powers of commanding ofi&cers have their respective fields in which they most effectually function. The tendency, however, is to resort unnecessarily to courts-martial. To invoke court-martial jurisdiction rather than to exercise this power of command in matters to which it is peculiarly applicable and effective, is to choose the wrong instrument, disturb un- necessarily military functions, injure rather than maintain discipline, and fail to exercise an au- thority the use of which develops and increases the capacity for command. . . . the commanding officer of a detach- ment, company, or higher command will usually dispose of and may award disciplinary punish- ment for any offense committed by any enlisted man of his command which would ordinarily be disposed of by summary court-martial, when the accused does not deny that he committed the offense and does not demand trial by court- The Essen- tials of Com- pany Punish- ment The Leader and the Organization loi martial before the commanding officer has made and announced his decision in the case. Much of the effectiveness of company punishment lies in the manner in which it is administered. Justice, firmness, impartiality, and promptness are the essentials. The second para- graph of Army Regulations reads : Military authority will be exercised with firm- ness, kindness, and justice. Punishment must conform to the law and follow offenses as promptly as circumstances permit. The leader who keeps these points firmly in his mind when administering punishment needs no other guidance except his under- standing of the personality of the man before him. Justice can always be insured by a thor- ough personal investigation of the offense by the officer who is to administer justice the punishment. He should remember that 102 Leadership it is better that the offense go unpunished than that an innocent man should be pun- ished through mistake. Firmness does not imply undue severity. It does not mean getting excited or talking Firmness loudty or wrathfully announcing the punishment before other members of the organization. Such a procedure only arouses resentment in the soldier, which is far from conducive to the establishment of discipline. Too often military offenses are wrongly re- garded and treated by officers in the light of a personal matter. Firmness does mean that an officer should talk to an offender in a calm and dignified Firmness and ^ay and privately, either in his Effectiveness jv» , -j Tj. office or to one side. It means pointing out to the offender the nature of his offense and in a kind and dignified manner, deprecating the necessity for punishment, calling attention to the fact that better things were expected of the offender, and that his The Leader and the Organization 103 offense is not alone a violation of military discipline, but a violation of the confidence placed in him by his officers and fellow sol- diers whereby he has cast a stigma upon the name of the organization. If an offender can be made to see this clearly and made ashamed of his offense the effectiveness of his punish- ment has been doubled. Never let a man leave an interview with a feeling of resentment against you or with a feeling that the punishment meted Fairness in Administering out to him is unjust. Always give Punishment him plenty of opportunity to talk and to state his case fully, first warning him that untruth- fulness will gain him nothing and only mean extended punishment if found out. If his mind fails to grasp the fact that he has of- fended, as is often the case, show him the harm that would result to him and the organization in a crisis or in battle if discipline were not so well upheld and practiced at all times as to become a habit- Picture tp him I04 Leadership what would happen if his offense were com- mitted by all the men in the organization or if it were repeated by himself. Make it clear to him that punishment is not a per- sonal matter but a matter of discipline for the good of the whole organization. When you end the interview do so by giving him a few words of encouragement and advice. On the other hand, this must not be con- strued as favoring, coddling, or pampering. No Coddling Too much Overlooking, too flimsy or Half-way Measures or halting mcthods, and too much preaching where it will do no good are abso- lutely inimical to good discipline. There should be no half-way measures in administer- ing punishment and this is especially true in the case of a willfully insubordinate or mu- tinous soldier. The soldier who deliberately lies ,to escape punishment should be dealt with severely. The only way to enforce the authority of the non-commissioned officer is The Leader and the Organization 103 to punish soldiers reported by them as being guilty of ofiEenses. It should always be remembered that the non-commissioned officer is the backbone of discipline. It only breaks the punishment authonty and the gnp of a non- non-com- missioned commissioned officer to have an oacer oflEender whom he has reported to the com- pany commander talk himself out of pun- ishment. If any adjustment is deemed advisable in the matter it should be to the satisfaction of the non-commissioned officer and should at least contain a reprimand for the offender in the presence of the non-commis- sioned officer. If you find that a non-com- missioned officer is in the wrong, it is best for discipline not to let it appear in that light before the man he has reported for punish- ment. Settle the matter as tactfully as you know how, impressing upon the man that any disobedience to a non-commissioned officer constitutes an offense punishable by io6 Leadership court-martial; that the responsibility for the right or the wrong of an order given by a non-commissioned officer rests upon yourself and the non-commissioned officer. Later on have a confidential talk with the non-com- missioned officer and- clearly express your views as to his error. In this way you have upheld discipline, backed up the authority of your non-commissioned officer, adjusted the matter without harm being done, and at the same time privately corrected your non- commissioned officer. The impartial administration of punish- ment is a matter which brings into play the Equal Sood judgment of a company itomeTame commandcr and his knowledge and understanding of the men in his organization. Here again the personal equation of the officer enters largely. It might be well in the interest of fairness to all for the commanding officer of every organiza- tion to formulate a list of the kind and amount The Leader and the Organization 107 of punishment to be administered for the various minor offenses. For example, every hour that a man overstays a pass would re- quire two hours of fatigue duty; every minute that a man is late for formation would require an hour of fatigue duty; unshaven, shoes un- shined, hair not cut, spots on uniform, rifle or other equipment not clean or in order, etc., at inspection, parade, or guard mount — six hours of fatigue duty ; slovenly bunk or bunk not made for inspection — six hours of fatigue duty; for failure to perform duty properly — ten hours fatigue duty. Thus every man will know exactly what to expect for any offense which he commits and if the schedule is rigidly adhered to, there will be no claim of partiality on the part of anyone concerned. It is believed, however, that in this matter the recruit should be shown more considera- tion than the old soldier. In fact, in any plan of this kind, good judgment, an under- standing of the individuals concerned, their io8 Leadership reaction to the form of punishment and the circumstances of the offense, should enter as controlling factors. It might be well to take up here the matter of kitchen police duty as a form of punish- ment. This is a much debated Fitchen Comply subject, and it is the beUef of the punisiiment -^^gj.^ jjj which he is Upheld by a large number of able and experienced officers, that it is inadvisable to prescribe kitchen police duty as punishment. One of the main reasons in support of this contention is that it places a stigma upon kitchen police duty which has a tendency to make all men who perform it feel that they are belittling or lowering themselves. Naturally there will be long periods when kitchen police duty will have to be done by the men as straight duty and it is believed that it should be presented to them as an opportunity to gain an insight into the workings of the kitchen, to increase their knowledge of the preparation and cook- The Leader and the Ofganization 109 ing of food so that if necessary any one in the organization might perform the duty of a cook or in time of a mess sergeant. This places the work on a higher plane and fur- nishes every man with an interest and incen- tive in performing kitchen police duty. Men should be detailed to the work by roster, preferably a squad under its corporal each week. There are plenty of other disagreeable tasks which can be assigned for punishment in fatigue hours. There are floors to be scrubbed, windows to be washed, washrooms and latrines to be cleaned, cellars to be swept up, wood to be chopped, gutters to be cleaned, porches, steps, and walks to be scrubbed, and innumerable other things. Restricting a man's liberty until all of his fatigue duty is performed makes this method of company ptmishment still more effectual. In the experience of practically every com- pany commander there will occur cases when it will prove to the best interest of the ser- no Leadership vice to defer punishment upon an individual, although as a rule promptness is essential. Punishment ^ Company commander of many coirtr'uctive y^ars' experience relates a story of Reasons ^ ^^^ ^j^^ was a f requcnt offender. The officer realized that punishment in the case would be of little avail, for the man would probably spend most of his time in the guardhouse and the few interims in getting into trouble. The case reached a crisis when the company commander called the man into his office and asked him if he could think of one single reason why he should worry with him any longer, having already given him every opportunity to reform. The man could not think of even a solitary reason, but insisted that he had done his best. The officer explained that he realized under what a handicap the man was struggling and pointed out to him that the way to win the battle was to conquer the first suggestion in his own mind to yield to things he should not do. As a The Leader and the Organization in result of this man-to-man talk, the soldier stated that his captain had given him a new point of view and that he was willing to stand by the results of another chance. He made no promises except that he would try as he had never tried before and that if he failed he would not whine but take the punish- ment which he deserved. The officer gave him his chance and the man did not fail. He remained for three years in the or- ganization of this officer and was an ex- cellent soldier. It was no doubt the care- ful handling of the man's case, and helping him in his struggle instead of punishing him that made a man of him instead of a total loss to the service. It is cases of this kind which will try an officer's inge- nuity and patience to the utmost, but which if won may be well classe'S as worthy victories and the finest examples of true leadership. To sum up, punishment to reach the maxi- 112 Leadership mum eflfectiveness should meet the following requirements: The Main (a) CotTective in nature so as to Requitements otAdminis- bring an offender to a full realiza- tration of Punishment tion of his mistake and to cause him to reach a determination not to re- peat it. (b) Adequate and proportionate to the offense, neither so severe as to stir a general resentment against discipline, nor so lenient as to be ineffectual. (c) Wisely, intelligently, and promptly administered. (d) Company punishment for all infrac- tions which would ordinarily go to the summary court. (e) Court-martial for serious offenses only, and when all other measures have failed. (f) Deferred or withheld punishment in extraordinary cases only, when in the judg- ment of the organization commander the case might be helped by such a course. The Leader and the Organization 113 Discipline The word discipline is derived from the same ancient root as the word disciple, which means a "willing follower." Dis- Discipline andDemoc- cipline is one of the most misin- racy— our ITational preted and misunderstood words Discipline in the English language. Very commonly it is believed to represent something that is opposed to freedom of conduct and demand- ing the curtailment of personal liberty, when if the truth were known it is the very basis of true democracy. Our Republic is founded on principles of freedom and liberty and its founders were men who held these sterling principles high enough to fight for and die for. But there is an essential ingredient in these principles which is nothing short of discipline. Obedience to the laws and respect for the rights and property of others are a manifesta- tion of national discipUne. The antithesis of national discipline is mob rule. No finer 114 Leadership example of national discipline exists than the way in which America adapted itself to food regulations during the Worid War. Thus discipline is merely another name for self- control and obedience to law and order. It has been said that it is most difficult to instill a proper conception of the value of The Young discipHne in the American soldier, American and Discipline morc SO than in the soldier of almost any other nation. The difficul- ty, however, can be greatly overcome by the use of intelligent American methods. The average young American on reaching the age of eighteen or twenty years feels pretty much of a sovereign to himself and possesses rather a broad conception of the scope of freedom. He is free to go and come when and where he pleases, he makes up his mind as he pleases, his work is largely regulated by his ambition or his pocket-book. He forms his own ties and his daily life and habits are not regulated by any authority other than neces- The Leader and the Organization 115 sity and his own desire. Naturally he does not grasp the old-world conception of military discipline and it would be folly to present it to him as a force which he is compelled to blindly obey. This only incurs his resent- ment. Discipline must be presented to the Amer- ican soldier in an entirely different light. He should be taught that discipline The Proper Presentation is the true spirit of an orderly »« Discipline democracy; that discipline is one of the noblest things in life for it is only another name for perfect self-control ; that instead of a hardship it is merely a habit which when cultivated means a well-regulated life; that it is only by the discipline of self that one gains power to lead his fellows; that it stands for equal privileges and rights; that self -disci- pline always stands by a man and is his best friend in a crisis; that it is not a driving or grinding force which reduces all men to the level of automatons but a mighty power ii6 Leadership which makes every man a potential leader and unifies action to the sure achievement of a great purpose; that it is one of the finest ways in which a man can express his patriotism and his loyalty; that to be really helpful and of value to the individual it must be entirely voluntary — cheerful and willing; that dis- cipline and all connected with it must be looked upon as a part of an education or schooHng and entered into in that spirit; that it is the ideal sought for in military ser- vice, the very soul of armies; that the army without this soul is an easily routed mob and that the army possessing it is a mighty fighting force; that discipline is unity of ac- tion and unity of action is power, might, and victory. Both individual and organization pride are particularly good points to use in presenting ptide and the matter of discipline as well as Example Aids to Discipline jn maintaining it. The American soldier responds quickly when approached The Leader and the Organization 117 through the medium of pride — ^it is gener- ally a vulnerable side of him. The force of example also plays a strong part in establishing good discipline. On the other hand, the discipline of force is antagonistic to our national character. Even in childhood discipline means order and reconciliation to normal exigencies and habits of coordination and con- Discipline Develops tentment. In manhood there is character no complete usefulness nor enjoyment with- out discipline and hence the connection be- tween discipline and morale. It should be understood that discipline is not intended to kill character, but to develop it. Not only is the interpretation of discipline — the presenting it in the finest and truest light, an important duty of every Knowledge of Ideals and leader, but in order that he may Manifesta- tions of do this it is essential that he Discipline should first fix in his own mind the high prin- ciples and ideals of discipline in an army of ii8 Leadership democracy. He must gain understanding and appreciation of the things which are the outward manifestations of good discipline — of cheerful and willing obedience. He must leam that neatness, orderliness, cleanliness, work well done, good saluting, prompt carry- ing out of orders, are among the outward manifestations of discipline — the way a sol- dier has of saying that he is proud to be a soldier and that he respects his leaders. The leader must watch his own self-discipline so that he constantly sets a worthy example and puts himself in the frame of mind of the parent, not over-indulgent, not over-severe, but with the welfare of his family dominating his words and acts. Discipline without fair- ness and without the proper conception and administration by disciplinarians is worthless. The stricter the discipline under an officer who fails to convince, who fails to be fair, and who fails to imbue in his men that it is all con- ceived with the idea of saving their lives on The Leader and the Organization 119 the battlefield and that he will share their danger and their hardships, or that he will do, or has done at some time in his life, every kind of task he sets for them, the more grudging becomes the work of the men. Often a feel- ing of dislike, even of hatred, takes the place of the intense loyalty which should be the mainstay of every good soldier. As in all things shared in common by a large number of men, there is fellowship in dis- cipline. It might even be called The Fellow- ship of one of the bonds of fellowship of Discipline the big military fraternity. According to the perfection they have gained in its practice all of the members of the fraternity are known — privates and generals. The more that men are made to feel a part of and a pride in a big fraternity, the greater will be their loyalty, the better their discipline, and the higher their morale. Thus with the salute — many men regard the rendering of a salute as a sign of homage I20 Leeulership or vassaldom, but if they are imbued with the idea that it is the symbol of greeting The Spirit of between the men of a big, loyal, the Salute ^^^ patriotic fraternity, men who have one and all pledged their lives to the defense of their country, and instead of being a sign of inferiority that it is an honored tradition and a bond of the fraternity and the equality of true worth, they will be proud to salute. It would be well to point out that the same salute is prescribed for all. Natu- rally it is necessary that one man give the sign first and this, instead of being the duty, is the privilege of the junior. It is the duty incum- bent upon the senior to return the salute in the prescribed manner. If the soldier can be brought to realize that the salute has thus become a symbol of democracy, a dignified exchange of courtesy between men who are bound together by the ties of military service and in which no one else shares, rather than a relic of autocracy and feudalism, he will re- The Leader and the Organization 121 gard it as something particularly and pecul- iarly his own. Men should be told a soldier is known by the way he salutes. The man who dodges the salute or performs it in a AstheSaiute so Ib the shamefaced or half-hearted way soWier signifies that he is ashamed of himself and the uniform he wears and brings discredit not only upon himself, but upon his organization and arm of the service. But the soldier who looks the man he is saluting squarely in the eyes as if to say : " I am every inch as much a soldier as you are" -and salutes with snap, brings credit on himself, his organization, and arm of the service. An officer on meeting such a soldier instinctively says to himself, "I wonder to what organization that soldier belongs." It might be well for officers to occasionally find this out and compliment such men. Officers will do well to check up on their own salutes and see that they conform strictly 122 Leadership with the I. D. R. It is to be remembered that there is only one salute for the officer Officers' ^^^ *^^ soldier. If perfection is Salutes ^ ^g expected in the soldier the example must be set by the officer. Unfor- tunately there is occasionally to be found an officer who salutes with a pipe, cigarette, or cigar in his mouth or with his left hand in his overcoat pocket. Rest assured that if the officer who does it could hear the "compH- mentary" remarks of the men for his benefit he would probably mend his ways. Then there is the salute embodying two motions of the arm from the head gear to the side, which some officers adopt, but which is not to be found in the I. D. R. Just as good saluting symbolizes good dis- cipline, so do neatness, orderliness, and Neatness, cleanlincss. Nine times - out of Ordeniness, «e Manif«- ^^n the most efficient and best tationsof j- • i- j Discipline disaplmcd company m a regi- ment is the one that presents the neat- The Leader and the Organization 123 est and best appearance. Likewise the in- spector, who looks over a company and finds the men unshaven with hair untrimmed, grease spots on their blouses, dirt on their shoes, equipment in poor shape and worn with a lack of uniformity, knows that the discipline, instruction, and general efficiency of the company will correspond with its ap- pearance. And so with the mess hall, kitchen, squad room, day room — they aU bespeak the discipline and efficiency of the organization. Neatness in military life is a prime virtue. Everything about a military organization ought to be a model of neatness, orderli- ness, and perfect arrangement, and it ought to be a matter of pride on the part of officers to see that it is so. One of the most helpful things that an officer can do in this -respect is to set an example in his personal appearance and the appearance of his quarters. The whole matter is one requiring scrupulous care, constant vigi- 124 Leadership lance, and much ingentiity on the part of officers. Under discipline comes the matter of privi- leges. The organization which can boast of Granting *^® ^^^* discipline is not the one Privileges -^ which the minimum of privi- leges is granted to avoid trouble, but the one in which the maximum of privileges is granted with the certainty that they will not be abused. The proper use of privileges is a sure test of the discipline of an organization. If 20% of the men are habitually granted passes and 20% habitually return on time, having made proper, profitable, and orderly use of the time spent on pass, that organization is invariably a well-disciplined organization. Withholding privileges in an organization, except as punishment for offenses, bespeaks an incapable officer in command whose influ- ence with his men is so poor and weak that it ends when they are out of his sight. In the same category of inefficiency is The Leader and the Organization 125 the officer who surrounds himself with an atmosphere of aloofness and seeing the Company artificial superiority, building up commander barriers between himself and his men, never permitting them the privilege of a personal interview. Such officers are a detriment to the service. They are either too weak in character or personality to want to risk an interview from which they will emerge at a disadvantage, too much of the martinet to be interested in the affairs of the men entrusted to their care, or blindly ignorant to the best interests of the service. An officer of many years' experience as a company commander in the old Regular Army said: I allowed my men to come to see me personally at my office or at my house, at any time from reveille in the morning to nine o'clock prom Reveiiie at night. They, of course, got per- *" «• ^•*'- mission from the first sergeant and he had confidential instructions never to refuse that 126 Leeulership permission provided the man was sober. I have frequently got up from a dinner party where I was entertaining others, to go to the door and hear what my men had to say, and I want to tell you that never in my fifteen years as a company commander was that privilege ever abused. It entailed, of course, much work for me, many times some slight annoyance, but a company commander who does not place his company before all other considerations is not fit to be a captain. We had another rule in the company that was insisted on at all times, and that was our motto: "All for one and one for all." When my men got into trouble or were arrested in town, the first person they called up on the telephone was the captain. They always told me frankly and fully what the trouble was; why they were arrested, and felt absolutely sure that I would do everything I could for them and they also realized that while I might occasionally give them hell myself, I would not stand idly by and see anybody else do it. Undoubtedly the best plan is to require all men to obtain permission from the first ser- geant before seeing the company commander, The Leader and the Organization 127 but the first sergeant ought to have direct and explicit instructions never to refuse this permission unless he himself has Handling authority to adjust the matter to the man's complete satisfaction, reporting as soon thereafter as practicable to the company commander the steps taken by him. The average run of the matters on which men will want to see the company commander are complaints of one nature or another or re- quests for privileges. The keynote of suc- cess in handling them is absolute fairness combined with tact and the exercise of good judgment. Too much encouragement can not be given nor yet can they be entirely ignored. Often the complaints will be against non-commissioned officers and not infrequently wiU they be well founded. In- vestigation will probably be necessary and the final adjustment and disposition will be a test of an officer's ability as a leader. He must keep constantly in mind the necessity 128 Leadership of supporting non-commissioned officers, who are the backbone of discipline, but who are not to be repeatedly supported at the ex- pense of justice to the men. As has already been said the discipline of the army of a democracy cannot be the dis- Discipiine cipline of the "mailed fist." The and the . . , . Relationship goal sought for IS a disciplmc, the of Officers and Soldiers components of which are respect for the leaders, confidence in justice and fair- ness, and the compulsion of moral force. To be a leader and obtain discipline under this formula requires backbone, character, and moral courage. It means firmness, determi- nation, and decision without crushing severity or overbearing mastery. It means a relation- ship of kindness and interest that is not coddling, weakening, or patronizing. It means maintaining "the distinction that pre- vails in all armies between officers and men" without resorting to barriers or artificiality and yet perpetuating the human touch and The Leader and the Organization 129 the spirit of fellowship. Men have as little respect for an officer who obviously forgets his place as officers have for men who ob- viously forget theirs. The spirit of this is splendidly expressed in the words of a suc- cessful company commander: I have always held that a company commander, to get the best results, must be on conversational terms with his men. I don't mean familiar, but I mean that when a company commander has occasion to talk to one of his men, that man must know his company commander so well that he can talk to him freely and frankly without any embarrassment or any fear. In the field there has never been a time when I could not go to the camp fires of my men, sit down in the circle with them, and smoke my pipe without embarrassing them or without any men presuming to address any remarks to me or at me. I always made it a point in the field to eat the same ration that the men got ; as a captain of infantry I always walked although there were many times when I could have had a horse, and when I wanted to march twenty-three or twenty-four miles a day (and I I30 Leadership have done that frequently) all I have had to do was to tell the men at the start, " Men. we have got twenty-four miles to do, let's go," and there would be no stragglers. One thing which is positively inimical to good discipline in any self-respecting organiza- Nicknames ^^^^ ^^ *^^ ^^^ °^ profane and vile and Profanity ^g^Qg^g^gg jjy jj^gjj Qr nOD-COm- missioned officers. In the army of a great cosmopolitan nation there is bound to be a vast difference in the men. The environment through which some men have passed may have ingrained in them the habit of profanity and vile language, while to others it is most obnoxious. If the army is to be purged of this sort of thing, just as it has been purged of the menace of the blasphemous drill ser- geant, it is the officers responsible for the organizations in which it exists, who must do it. An organization expresses the person- ality of its commanding officer and there surely is no officer who wants his personality The Lesider smd the Orgeuiization 131 expressed in the originality defying language that is unfortunately sometimes heard around barracks or among men off duty. This is not intended as a sermon nor is it said in prudish- ness, but there is decidedly a reasonable limit to all things. An officer who permits un- bridled license in novelties of language cannot expect other than a similar license in discipline. It also sometimes happens that soldiers use nicknames for certain men of foreign birth or parentage, which are essen- tially a slur upon their race, creed, or nation- ality. Although these men may not resent it outwardly, they feel it inwardly. Instead of being conducive to good morale and esprit de corps it forms a barrier between the men and the organization. In the interest of a loyal and contented organization officers would do well to discourage it. Discipline without the elements of human sympathy and understanding on the part of the leader misses one of its biggest objects 132 Leadership the making of men. In the experience of every officer will come opportunities for the exercise „. . ,. of these virtues. An excellent ex- Disciplme Qoautyof ample of an instance of this na- Sympathy ^^^^ .^ j-qJ^^q^ ]^y ^jj officer of long experience. The action of the officer is especially commendatory for the reason that in so far as the soldier was concerned all was over between him and the service. Among those confined in the guardhouse when I took charge as prison ofiicer was one man whom I was told was an unruly character, insubordinate, and dangerous. As was my custom, I had this man before me individually, shortly after taking charge, had him sit down, and carried on a rather lengthy conversation with him for the purpose of sizing him up. I tried to find out something about his past life and his present outlook. In other words, I wanted to find out how his mind was operating. There was no doubt that the young man was an embryo criminal, disgusted with the world in general, and mentally capable of most anything. I succeeded in getting him to appreciate that his existing environment was the The Le8Lder and the Organization 133 result of his own making, but that there was still an opportunity for him and that even a bad start did not necessarily mean a bad finish. I assured him that if he followed the proper line of conduct, there was no reason why he should not make his mark in the world and that it might be that his experience up to that time would prove to be the best thing for him. In other words, I began to get the young man to think and more or less adroitly directed his thoughts in a way that would be helpful to him. During that conversa- tion, or possibly at some subsequent interview, I assured him of my conjfidence in him as a man and told him that as an evidence of my con- fidence, I hoped to follow his future career. I requested of him that, upon discharge from the guardhouse (and the service, as he was a dis- honorably discharged soldier at the time), he write to me when he had accumulated five thou- sand dollars, or before, if he felt so inclined. I also assured him that his letter would receive a reply. About two years later, I had a very courteous letter from this young man, reminding me of his promise and giving me very cheerful information with regard to himself. Among other things, he stated that he had not as yet laid by five thousarid dollars, but that he had 134 Leadership acquired a wife and baby of whom he was very proud and that he was engaged in a business with his father, which gave excellent promise of pro- viding for himself and family and in a reasonable time, of accruing the stipulated amount. His letter, you may be sure, received a prompt and suitable reply and there is no doubt in my mind that this young man has continued to make good. As has already been stated the non-com- missioned officer is the backbone and main- ThePerma- ^^^^ °^ discipline. It has been syst'emand unqucstlonably proven that the Competition ^^^ plan ioT facilitating the work of the non-commissioned officer in main- taining discipline is the permanent squad system. Also it is undoubtedly the keystone of successful company administration. Under this system, properly carried out, the corporal is made responsible to the company com- mander for the entire supervision of the men of his squad, for their general instruction and behavior, for their appearance, for the con- dition of their squad room and bunks, and for The Leeider and the Organization 135 the care of their equipment. The corporals should, be told that upon their successful management of the seven men in their squads and the degree of proficiency which they at- tain rests their promotion and that the one who excels the others will be the first pro- moted. Thus is squad competition, one of the greatest assets in successful company management, established. An added incen- tive can be furnished every man in the or- ganization by giving specia,! or extra passes to the entire squad which makes the best figure of merit each week or at Saturday inspections. This is a simple matter of administration at the disposal of every company commander and those who do not avail themselves of its use are neglecting a wonderful opportunity. The captain might require his corporals to make a preliminary inspection of their re- spective squads prior to the regular Saturday morning inspection, to inspect the uniform of every man in his squad before going on pass, 136 Leadership and to hold frequent quizzes on various mili- tary subjects. If, at inspection or in fact on any appropriate occasion, the captain finds certain squads have excelled in one way or another he ought to make it a matter for commending the corporal, thereby showing his appreciation and giving every man an incentive. Similarly if he finds any squad deficient he can call the corporal into his office and admonish him. It should not re- quire more than one such experience to put a corporal on his mettle and cause him to re- solve against a repetition. If a corporal rec- ommends a man in his squad for company punishment on account of insubordination or lack of cooperation it ought to be a matter for prompt investigation and action on the part of the company commander. The next important link in this chain is the Responsibility scrgcant, who in turn should be Conducive to Discipline charged with the responsibility of general supervision over the squads in his seg- The Leader and the Organization 137 tion. He should take over certain instruction and work in every way toward having his section better than the others. In dealing with the squads in his section he should be required as far as practicable to exercise his control through the corporals. Likewise the officers in the general management of the company should call upon both the sergeants and corporals. Therein lies the secret of the best use of non-commissioned officers and of really efficient company management. One of the greatest mistakes that an officer can make is to feel that it is incumbent upon him to do the work of every cofporal and sergeant in his organization. The officer who at- tempts to perform the multitudinous duties of all of the sergeants and corporals is on a sure road to failure. Give each non-com- missioned officer his job and put the respon- sibility for its proper accomplishment squarely upon his shoulders. Nursing non-commis- §ioned officers through every step and stage 138 Leadership of their duties only makes weaklings of them and robs them of their initiative and resource- fulness, while, on the other hand, giving them responsibility increases their value to them- selves and the service. It is quite enough for an officer to do to see that the non-commis- sioned officers do their duty and do it well, giving them the necessary instructions, and that the whole scheme of things is properly coordinated and running smoothly and well oiled. The proper instruction of soldiers will go a long way in helping to secure good discipline Instructions and obviating difficulties which originate in sheer ignorance and lack of in- formation. It ought to be remembered that the mind of the soldier is the average human mind and not a prodigy which wiU assimilate the things he is supposed to know as a sponge absorbs water. When I find a man failing to comply with orders [said an officer], before criticising him blindly for The Leader and the Orgeuiization 139 his failure, I look into the character of the in- struction that he has received. More than once I have found that an individual, who was sup- posedly failing to comply with instructions, had in fact done all or more than might have been expected when the nature of the instructions was taken into consideration. We should find out how the other fellow saw the situation. He may honestly have seen it very differently from another. Regulations prescribe the reading of the Articles of War, but the wise officer goes a step further — ^he explains each article relat- ing to soldiers, in detail, encourages questions, and constructs parallelisms for each violation. Instructing soldiers, whether it be in matters pertaining to discipline, drill, ma- teriel, vocational training, or what instructing not, is an essential part of an officer's duty and the better he fits and prepares hiniself for the work, the better will be the results he obtains. The officer -who first fixes clearly in his own mind what he wants and then makes 140 Leadership his instructions clear-cut, plain, and decisive will get corresponding results. Similarly the officer who radiates a thorough grasp and knowledge of the subject in which he is in- structing will inspire the confidence and zeal of his hearers and thereby enhance their desire to learn. This may mean a little brushing up on the subject or some special preparation beforehand, but in the end the results obtained are worth it. SimpHcity of language is a salient point and a thorough understanding of one thing before passing on to the next, regulating the progress of the class to the speed of the slowest to grasp. There need be little fear of repetition, for repetition makes habit. The organization mess is of vital impor- tance and bears a direct relation to the con- The Organ- tcntmcnt, discipline, and morale of the men. It should be the duty of company officers to exercise an intelligent supervision over the mess. Army Regula- The Leader and the Organization 141 tions prescribe that the company commander will supervise the cooking of food and the messing of the men. How often is this lived up to ? Everything pertaining to the kitchen should be subjected to frequent and close inspection — cooking utensils, stoves, dishes, refrigerator, sinks, drainage, etc. All food should be sampled by an of3&cer before being served to the company and the most scrupu- lous cleanliness should be insisted on in its preparation and serving as well as in the cooks themselves. An officer should take an active interest in the procuring of a variety of whole- some food and in the planning of the daily menus. Waste should be eliminated. Watch the garbage can ! It tells a true story of the efficiency of the kitchen. Food poorly pre- pared will not be eaten but thrown out. If garbage cans have too much table refuse or burned food in them it shows inefficiency or lack of attention on the part of cooks and mess sergeant and the responsibility for the con- 142 Leadership dition rests squarely upon the company commander. Many officers who served in the A. E. F. will recall the wonderful spirit of the French The Ten cxprcssed in ' ' The Ten Command- menrof" ^ents of General Foch." Be- General Foch j. .i_ • • j. • • _ii cause of their mtnnsic worth they are given here as a final word on the subject of discipline: 1. Keep your eyes and ears ready and your mouth in the safety notch, for it is your soldierly duty to see and hear clearly, but as a rule you should be heard mainly in the sentry challenge, or in the chargmg cheer. 2. Obey orders first, and if still alive, kick afterward if you have been wronged. 3. Keep your arms and equipment clean and in good order; treat your animals kindly and fairly and your motor or other machine as though it belonged to you and was the only one in the world. 4. Do not waste your ammunition, your The Leader and the OrgSLnization 143 gas, your food, your time, nor your oppor- tunity. 5. Never try to fire an empty gun, nor fire at an empty trench, but when you shoot, shoot to kill, and forget not that at close quarters a bayonet beats a bullet. 6. Tell the truth squarely, face the music, ahd take your punishment like a man; pity and shield the children in your captured territory, for you were once a helpless child. 7. Bear in mind that the enemy is your enemy and the enemy of humanity until he is killed or captured ; then he is your dead broth- er, or your fellow soldier beaten or ashamed, whom you should no further humiliate. 8. Do your best to keep your head clear and cool, your body clean and comfortable, and your feet in good condition, for you think with your head, fight with your body, and march with your feet. 9. Be of good cheer and high courage; shirk neither work nor danger; suffer in 144 Leadership silence and cheer the comrade at your side with a smile. 10. Dread defeat, but not wounds; fear dishonor, but not death, and die game, and whatever the task, remember the motto of the division, "it shall be done." Recreation Providing suitable recreation and amuse- ment for its personnel is one of the big necessi- ties of an army at war or in peace. K„o^,ea ^ oj Recreation means contentment ^^^ and contented soldiers are efficient "**" " ones. This is no longer a secret, but a well- known and well-established fact. During the World War the vast resources of the theatrical profession were liberally and generously thrown into the gap, while large numbers of men experienced in athletic organization work took care of the physical side of recreation, which the busy army officers did not always The Leader aind the Organization 145 have time to attend to. The army officer of to-day will need a practical knowledge of the psychology, phases, and proper use of recrea- tion. The officer who realizes the supreme value of both the physical and amusement phases of recreation and manifests the same interest in them that he does in the purely military aspect of the daily life of his organ- ization is building a solid foundation of good morale. -Appreciating the importance of properly coordinated recreational work in the American army, an Education and Recre- ation Branch has been created in the War Plans Division of the General Staff for this purpose. Said General Peyton C. March, Chief of Staff: Recreation is a military necessity for the production of well-rounded and symmetrically trained officers and enlisted men. It occupies as definite a place in the activities of the army as do such matters as food, clothing, medical attend- 146 Lesulership ance, and tactical training. The army accepts responsibility for the complete twenty-four hours of each day in the lives of its officers and enlisted men, and does not, as do civilian business organ- izations, deal only with the definite eight-hour working period of its personnel. It is a com- monly accepted standard of life that the human being should be given an adequate period of time for recreation. The army will conform to this standard in so far as military necessity permits. Because of the close control it necessarily exer- cises over its personnel, it cannot entrust this period to outside sources, but must itself ac- cept the responsibility for providing adequate recreation. In army camps and posts much is provided in the way of soldier amusements. There are The Amuse- nearly always ' ' movies' ' and often men ase ^jjgj-g a,re shows at the Liberty Theater or huts. These professional activi- ties require little or no special work on the part of company officers, except perhaps the encouragement of their existence. On the other hand, there are forms of purely amuse- The Leader euid the Organization 147 ment activities which do require special interest and fostering on the part of company officers. Among these are smokers, "blow- outs," dances, excursions, and minstrel and other shows got up by the military organiza- tions. In this connection it is to be remem- bered that the interest of the men is always enhanced by those things in which they, themselves, participate or organize. But the interest of the company officers is of para- mount importance in helping and guiding them in every possible way. Their support and their attendance will have a decidedly good effect upon morale. Adequate library facilities are likewise an excellent source of recreation which officers should develop. Athletics, games, and sports of all kinds are another and equally important form of recre- ation. The necessity of all officers xheAtwetio taking a keen interest in it cannot be too strongly emphasized in the interests of good morale. Neither can the value of 148 Lezidership athletic training be overestimated. Com- pany officers will do well to encourage and sponsor it in every way. The interest and enthusiasm of the men will be greatly en- hanced if they know that their officers are observing their prowess and eager for the victory of the team or men representing their organization. Nothing is more conducive to vigorous manhood and to building the very qualities most to be desired in an officer or soldier than the vigorous forms of athletic sport and competition. With it comes physi- cal fitness, alertness, brain and muscle schooled to act together, resourcefulness and the abUity to take care of oneself and to measure one's fitness and skill against an adversary. Every post should have its athletic officer, picked for the work because of his personality and interest in sports and his experience in athletic work. Every post should have its "post " baseball, football, bas- ket ball, and soccer teams, and games should The Leader euid the Orgamization 149 be arranged with other posts or nearby schools and colleges. Besides its tremendous ad- vantage to the men who participate, it is one of the most wonderful things in the world to build morale and esprit de corps. Let the companies have their teams too, and the officers coach them and take a real interest in their work. The purchase of athletic equip- ment from available funds is a legitimate ex- penditure and one of the best that can be made. The numeral or insignia of a company or organ- ization on the shirt of a player or contestant in sport means that every man in that organiza- tion is going to take a keener interest and pride in it. Officers in charge of athletics should provide recreational athletics for every man under their control rather than limiting this phase of recreation to a few picked athletics. Education It has frequently been stated that disa- pline is the mainstay of armies and this is 150 Leeuiership undoubtedly absolutely accurate as far as it goes, but the foundation and buttress of the . .. , successful armies of to-day and to- Intelligence Is ' Hon^rMod- morrow are not only discipline but ern Armies ^^ intelligence. Warfare is no longer a matter of preponderance of ntrni- bers, but of skill and brains — not only of the skill and brains of the generals and leaders, but of the individuals who compose the rank and file. Modem warfare is machine warfare and the effective operation of its machines requires a high grade of individual intelli- gence. The majority of the arms of the service comprise much that is more or less technical— much that requires skill and brains. The understanding of orders, problems, issues involved, purposes, and aims, all call for men of intelligence. The problem then becomes: How is the army going to obtain this class of men in sufficient numbers? The days are past when large numbers of men will enter the military establishment in time of peace for the The Lezider and the Organization 151 possible hope of adventure. There will al- ways be a certain number who will answer to that appeal, but not enough to make an army. This means that the army has got to compete with the advantages offered young men in civil life — that there must be a lure beyond the one of dollars and cents. It must em- body the prevalent spirit of the yoimg American to progress — it must gratify his desire to get more out of life and to get ahead. The War Department is endeavoring to solve the problem in education and voca- tional training. A branch of the Teaching War Plans Division has been given the big task of carrying out the work of education and vocational training in the army. The time is not far distant when every camp and post will be an educational institution where young men may come and "earn while they learn." The work of carrying out this splen- did program so that the full measure of sue- 152 Leaidership cess will be met and so that the individual will be given all the advantages to which he is entitled is a duty which will devolve more or less on every officer in the army. The officer who is a good teacher will become an asset to the service, and every officer will need to give serious thought to the whole subject of educa- tion. From the standpoint of leadership there is a big psychological principle involved — the influence and hold which the good teacher subconsciously exercises over his pupils. Through this influence he can be- come a definite constructive force in the Uves of his pupils. Nearly everyone has felt this magic force during his school days. It is partly the psychology of giving — the impart- ing of knowledge, partly the guiding of minds in new channels and partly the interest which the teacher manifests in his pupils. To be a good teacher means that one must study. It also means patience and interest in the work. The Leader and the Organization 153 Singing The value of singing in raising the morale of troops has been amply demonstrated in the World War and oflScers will do well singing and Cheerfulness to grasp and use this great psy- Are as Potent as Grinmess chological force. With singing or Grit come cheerfulness and forgetfulness of hard- ships. Cheerfulness is as potent a factor in an army as grimness or grit and is the only entrance into the realm of enthusiasm. It follows that men who will sing together will generally stand, endure, and fight together. Let a man break out in song near the end of a weary march and others pick it up. Watch the eyes brighten, the steps quicken, and instead of bringing a disgruntled and fagged organization into camp you will bring a light- hearted and cheerful one. A man who can sing spontaneously and get others to sing is a real prize in an organization. Encourage him to ply his gift in the barracks or on the march 154 Leadership and encourage the others to sing — all kinds of songs — songs about themselves, their com- pany, their regiment, their country. Set them an example by writing the words of a song set to some popular tune and urge them to do likewise. There is a wonderful fellow- ship in singing — it knits men closer together. Humor Humor like singing is a valuable psycho- logical force. It is a well-known fact that the How the company with a "natural bom" Comedian Helps comedian is usually a more cheer- ful and contented one. It gets the far- thest on the march with the least visible effort or grumbling. A comedian can throw it into an uproar of laughter when packs seem heavy or the road runs uphill so that the men forget their troubles and the world becomes a good, funny, old world after all. A bit of humor will save a bad or a try- ing situation ninety-nine times out of a hun- The Leader and the Organization 155 dred. It is one of the finest American virtues. Our men possess it and all it needs to blossom out is a little encouragement. If you can get men to see the humor in something or other in the face of danger you have got a calm and collected company. It banishes the tense- ness and sense of danger. It puts their feet on the earth and their heads on their shoulders. They know where their arms are and remem- ber what they have been taught. Confi- dence, coolness, alertness all come with a breath of humor. Humor in the face of adversity, hardship, and suffering is notning more nor less than courage. It is an incen- tive to action and adds power to resistance and endurance. Said Coningsby Dawson in France: "Pretty well every man I have met out here has the amazing guts to wear his crown of thorns as though it were a cap and bells." The army that can laugh at hardship and adversity possesses a spirit that cannot be beaten. One battle, one campaign may be 156 Leadership lost, but the unbeatable spirit holds on to its belief in a final victory. The Soul of an Army Sherman said: "An army has a soul as well as a man." The superlative in leadership, The So eria- *^^ ^3^ Step in the cvolution of a ership— ***' leader is acquiring the knowledge soau°an * of how to fccl and sway this mighty soul of an army to the achievement of victory. Most great military leaders since history's dawn have possessed this knowledge and used it. Call it soul, spirit, inspiration, state of mind, fanaticism, or what you will, they all mean one and the same thing. The leader who has learned to know that spirit, soul, or state of mind has won his master's degree in leadership. An American general said ; There are many means of appeal to this spirit; you must learn to use them. You can make The Leader and the Orgemization 157 lagging footsteps quicken and fatigue-dulled minds brighten, just as martial music will make a jaded column spring to life; the men are no less tired, but new nerve forces have supervened and made them forget the fatigue. This soul is as susceptible to bad influences as to good. How disastrous if the leader offend it. How impor- tant that he be in touch with it and treat it in- telligently. Napoleon once said : If I had enough humpbacks in an army to make a regiment, enough negroes to make a battalion, enough dumb men to make a company, I would so organize them. No stimulus is more potent than the pride of men who have a common bond, either of race, nationality, color, or even afflic- tion. Men thus put together want to show the rest of the army their extreme capability. France, England, and Germany practiced this rule. Alexander inspired his army by appeals to the age-long hatred of the Greeks for the Persians, by hints of relief from the poverty 158 Leadership of Macedonia in the limitless wealth of Darius. Later he made his soldiers of Macedonia co- Aiexander partners in his claim to divine and Hannibal Played on the honors. He ' ' wrought their mmds Soul of their Armies to the task before them!" Han- nibal, on the crest of the Alps, pointed out Italy in the distance, and told his shivering soldiers that they stormed here, not only the walls of Italia, but the "walls of false Rome, cause of all Carthage misfortunes in the past" — and he, also, as Livy states it, "brought the minds of the soldiers" to the crossing of the snow-filled passes. Yet Alex- ander and Hannibal, each, trained their respective armies before launching their campaigns, and the very training camp ' ' con- tests" of 1918 were in use in 400 B.C. Caesar appealed to the high devotion of the Roman citizen soldier, to his egoism — his casarKnew sense of Superiority, which could the Soul of his Legions not tolcrate inferiority in military ■ — and in successive campaigns to the soldiifir's The Leader and the Organization 159 love of glory and achievement. The ideal of invincibility was strengthened in the Caesarean legions until it governed every act, and persisted for nearly half a thousand years. Mohammed welded the wild, wandering tribesmen of Arabia into a conquering army by two means: The magic power Mohammed of fanaticism and by an appeal to '"^a™* by , . 1 . , . , Fanaticism poverty-stricken, desert-weaned men. They were to carry the true faith to aU mankind, slay those who would not ac- cept, and if, in carrying the true faith, they f eU — ^it was to go to such a paradise as would give them bliss through all eternity. He made them believe they were superior, that they were inspired, and that if they died they would be rewarded as men were never re- warded before. So, he "wrought their minds" to willingness to endure iron disci- pline, unimagined hardships, to achieve victory. A great deal brought the minds of men to attempt the Crusades. i6o Leeidership Cromwell found that his "tapsters and clerks" retreated before the enrolled gentle- cromweii ™^^ troopers of Prince Rupert sou*ofhu' upheld by the sense of noblesse ""' oblige as well as by the sense of loyalty to their king. So he deliberately organized the "new model" army, and in- stilled into each man's mind the sense of his spiritual superiority to his opponents. He persuaded all that they were better men than their enemies in their fight for the ideal of political and religious liberty and hence could not be defeated. With their minds so formed, they underwent rigorous training, denied themselves all loose pleasures, set guard upon their speech so that no oath was heard in their camps, prayed, preached, drilled, and fought — ^and, as Macaulay says, "in twelve years, they never failed to look upon the backs of their enemies." The hordes loosed by the French Revolu- tion were inspired by the ideals of "Liberty, The Leader and the Organization i6i Equality, and Fraternity," by the crossed principles of independence and right to man- age their own affairs — ^until they Napouon was the Master of submitted to fierce discipline and inspiration schooling, and defeated the skilled but unin- spired professional armies of Prussia and Austria. Napoleon played upon every string of instinct and sentiment, every chord of emo- tions, imagination, and impulses. He set up such a series of ideals as stirred the ambition of all ranks and classes. By the universality of his appeal he maintained the state of mind of his soldiers.through such a range of condition and such a multitude of enemies as no other armies ever underwent. He was the master manipulator of the tools of applied psy- chology in molding the minds of the soldiery to the ends desired. By such appeals as these great leaders made, their men were spurred to take pride in doing without the ease and comfort that civilians found necessary. As the soldiers of i62 Leaidership Sparta wore but one garment, summer and winter, and Xenophon danced naked in the snow of Armenian mountains to Min5o*fttein-show his foUowets that the con- The Soul of the Army is I Mind of t dition was bearable, so Napoleon declared that the best billet for a true soldier was the leeward side of a plank set up on edge, and that he furnished tents to the officers, not for their comfort in sleeping, but that the candles might bum and the maps not blow away while they studied. These leaders knew that the more they gave the minds of their soldiers the less they had to give their bodies. The corollary to that is, that when the high period of emotion is passed, or when its arrival is delayed — ^the bodies must be most carefully tended. When the body has no complaint — the mind is more apt to be sympathetic to suggestions from those who must first attend to the body's welfare. "It is harder to live for one's country than to die for it!" said a very keen philosopher. It is The Lezider and the Orgeuiizatlon 163 harder to maintain morale, the state of mind, of soldiers, in time of peace than in time of war. Hence, the essentiality of all the instruments of play, of study, of relaxation, of zest, of competition, of vocational education, of the appeal to pride, of the presentation of the chance for a more profitable after-life through the opportunities of service in the army. In time of peace, there must be heavier stress on that which develops, helps, interests, and profits the individual. Then, in time of national danger, the soldier will respond by giving freely of his all. INDEX Acumen, 52, 53 Admitting mistakes, 47, 48 Alexander inspired his anny, 157, 158 Alexander's sympathetic relation, 77 Allied leaders, common sense and judgment, 27, 28 American enthusiasm, 33, 34 American soldier, the, 59, 60, 61, 62 Andrews, Brigadier General, on relationship, 71, 72 Angelo, Michael, " Still I am learning," 22 Appealing to the spirit of an army, 156, 157 Application, assiduity, 21 Articles of war, 139 "As a man thinketh," 49 Assiduity, hard work, application, diligence, 21 Athletics, 147, 148 Athletic ofl5cer, 148 Battle courage, 44 Bawling out, 19, 63 Bringing poor material to level of good, 32 Building character and personality, 12 Caesar knew the soul of his legions, 158, 159 Caesar's legions, bond of sympathy, 79, 80 Character of the American soldier, 60, 61, 62 Cheerfulness through sirring, 153, 154 Coddling or half-way measures in punishment, 104 Combination of leadership and morale like elebtric circuit, 2 Commander is mainspring of organization pride, 91 Commendation a pride stimulant, 85 165 1 66 Index Common sense and judgment dominate work of all great leaders, 23 Common sense and judgment important factors in river crossings, 25 Common sense and judgment kindred virtues, 23 Common sense and judgment potent in peace or war, 28 Company administration through permanent squad sys- tem, 135, 136, 137, 138 Company comedian, 154, 155 Company commander and non-commissioned officers, 91, 92.93 "Company Day,'' 95, 96 Company family, 91, 92 Company punishment, 98, 99, 100, loi Competition, 84, 134, 135, 136 Confidence, 49 Congressional medals of honor, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 Constructive clemency, making grain of chaff, 31 Cooks, 141 Cooperation between oflBcers and non-commissioned officers, 91 Courage and bravado, 44 Courage and the soldier, 43, 44 Court-martial, 98, 99, 100, loi Creative pride, 86, 87 Cromwell molded the soul of his army, 160 Dawson, Conningsby, on courage, 46, 47; on humor, 155 Definition of a leader, 7 Definition of leadership, 8 Diderot, on self-control, 20 Differences in men, 88 Diligence, assiduity, 21 Disciplinary power, 96, 97 Discipline, 113^ - - Discipline aided by pride and example, 116, 117 Discipline and democracy, 113*" Index 167 Discipline and the quality of sympathy, 131, 132, 133, 134 Discipline and the relationship of officers and soldiers, 128, 129, 130 ^ , Discipline and the young American, 1 14, 115 Discipline develops character, ly , Discipline, manifestations of, 117, 118, 122, 123 Discipline, national, 113 Discipline, the fellowship of, 1 19 Discipline, the proper presentation of, 115, 116 Distribution of responsibility, 136, 137, 138 Doctrine of loyalty, cooperation and superiority, 91 Drones, 34 Duty sergeants, 92 £amestness, akin to enthusiasm; contagious, 17 Earnestness of officers, 18 Education, 149, 150, 151, 152 Education and Recreation Branch, General Staff, 145 Educational work ia the army, igi Efficiency, kinds of, 8, 9 Efficient organization defined, 9 Emerson, Ralph Waldo, on example, 12; on courage, 45; on honor, 55 Encouraging singing, 153, 154 Enthusiasm, origin of word, 32 Enthusiasm vs. duty, 32, 33 Equal opportimities, 30 'Esprit de corps and enthusiasm, 33 Example, 72, 73, 74, 75. 76 Fairness in administering pimishment, 103, 104 Faith a triple alliance, 48 Faith in men, 48 Faith in your cause, 4^ Faith in yourself, 48 Father of his family, 71, 91 Fear of cowardice, 44 i68 Index Firmness without favorites or favoritism, 29 First sergeant, 92 Foch's message to Joffre at the Mame, 45, 46 General Orders of War Department, 1919, evidence of perseverance, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 Germ of leadership, developed, suppressed, 6, 7 " Give us a hand you, "65 Good leader is as one with his men, 71 , 72 Grant's sympathy, 81 Guardhouse the last resort in punishment, 99, 100 Haan, Major General WiUiam G., on courage, 44 Hatmibal endured with his men, 80 Hannibal played on the soul of his army, 158 Half-hearted effort reaps indifferent results, 18 Hard work, assiduity, 21 Hard work made Napoleon great, 21 Heckling officers, 67, 68, 69 Histories, 95 Honor, based on our own self-respect and esteem, 54, 55 How a modem cathedral was built, 86, 87 Human sympathy, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 131, 132, 133, 134 Humor, 154, 155 "Hunches," 50 Ideals for future army, 163 Information, giving, 70, 71 Instructing soldiers, 139, 140 Instructions, giving, 138, 139 Intelligence the foundation of modem armies, 150 Interviews, handling, 127 Johnson, Brigadier General W. O., on example and influ- ence, 74, 75, 76 Johnston's tactics in Sherman's march to the sea, common $^nse and judgment, 26 Index 169 Justice, the basis of respect, 29 Justice and constractive clemency, 30 Justice through company punishment, 98, 99 Kipling, Rudyard, on perseverance, 35 Kitchen pohce as company punishment, 108, 109 Knowing men by name, 58, 59 Knowledge is the background of common sense and judg- ment, 29 Knowledge of the experiences of others is invaluable, 12 Leaders, different kinds of, 10, 1 1 Leaders must mold relationship, 58 Leadership, the sixteen points of, 13 Leadership and morale are intangible forces, i Leadership and morale essential to success in peace or war, 3.4 Leadership and morale inseparable, i Leadership the creative and directive force of morale, i Leadership, the scientific leading of men, personality, character, relationship to individual and organization, 6 Leadership without morale like a crossed wire, 2 Lee's sympathy, 81 Leniency and laxity, too great, 30 Libraries, 147 Lincoln, Abraham, on self-control, 20; on admitting mis- takes, 48 Losing temper, 19 Loyalty, 50 Loyalty to superiors, 50, 51, 52 Making work a game, 34 Manual for courts-martial on form of punishment, 99, 1 00 ■ March, General Peyton C, Chief of StafiE, on recreation, 145. 146 l/lea and organization pride, 93, 94, 95> 9^ 170 Index Menus, 141 Mess sergeant, 93 Messes, 140, 141 Method, order, system, systematic action, 23 Mohammed inspired his army by fanaticism, 159 Moral courage, 47 Morale Branch, General Staff, 5 Morale in peace and war, 163 Morale the dynamo and leadership the conductor, 2 Morale, the scientific handling of men, psychology, en- vironment, instinct, thought, racial characteristics, food, clothing, shelter, work, 4, 5 "Movies," 146, 147 Nagging kills respect, 67 Napoleon, maxims of, based on common sense and judg- ment, 24 Napoleon, on the soul of an army, 157 Napoleon was the master of inspiration, 161 Napoleon, why he furnished ofScers with tents, 162 Napoleon's Marengo campaign, 24 Napoleon's crossing of the Danube, common sense and judgment, 25 Napoleon's sympathy, 81 Neatness in officers, 74 "Nicknames," 130 Non-commissioned officers and the permanent squad sys- tem, 136, 137, 138 Non-commissioned officers, complaints against, 127, 128 Officers as teachers, 139, 140, 152 Officers in charge of athletics, 149 Officers' interest in recreation, 145, 146, 147 Order of Gen. Gouraud to French and American troops, 16, 17 Organization pride, bow to build it, 90, 91 Index 171 Passes, 124 Permanent squad system, 134, 135, 136 Perseverance of British and Belgians, 40 Perseverance, the will to win, 35 Perseverance of French at Verdun, 39, 40 Personal interest of men in recreational activities, 147 Personal pride, 84 Personality and habits of leaders are reflected, 72, 73, 74 Philip the Great, the comrade of his men, 78 Physical training, value of, 148, 149 Plan for stimulating pride, 88, 89 Poor leader like a poor electrical conductor, offers resist- ance, 3 Praise and encouragement, 34 Prejudice, partiality and pettiness, 30 Preparing food, 141 Preparing to teach, 140 Presenting matters to the Commanding Officer 42, 43 Pride, a lever, 83 Pride and the standard of excellence, 87, 88 Principles of warfare founded on common sense and judg- ment, 24 Privileges, granting of, 124 Profanity, 130, 131 Psychology of military science known to old leaders, 57 Punishment, 96 Punishment, main requirements in administration of , 1 12 Punishment and effectiveness, 102, 103 Punishment and firmness, 102, 103 Punishment and justice, loi, 102 Punishment and the non-commissioned officer, 104, 105, 106 Punishment deferred for constructive reasons, no, iii Punishment not a personal matter, 104 Quality of leadership determines ultimate power, 2 Quality of sympathy, 77 172 Index Record, pride in his, 89, 90 Recreation, 144 Recreation, amusement phase, 146, 147 Recreation, army control of, 146 Recreation, athletic phase, 147, 148 Recreation, knowledge of proper use of, 144, 145 Relationship between leader and his men, 56, 57, 58 Respect, the basis of a sound relationship, 62, 63 Respect and information, 70, 71 Respect and work, 64, 65 Respect at the Front, 66, 67 Respect depends on character and conduct of leader, 62, 63 Respect for soldier's, rights, hopes, contentment', well- being, etc., 62 Respect not gained by bluff or bullying, 69, 70 Responsibility, 68, 69, 136, 137, .138 Responsibility of ofScers, regarding the mess, 140, 141 Restoring confidence, 49 Robertson, P. W., on self-control, 20 Robbing a man of self-respect, 63 Roosevelt, Theodore, on respect and work, 65 Rule of thumb, 28 Ruskin, on thought and labor, 22, 23 Russo-Japanese War, common sense and judgment, 27 Salute, symbol of military fraternity, 120 Salute, the spirit of the, 120 Salute and the soldier, 121 Saluting, 119, 120 Salutes of ofScers, 121, 122 Sarcasm, 63 Seeing the company commander, 125, 126, 127 Self-respect and punishment, 63 Self-control, the secret of control of others, 18, 19 Severity, too great, 30 Shakespeare, on loyalty, 52 Index 173 Shanks, Major General David C, on assiduity, 21 ; on tact. Simplicity, a sign of greatness, 15 Simplicity of a French general, 15 Singing, 153, 154 Slogan, 93 Soldier's influence over his comrades, 75, 76 Soul of an army, 156 Soul of the army is the mind of the individual, 163 Soul of the French Revolution, 160, 161 Sparta, the armies of, 161, 162 Speaking clearly, 74 Story of the garbage can, the, 141 Strategy is common sense and judgment, 24 Study and constructive reading, 22 Study lives of great leaders, 12 Superlative in leadership, 156 Superstition, 50 Supply sergeant, 92 Supreme courage, 46 Swedenborg, on truthfulness, 54 Sympathetic relationship, 77 System of company punishment, 106, 107 Systematic use of spare time, 22 Tact and opportuneness, 40, 41 Tact and sycophancy, 41 Tact got an Admiral his first leave, 42 Tactful oflScers, 41 "Taxi-cab army," 28 Teachers, oflScers as, 139, 140, 152 Teaching, psychology of, 152 Teams, company and post, 148, 149 Ten Commandments of Foch, 142, 143, 144 " To thine own self be true," 52 Traditions, 95 Training camps of 400 B. c, 158 174 Index Truthfulness, the warp and woof of our mUitary fabric, 53, 54 Understanding orders, 138, 139 Understanding the American soldier, 60, 61, 62 Unscrupulous leader, the, 54 Unsympathetic of5cers, 82 Upholding discipline through non-commissioned ofiScers, 105, 106 Value of sympathetic relation, 82 Vicious mind, a, 30 Vocational training, 151 Withholding privileges, 124 Xenophon's example, 162