Some years ago, when preparing for battalion command, I joined others attending a pre-command course to brush up on Army operations, planning, training, and personnel matters. There is much on the plate of a battalion commander. For the most part, those selected for command are strong leaders with a solid record of experience and accomplishment. And selection is humbling. Why? Because many people I knew were highly qualified but were not selected but surely were worthy of the honor. On the other hand, there are those who should never have been picked. While they were accomplished, these commanders were toxic leaders, vain and braggadocious, and left in their wake a record of hurting more than helping those under their command. This is also the case in civilian life. Which is why we hope that the best in body, mind, and spirit rise to leadership.
I could write a book about learning to lead. And for me, that learning happened via bushels of mistakes. A bad demeanor, compromised integrity, vanity, and vengeance lurk near ambitious young leaders as they face the challenges of a military career. This is why one’s world view is paramount in equipping one to lead honorably, fairly, and justly.
I was fortunate to be shaped with these values as a cadet at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI). The examples provided by upperclassmen and classmates, our “Brother Rats,” helped us to succeed in life, more than we ever imagined. We bonded in an adversarial system that would forge in us the endurance, the discipline, and the integrity that leaders of all stripes need if they aspire to be good leaders. I endeavored—my failures notwithstanding—to remain true to these values that my classmates and I learned over the years. VMI taught us much. This month my class, the Great Class of 1973, will celebrate our 50th reunion on the parade field where we were first introduced to the “VMI way,” one of honor in every aspect.
During my career, the ideals that VMI instilled in me were helpful in navigating that challenges to integrity I would confront. However, I found it to be both a blessing and a bane. Adhering to integrity builds trust and that is vital to soldiers and their leaders. When integrity is sacrificed for personal gain, everyone loses.
But integrity comes with a cost. How easy it is to shift blame to others when you are at fault. How convenient it is to omit facts that would point to your shortcomings. How much easier it is to deflect criticism when it is rightly due. How fortunate it is to be wrong but thought to be right. How effortless it is to cut corners when one’s reputation can be enhanced in doing so. Yes, my failures are many. But when we make it a point to be accountable for our mistakes, we have the ability to demonstrate to those we lead and those we follow that we have not abandoned the lessons of our upbringing and the blessings of refinement found in systems like the “VMI way.”
So, one morning during my pre-command course when the Staff Judge Advocate, a wise lawyer and officer, delivered his presentation on the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), integrity was a central theme. I knew integrity in matters of justice was essential. I had witnessed it at work in leaders who had trained me and practiced it in my own administration of discipline and justice. But that day I was deeply impressed.
When our legal instructor had finished covering a multitude of topics found in the Army’s legal manual, he took questions and, in the process, shared his wisdom with those of us who would be convening authorities, empowered to prefer charges to a court-martial. With power comes great responsibility, chiefly the need for just action. And in that regard, he crafted an example that has remained with me to this day.
“So, when you thoroughly examine the evidence in a case, whether minor or major, and you’re about to pronounce judgement on a man who you know is ‘guilty as sin,’ beware. If you find yourself feeling ‘really good’ about ‘lowering the hammer’ on that ‘dirtbag’, Stop! You are about to do something very wrong.”
His point was clear. Administering justice is not about making the judge “feel good,” but rather it’s about being just. From the first moments in battalion command, soldiers will clearly know the true character of a commander by the justice he or she dispenses.
Justice apart from fairness and impartiality is no justice at all. It’s a vital lesson to learn, for all of us, military and civilians alike. In the administration of justice, both the judge and the accused are on trial. And integrity is in the scales too.
1 Comment
Judith Glick-Smith · April 8, 2023 at 8:49 am
Wonderful piece of writing, Scott!