Mike’s Doc Blog

I couldn’t sleep last weekend. I’d had a rough Friday and rough week with people who exhibited little or no good leadership ability. It got me wondering if there were any real leaders left anymore of if we’d commoditized leadership for the sake of corporate-speak. I was up most of the weekend wondering about why I view leadership with a strong sense of integrity and committment. Too often, I think people who call themselves leaders do so to make a point, argue a point, get you to do something, or sidestep an important issue.

Saturday night I was up quite late and caught myself in a set of war movies. The first was We Were Soldiers with Mel Gibson playing Hal Moore during Vietnam. In the movie Moore, played by Gibson, gives two great speeches that talk directly to leadership.

Moore: When Crazy Horse was a baby, he nursed at the breast of every woman in the tribe. The Sioux raised their children that way. Every warrior called every woman in the tribe “Mother”. Every older warrior, they called him “Grandfather”. Now, the point here is that they fought as a family. Take care of your men. Teach them to take care of each other. ‘Cause when this starts… each other is all we’re gonna have.

This quote reminds me that leaders call on lessons of the past to support the current and future mission. It shows the importance of the unit, the family, the team and everyone needs to be involved or it just won’t work. The second speech includes this excerpt:

Moore: I can’t promise that I will bring you all home alive. But this I swear before you and before Almighty God: that when we go into battle, I will be the first to set foot on the field, and I will be the last to step off, and I will leave no one behind. Dead or alive, we will all come home together.

Some people mistake leadership for not asking people to do what you yourself would not do. I agree with this to some degree but the meaning has become bastardized to mean something I would be willing to do, not meaning do. This quote and the subsequent scene in the movie showing Moore’s boots hitting the field of battle first, demonstrate that a leader is there with the team. Not just in spirit but in actuality. What benefit does this have? Well firstly that the leader sees first hand what is happening, directs action, makes educated decisions, and ensures that support and resources are committed to the mission at hand.

The second movie I caught was Saving Private Ryan with Tom Hanks. The movie is filled with leadership moments but one toward end stands out. Tom Hanks character is dying on the bridge and pulls Private Ryan close to whisper:

Earn this

Earn this. Earn this! A simple two word phrase that for me sums up leadership in so many ways. Earn this. Too often we think leadership should be thrust upon us for no real effort and many times it is just that and we all suffer the consequences of people who ascend thanks to good PR. Earn this! Leaders must earn it everyday. Leaders must continually pay forward the gifts of strength, characterm judgement. They must build and support the followership at all times.

I’ve never been to war. I am in awe and appreciation of all those who have. Make no mistakes, I do not pretend to understand what it is like on a battlefield and by God’s grace will not ever need to find out firsthand.

I was talking to my Dad today. Himself a Vietname Veteran, successful businessman, and hell of  a Dad. He was apologizing to me for instilling a strong sense of character and integrity. He felt that life might be less frustrating if I could just fall into line with crappy managers who claim leadership and just go along with them. I don’t doubt it would be easier to just lie down and let the system support and fend for me. I don’t doubt it would be easier to lie down and let people without scruples use and abise me for the paycheck I take home each week. I don’t doubt that my life would be awful just lieing down and taking it.

Last weekend’s accidental movie marathon reminded me that leaders support the mission first hand and lead through the strength of followers. Leaders lead with integrity and not just intent.

Image source: j-fin