A word on leadership

I had an epiphany recently. I realized that rank can sometimes have the same effect as overindulgence in alcohol: it tends to amplify a person's most dominant qualities. A sober jerk becomes a complete moron when drunk; happy people tend to make jovial drinkers. The same can be said of one who has rank, particularly in the military. Good leaders tend to improve with rank and position, while bad leaders tend to get worse.

Case in point: my first supervisor at my last unit was a complete moron who fortunately got fired before he got anyone killed. I don't say that about many people, but the poor man was too dumb to realize he was stupid. One time, when I was in Atlanta preparing for my first trip to Kuwait (where he was), I sent him an email asking what I should do there to prepare for my job here. His reply was, "We'll talk about it when you get here." I was too dumbfounded to even ask, "Huh?" Unfortunately, the higher I climb up the Army ladder, the more people like that I meet. Does stupid just gravitate to me?

At the other end of that spectrum lies a different superior officer, who also works in the same Cubicle Hell that I did -- and who is too smart for his own good. Thankfully, I did not work for him; God help me (or him) if I ever do. This man was in academia long enough to add a whole bunch of impressive-sounding letters to his name, but was away from the Army so long that he forgot how to be an effective leader. This pompous blowhard has an ego the size of Texas, and treats everyone around him -- including some of his peers -- like West Point cadets. He's always the smartest man in the room, and makes sure you know it within about five minutes. For months on end I would hear him loudly proclaim his utter disdain for the organization, especially to his cronies over the phone. He once had the audacity to tell one of his officers that he knew my job better than me, and that his officer should strive to not be like me -- but for all his disrespectful bloviating, he never had the intestinal fortitude to confront me personally. When confronted by someone junior, he usually hides behind his rank.

It was people like those two who made the organization what it was: not a genuine team, but a loose collection of individuals. While both of these men were polar opposites in intelligence and education, they both either forgot or else never learned some basic tenets of leadership. I've always said that effective leadership -- motivating others toward a common goal -- is simple. Treat people with respect, before you expect them to respect you, and they will do anything for you.

Apparently for some this concept is too complex, while for others it is not complex enough. And that is unfortunate for the officers and soldiers who have to endure such incompetence.