Leadership comes in many ways. What is common to the American experience though is sticking up for the little guy. Sometimes, this can require great courage and conviction. However, the importance of one’s actions is usually inversely related to the easiness of one’s efforts. It all starts with standing up for what is right. It also involves making tough decisions, ones that you often do not want to make. Sometimes, you have to take blame and give credit, to shield your team and help them grow. No matter what, though, leadership comes from actions, not words.
A lot has changed in the world, and the rate of change always appears to accelerate. The need for leadership, though, is constant – it is just as important today as it ever has been. Military schools are well equipped to impart this trait.
It can be easy to go with the crowd. People generally want to be liked, it’s human nature. Many times, folks that stand out because they are different are targeted by bullies. This can extend to athletics, work, and, perhaps especially, politics. A real leader stands up for the “little guy”, protects those who cannot protect himself. It is not easy, but it is the right thing to do.
Organizations and workers need decisions and orders. At some point, this comes down to a single person making the call. These decisions can get extremely stressful: How can you cut costs without making layoffs? Which divisions need to get shut down? What changes need to be made to retirement plans to control costs while minimizing benefit reductions? Sometimes, the leader needs to be decisive, especially with the most difficult decisions. Real leaders will consider the facts, the goals, the expected outcomes, and make, and live with, a decision. It may not be popular, and it may have consequences, but sometimes it just needs to be made. It’s not easy, but it is the right thing to do.
Leaders come in all shapes and sizes, and manage teams of all shapes and sizes. No matter how big or small your team is, though, true leaders protect their team members. When something goes wrong, they will take ownership of the failure, regardless of how fair that may be for them. When something goes right, true leaders credit their team instead of taking credit themselves. Its not easy, but it is the right thing to do.
Any way you cut it, though, the one overriding trademark of real leaders are their actions. They “walk the walk”. As they say, “talk is cheap”. Real leaders need to be prepared to do what is right, regardless of how hard it may be. Only then will they be respected. As a result, this is not something that can generally be taught. Instead, it has to be earned.
Military schools provide ample opportunities for cadet leadership. There was an article in the Washington Post about a military school in Virginia, for instance, that featured the value of cadet leadership. Set during COVID, the article highlighted how, by relying on the students themselves to enforce hygiene standards and discipline requirements, they were able to re-open successfully as many public schools across the country struggled.
Leadership is intangible, but the ability to earn it while a student can be invaluable.
