I stood in the cool morning air of Fort Jackson, SC, and watched as the transport vehicles discharged their cargo of new recruits. Amidst the commotion of bodies stumbling over each other and the cacophony of commands barked by the drill sergeants, I realized that I now had the responsibility of transforming 50 young men and women into soldiers fit for the United States Army, and that I had a mere six and a half weeks to do it.

It seemed an impossible task, as they were, at first glance, a motley bunch. Their uniforms looked as though they came from the bottom of the duffle bag, a bag many barely had the strength to drag. Most could not follow simple instructions. You could see in their eyes fear and uncertainty, and by the way they stood, it was evident that many lacked self-confidence and self-esteem. Six and a half weeks later, I proudly led this platoon of soldiers as they smartly marched past the reviewing platform to their graduation from basic training. Their transformation from civilians to soldiers occurred just like it had for thousands of veterans that came before them.

Twenty-five years later, I still marvel at the relatively short time it takes for the military to produce soldiers that are socialized, educated, loyal and committed. It is even more amazing when you realize that these men and women come from all economic, social, cultural, and educational backgrounds; a platoon of basic trainees is diversity at its most vivid. How is it that the Army can put 50 men or women transported from the four corners of this country into a barracks for six weeks, persuade them to live together, teach them to trust each other and to trust themselves, and then to follow orders without hesitation?

Leadership is the key. The military does not spend its time considering whether leaders are born or made; they have long, hard training programs that teach both enlisted and officers to be good leaders. And nearly everyone who spends more than two years in the service will eventually find themselves in some type of leadership training and assignment. To this day, I remember the leadership skills and traits that were taught to me as a young soldier, and I find that they are still very much useful in my civilian life and in the academy.

The Army’s official definition of leadership was taught to me in my first days of drill sergeant school in 1977: “Leadership is the art of influencing people in such a way as to gain their willing cooperation in accomplishing the mission.” Leadership as “art” was not a concept I expected to hear from the military, an organization known for its command and control. But as I quickly learned, yelling, swearing, and threatening my young trainees had limited effectiveness; either I would be hoarse at the end of the first week or they would be numb to my continuous rants. I found that there truly is an art to leadership in that a good leader must be creative, work within time and space, and do some fantastic acting. Part of that art rested in recognizing the diversity of the men and women I was training and in understanding that not every training technique worked for every soldier. Rather than yelling, I sometimes whispered. I smiled when they expected a scowl, and as some of my colleagues commanded and controlled, I cajoled and complimented.

I knew I had to set the example, treat each soldier fairly, recognize their individual skills, and establish high standards in order to earn the respect and cooperation of my young recruits. If they had to awake at 0500 hours, it would be I who would wake them; if they had to run four miles that morning, it would be I who would lead them; and if they could just not figure out how to throw a hand grenade, it would be I who would teach them… over and over again. As their leader, I knew that not only did they depend upon me, but also that one day in the future, someone might have to depend upon them in a life or death situation.

Home