1 Ll 8 RARY tc~ USA CGSC FT LEAVENWORlHJAN

JUL 1 81988

ACCESSim~NO -~~ PORfGSTR ---~~

MILITARY GENIUS

Developing the Intellect and Temperament To Ensure Combat Success

by

Major Harrison Gray Otis

The MacArthur Military Leadership Writing Competition

Command and General Staff Col lege Fort Leavenworth Kansas

13 April 1988

Introduction

For four days the American tank officer had been beaten

In his role as the opposing forces or Red Force commander

perhaps lt was expected that he should lose His combat tanks

were inferior in both quality and quantity to the Blue Force

Time and time again they had out-gunned and out-maneuvered his

Red Force

During the last day of the exercise Blue Force was

directed to conduct a river crossing and seize a bridge-head

Once more the Red Force commander could see that his badly

outnumbered tanks would be ovewhelmed The morale of his

soldiers already low would be shattered

Mentally he reviewed the situation and the topography In

front of his position was the river and the bridge the Blue

Force would have to cross to assault his position His Red

Force tanks were concealed in a deep forested area near the

bank of the river To his rear several hundred meters the

forest yielded to a narrow band of open farm land followed by

another large stand of trees

For the first time the Red Force commander began to see

this terrain as his ally and with a burst of insight he

quickly dispatched a series of orders to reposition his forces

As the last Red Force tanks pulled out to their new

positions the Blue Force appeared quickly crossed the

river and gave chase to the withdrawing Red Force

Obviously Blue Force had caught the opposing force in a

vulnerable position and their commander ordered a rapid pursuit

to make the victory complete

Breaking through the forest and into the farmland the

lead Blue Force tank saw the last opposing force tank retreat

down the road and into the opposite stand of trees Quickly

Blue Force closed the gap between the lead tank and the

retreating Red Force

The Blue Force column was rapidly approaching the

opposite side of the farmland when the first shots were fired

From hidden positions in the treeline to their rear Red

Force gunners killed several of the Blue Force tanks As

the lead Blue Force tanks turned to help the rear of their

column they in turn were brought under fire by additional Red

Force tanks concealed in the stand of trees they had never

reached Surrounded by the Red Force alI Blue Force tanks

were knocked out of action In just a few minutes 1

In a single moment of insight the Red Force commander

had correctly grasped the important terrain features

determined how the enemy would act and visua l ized how he could

position hls forces to ensure victory His ability to envision

the battle and his decisive action quite literally determined

the outcome of the engagement

Essential to his success and the success of al 1 mi I ltary

leaders In combat are those qualities of lnteJ lect and

temperament which determine the outcome of conflicts These

attributes have been referred to as the basis for the

development of what is referred to as military genius

Genius has been defined by Carl von Clausewitz in On War as

11 bullbullbull a very highly developed mental aptitude for a particular

occupationz It is this type of genius that we wil 1 probe to

determine its character and to assess the abi 1ity to d~velop it

in ourselves It is assumed therefore that military genius

is not appl cable only to a few great combat commanders but

that it can be found at all levels of command and ln all of the

combat combat suport and combat service support branches of

the service The purpose of this paper is to explore the means

of developing professional mi lltary genius

Clausewitz noted that those possessed of this genius always

demonstrated two indispensible qualities first an

Intellect that even in the darkest hour retains some

gllmmerings of the inner light which leads to truth and

second the courage to follow this faint light wherever it may

lead3 The first is a quality of the intellect which

Clausewitz called by the French coup doeil or inward eye

The ~econd 1~ a qual lty of temperament summed up by Clausewltz

in one word determination

Clausewltz 1 s Inward eye perhaps most closely approximates

the English deflnltlon of the word lntultlon 1 the faculty1

of knowing without the use of rational processes sharp

insight+ He wrote The man responsible for evaluating the

whole must bring to hls task the quality of intuition that

perceives the truth at every point Otherwise a chaos of

opinions would arise and fatally entangle Judgement What

this task requires in the way of heightened Intellectual gifts

is a sense of unity and a power of judgement raised to a

marvelous pitch of vision which easily grasps and dismisses a

thousand remote possibilities 5 It would be misleading

however to equate this inner light or 1 COUP d 1 oeil 1 with mere

intuition Clausewitz labors to describe this quality of

intellect using phrases such as 1 the quick recognition of

truth 1 ltessentilal facts and ideasgt a 1 comprehensive mlnd 1

and a Skil led intelligence 1 bull In my opinion this is a leader1

of ins 1gh t I ~

The second quality of mi I itary genius determination is

also further defined by Clausewitz He describes as essential

the courage to accept responsibility courage in the face

of a mora 1 danger 7 The i ndi v 1 dua 1 of courageous

determination possesses a presence of mind that deals with the

random unpredictable occurrences of armed confl let and a

~trength of wll 1 which overcome~ any adversity or catastrophic

turn of events To Clausewltz this requires staunchness

character calmness self-control and emotional balance in the

midst of exceptional stress Thls is the decisively

determined leader who wi 11 follow the inner 1ight resolute in

his conviction of final victory

These qualities first of insight to visualize to form a

clear almost spontaneous mental picture of what must be

accomplished and second of determination to decisively act

with courage and a strength of will that assures success are

depleted in many historical accounts of great military leaders

For example in Sun Tzus The Art of War the commentator Tu

Mu states If wise a commander is able to recognize changing

circumstances and acts expedientlyA Early ln Greek history

Xenophon in his Anabasis or the March up Country describes the

tragic assassination of the entire senior leadership of his

lOOOO ~man army Xenophon quickly grasped the essential

actions that had to be accompished in order to save the Greek

force from complete annihilation In numerous incidents which

followed Xenophon quickly perceived the maneuvers of his

enemies and correctly took immediate steps to avoid defeat and

achieve victory At the same time he always retained a

strategic vlslon that guided his decisions toward the Greek

mi li tary objective 10

This sense of lnslght and determination ls exempl lfled by

several American generals in World War II One example is

found ln the German counteroffensive of December 1944 the

Battle of the Bulge which caught US forces total Jy

unprepared The early German success seemed to be the

catastrophic event that Hitler hoped would break up the

Anglo-American al lance Despite the initial losses suffered by

the Americans General Omar Bradley quickly grasped that this

battle was a great opportunity for the al 1 les to seal off and

utterly destroy a significant portion of Germans remaining

mi I itary force

Bradley correctly assessed that the enemy had little

reserve strength and that an encirclement of the entire German

Army west of the Rhine River would hasten the collapse of

Germany and the end of the war Together with other key

generals notably General George S Patton Bradley set In

motion a massive attack into the German Southern flank

Unfortunate l y an attack from the north into the waist of the

bulge to complete the encirclement was not brought to full

fruition This was largely due to an attitude of pessimism

displayed by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery Whereas Bradley

saw an opportunity for offensive action and military success

Montgomery could only see that the allies had suffered a major

defeat Instead of a bold counter-attack at the enemy s point

of vulnerabil i ty the Field Marshal advocated a cautious

defense At the conclusion of the battle an encirclement was

in fact completed but it had been accomplished too late The

bulk of the German Army slipped out of the trap and fought

again 11

This example typifies a difference between superior

commanders and their less noteworthy contemporaries The great

commanders quite literally see things differently and then act

according to their insights Perhaps the most masterful

example of this abi I ity to visualize was Napoleon Bonaparte

More than once he faced forces on two fronts which were

numerical Jy superior to his own Driven by his inner _light and

by a fierce determination to create success Napolean

repeatedly turned eminent disasters into astonishing victories

Writing about the defeat of General Schwarzenberg Clausewitz

noted Napoleons rapid and accurate appraisal of the situation

his boldness in executing rapid movements and his resolute

attacks at the decisive points In Napoleons mind the

outcome was known before the battle commenced His single army

seque~tlal ly and decisively defeated two superior forces 1l

Other military theorists al Jude to these qualities of

superior mi lltary commanders For example Jomoni states that

without vision coolness and ski 11 the best strategic plan

would tall in the face of the enemy~ Ardant Du P1cq understood

that the conduct of war rests not merely on weapons and

technical formations but most essentially on the commander and

Introduction

For four days the American tank officer had been beaten

In his role as the opposing forces or Red Force commander

perhaps lt was expected that he should lose His combat tanks

were inferior in both quality and quantity to the Blue Force

Time and time again they had out-gunned and out-maneuvered his

Red Force

During the last day of the exercise Blue Force was

directed to conduct a river crossing and seize a bridge-head

Once more the Red Force commander could see that his badly

outnumbered tanks would be ovewhelmed The morale of his

soldiers already low would be shattered

Mentally he reviewed the situation and the topography In

front of his position was the river and the bridge the Blue

Force would have to cross to assault his position His Red

Force tanks were concealed in a deep forested area near the

bank of the river To his rear several hundred meters the

forest yielded to a narrow band of open farm land followed by

another large stand of trees

For the first time the Red Force commander began to see

this terrain as his ally and with a burst of insight he

quickly dispatched a series of orders to reposition his forces

As the last Red Force tanks pulled out to their new

positions the Blue Force appeared quickly crossed the

river and gave chase to the withdrawing Red Force

Obviously Blue Force had caught the opposing force in a

vulnerable position and their commander ordered a rapid pursuit

to make the victory complete

Breaking through the forest and into the farmland the

lead Blue Force tank saw the last opposing force tank retreat

down the road and into the opposite stand of trees Quickly

Blue Force closed the gap between the lead tank and the

retreating Red Force

The Blue Force column was rapidly approaching the

opposite side of the farmland when the first shots were fired

From hidden positions in the treeline to their rear Red

Force gunners killed several of the Blue Force tanks As

the lead Blue Force tanks turned to help the rear of their

column they in turn were brought under fire by additional Red

Force tanks concealed in the stand of trees they had never

reached Surrounded by the Red Force alI Blue Force tanks

were knocked out of action In just a few minutes 1

In a single moment of insight the Red Force commander

had correctly grasped the important terrain features

determined how the enemy would act and visua l ized how he could

position hls forces to ensure victory His ability to envision

the battle and his decisive action quite literally determined

the outcome of the engagement

Essential to his success and the success of al 1 mi I ltary

leaders In combat are those qualities of lnteJ lect and

temperament which determine the outcome of conflicts These

attributes have been referred to as the basis for the

development of what is referred to as military genius

Genius has been defined by Carl von Clausewitz in On War as

11 bullbullbull a very highly developed mental aptitude for a particular

occupationz It is this type of genius that we wil 1 probe to

determine its character and to assess the abi 1ity to d~velop it

in ourselves It is assumed therefore that military genius

is not appl cable only to a few great combat commanders but

that it can be found at all levels of command and ln all of the

combat combat suport and combat service support branches of

the service The purpose of this paper is to explore the means

of developing professional mi lltary genius

Clausewitz noted that those possessed of this genius always

demonstrated two indispensible qualities first an

Intellect that even in the darkest hour retains some

gllmmerings of the inner light which leads to truth and

second the courage to follow this faint light wherever it may

lead3 The first is a quality of the intellect which

Clausewitz called by the French coup doeil or inward eye

The ~econd 1~ a qual lty of temperament summed up by Clausewltz

in one word determination

Clausewltz 1 s Inward eye perhaps most closely approximates

the English deflnltlon of the word lntultlon 1 the faculty1

of knowing without the use of rational processes sharp

insight+ He wrote The man responsible for evaluating the

whole must bring to hls task the quality of intuition that

perceives the truth at every point Otherwise a chaos of

opinions would arise and fatally entangle Judgement What

this task requires in the way of heightened Intellectual gifts

is a sense of unity and a power of judgement raised to a

marvelous pitch of vision which easily grasps and dismisses a

thousand remote possibilities 5 It would be misleading

however to equate this inner light or 1 COUP d 1 oeil 1 with mere

intuition Clausewitz labors to describe this quality of

intellect using phrases such as 1 the quick recognition of

truth 1 ltessentilal facts and ideasgt a 1 comprehensive mlnd 1

and a Skil led intelligence 1 bull In my opinion this is a leader1

of ins 1gh t I ~

The second quality of mi I itary genius determination is

also further defined by Clausewitz He describes as essential

the courage to accept responsibility courage in the face

of a mora 1 danger 7 The i ndi v 1 dua 1 of courageous

determination possesses a presence of mind that deals with the

random unpredictable occurrences of armed confl let and a

~trength of wll 1 which overcome~ any adversity or catastrophic

turn of events To Clausewltz this requires staunchness

character calmness self-control and emotional balance in the

midst of exceptional stress Thls is the decisively

determined leader who wi 11 follow the inner 1ight resolute in

his conviction of final victory

These qualities first of insight to visualize to form a

clear almost spontaneous mental picture of what must be

accomplished and second of determination to decisively act

with courage and a strength of will that assures success are

depleted in many historical accounts of great military leaders

For example in Sun Tzus The Art of War the commentator Tu

Mu states If wise a commander is able to recognize changing

circumstances and acts expedientlyA Early ln Greek history

Xenophon in his Anabasis or the March up Country describes the

tragic assassination of the entire senior leadership of his

lOOOO ~man army Xenophon quickly grasped the essential

actions that had to be accompished in order to save the Greek

force from complete annihilation In numerous incidents which

followed Xenophon quickly perceived the maneuvers of his

enemies and correctly took immediate steps to avoid defeat and

achieve victory At the same time he always retained a

strategic vlslon that guided his decisions toward the Greek

mi li tary objective 10

This sense of lnslght and determination ls exempl lfled by

several American generals in World War II One example is

found ln the German counteroffensive of December 1944 the

Battle of the Bulge which caught US forces total Jy

unprepared The early German success seemed to be the

catastrophic event that Hitler hoped would break up the

Anglo-American al lance Despite the initial losses suffered by

the Americans General Omar Bradley quickly grasped that this

battle was a great opportunity for the al 1 les to seal off and

utterly destroy a significant portion of Germans remaining

mi I itary force

Bradley correctly assessed that the enemy had little

reserve strength and that an encirclement of the entire German

Army west of the Rhine River would hasten the collapse of

Germany and the end of the war Together with other key

generals notably General George S Patton Bradley set In

motion a massive attack into the German Southern flank

Unfortunate l y an attack from the north into the waist of the

bulge to complete the encirclement was not brought to full

fruition This was largely due to an attitude of pessimism

displayed by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery Whereas Bradley

saw an opportunity for offensive action and military success

Montgomery could only see that the allies had suffered a major

defeat Instead of a bold counter-attack at the enemy s point

of vulnerabil i ty the Field Marshal advocated a cautious

defense At the conclusion of the battle an encirclement was

in fact completed but it had been accomplished too late The

bulk of the German Army slipped out of the trap and fought

again 11

This example typifies a difference between superior

commanders and their less noteworthy contemporaries The great

commanders quite literally see things differently and then act

according to their insights Perhaps the most masterful

example of this abi I ity to visualize was Napoleon Bonaparte

More than once he faced forces on two fronts which were

numerical Jy superior to his own Driven by his inner _light and

by a fierce determination to create success Napolean

repeatedly turned eminent disasters into astonishing victories

Writing about the defeat of General Schwarzenberg Clausewitz

noted Napoleons rapid and accurate appraisal of the situation

his boldness in executing rapid movements and his resolute

attacks at the decisive points In Napoleons mind the

outcome was known before the battle commenced His single army

seque~tlal ly and decisively defeated two superior forces 1l

Other military theorists al Jude to these qualities of

superior mi lltary commanders For example Jomoni states that

without vision coolness and ski 11 the best strategic plan

would tall in the face of the enemy~ Ardant Du P1cq understood

that the conduct of war rests not merely on weapons and

technical formations but most essentially on the commander and

river and gave chase to the withdrawing Red Force

Obviously Blue Force had caught the opposing force in a

vulnerable position and their commander ordered a rapid pursuit

to make the victory complete

Breaking through the forest and into the farmland the

lead Blue Force tank saw the last opposing force tank retreat

down the road and into the opposite stand of trees Quickly

Blue Force closed the gap between the lead tank and the

retreating Red Force

The Blue Force column was rapidly approaching the

opposite side of the farmland when the first shots were fired

From hidden positions in the treeline to their rear Red

Force gunners killed several of the Blue Force tanks As

the lead Blue Force tanks turned to help the rear of their

column they in turn were brought under fire by additional Red

Force tanks concealed in the stand of trees they had never

reached Surrounded by the Red Force alI Blue Force tanks

were knocked out of action In just a few minutes 1

In a single moment of insight the Red Force commander

had correctly grasped the important terrain features

determined how the enemy would act and visua l ized how he could

position hls forces to ensure victory His ability to envision

the battle and his decisive action quite literally determined

the outcome of the engagement

Essential to his success and the success of al 1 mi I ltary

leaders In combat are those qualities of lnteJ lect and

temperament which determine the outcome of conflicts These

attributes have been referred to as the basis for the

development of what is referred to as military genius

Genius has been defined by Carl von Clausewitz in On War as

11 bullbullbull a very highly developed mental aptitude for a particular

occupationz It is this type of genius that we wil 1 probe to

determine its character and to assess the abi 1ity to d~velop it

in ourselves It is assumed therefore that military genius

is not appl cable only to a few great combat commanders but

that it can be found at all levels of command and ln all of the

combat combat suport and combat service support branches of

the service The purpose of this paper is to explore the means

of developing professional mi lltary genius

Clausewitz noted that those possessed of this genius always

demonstrated two indispensible qualities first an

Intellect that even in the darkest hour retains some

gllmmerings of the inner light which leads to truth and

second the courage to follow this faint light wherever it may

lead3 The first is a quality of the intellect which

Clausewitz called by the French coup doeil or inward eye

The ~econd 1~ a qual lty of temperament summed up by Clausewltz

in one word determination

Clausewltz 1 s Inward eye perhaps most closely approximates

the English deflnltlon of the word lntultlon 1 the faculty1

of knowing without the use of rational processes sharp

insight+ He wrote The man responsible for evaluating the

whole must bring to hls task the quality of intuition that

perceives the truth at every point Otherwise a chaos of

opinions would arise and fatally entangle Judgement What

this task requires in the way of heightened Intellectual gifts

is a sense of unity and a power of judgement raised to a

marvelous pitch of vision which easily grasps and dismisses a

thousand remote possibilities 5 It would be misleading

however to equate this inner light or 1 COUP d 1 oeil 1 with mere

intuition Clausewitz labors to describe this quality of

intellect using phrases such as 1 the quick recognition of

truth 1 ltessentilal facts and ideasgt a 1 comprehensive mlnd 1

and a Skil led intelligence 1 bull In my opinion this is a leader1

of ins 1gh t I ~

The second quality of mi I itary genius determination is

also further defined by Clausewitz He describes as essential

the courage to accept responsibility courage in the face

of a mora 1 danger 7 The i ndi v 1 dua 1 of courageous

determination possesses a presence of mind that deals with the

random unpredictable occurrences of armed confl let and a

~trength of wll 1 which overcome~ any adversity or catastrophic

turn of events To Clausewltz this requires staunchness

character calmness self-control and emotional balance in the

midst of exceptional stress Thls is the decisively

determined leader who wi 11 follow the inner 1ight resolute in

his conviction of final victory

These qualities first of insight to visualize to form a

clear almost spontaneous mental picture of what must be

accomplished and second of determination to decisively act

with courage and a strength of will that assures success are

depleted in many historical accounts of great military leaders

For example in Sun Tzus The Art of War the commentator Tu

Mu states If wise a commander is able to recognize changing

circumstances and acts expedientlyA Early ln Greek history

Xenophon in his Anabasis or the March up Country describes the

tragic assassination of the entire senior leadership of his

lOOOO ~man army Xenophon quickly grasped the essential

actions that had to be accompished in order to save the Greek

force from complete annihilation In numerous incidents which

followed Xenophon quickly perceived the maneuvers of his

enemies and correctly took immediate steps to avoid defeat and

achieve victory At the same time he always retained a

strategic vlslon that guided his decisions toward the Greek

mi li tary objective 10

This sense of lnslght and determination ls exempl lfled by

several American generals in World War II One example is

found ln the German counteroffensive of December 1944 the

Battle of the Bulge which caught US forces total Jy

unprepared The early German success seemed to be the

catastrophic event that Hitler hoped would break up the

Anglo-American al lance Despite the initial losses suffered by

the Americans General Omar Bradley quickly grasped that this

battle was a great opportunity for the al 1 les to seal off and

utterly destroy a significant portion of Germans remaining

mi I itary force

Bradley correctly assessed that the enemy had little

reserve strength and that an encirclement of the entire German

Army west of the Rhine River would hasten the collapse of

Germany and the end of the war Together with other key

generals notably General George S Patton Bradley set In

motion a massive attack into the German Southern flank

Unfortunate l y an attack from the north into the waist of the

bulge to complete the encirclement was not brought to full

fruition This was largely due to an attitude of pessimism

displayed by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery Whereas Bradley

saw an opportunity for offensive action and military success

Montgomery could only see that the allies had suffered a major

defeat Instead of a bold counter-attack at the enemy s point

of vulnerabil i ty the Field Marshal advocated a cautious

defense At the conclusion of the battle an encirclement was

in fact completed but it had been accomplished too late The

bulk of the German Army slipped out of the trap and fought

again 11

This example typifies a difference between superior

commanders and their less noteworthy contemporaries The great

commanders quite literally see things differently and then act

according to their insights Perhaps the most masterful

example of this abi I ity to visualize was Napoleon Bonaparte

More than once he faced forces on two fronts which were

numerical Jy superior to his own Driven by his inner _light and

by a fierce determination to create success Napolean

repeatedly turned eminent disasters into astonishing victories

Writing about the defeat of General Schwarzenberg Clausewitz

noted Napoleons rapid and accurate appraisal of the situation

his boldness in executing rapid movements and his resolute

attacks at the decisive points In Napoleons mind the

outcome was known before the battle commenced His single army

seque~tlal ly and decisively defeated two superior forces 1l

Other military theorists al Jude to these qualities of

superior mi lltary commanders For example Jomoni states that

without vision coolness and ski 11 the best strategic plan

would tall in the face of the enemy~ Ardant Du P1cq understood

that the conduct of war rests not merely on weapons and

technical formations but most essentially on the commander and

Essential to his success and the success of al 1 mi I ltary

leaders In combat are those qualities of lnteJ lect and

temperament which determine the outcome of conflicts These

attributes have been referred to as the basis for the

development of what is referred to as military genius

Genius has been defined by Carl von Clausewitz in On War as

11 bullbullbull a very highly developed mental aptitude for a particular

occupationz It is this type of genius that we wil 1 probe to

determine its character and to assess the abi 1ity to d~velop it

in ourselves It is assumed therefore that military genius

is not appl cable only to a few great combat commanders but

that it can be found at all levels of command and ln all of the

combat combat suport and combat service support branches of

the service The purpose of this paper is to explore the means

of developing professional mi lltary genius

Clausewitz noted that those possessed of this genius always

demonstrated two indispensible qualities first an

Intellect that even in the darkest hour retains some

gllmmerings of the inner light which leads to truth and

second the courage to follow this faint light wherever it may

lead3 The first is a quality of the intellect which

Clausewitz called by the French coup doeil or inward eye

The ~econd 1~ a qual lty of temperament summed up by Clausewltz

in one word determination

Clausewltz 1 s Inward eye perhaps most closely approximates

the English deflnltlon of the word lntultlon 1 the faculty1

of knowing without the use of rational processes sharp

insight+ He wrote The man responsible for evaluating the

whole must bring to hls task the quality of intuition that

perceives the truth at every point Otherwise a chaos of

opinions would arise and fatally entangle Judgement What

this task requires in the way of heightened Intellectual gifts

is a sense of unity and a power of judgement raised to a

marvelous pitch of vision which easily grasps and dismisses a

thousand remote possibilities 5 It would be misleading

however to equate this inner light or 1 COUP d 1 oeil 1 with mere

intuition Clausewitz labors to describe this quality of

intellect using phrases such as 1 the quick recognition of

truth 1 ltessentilal facts and ideasgt a 1 comprehensive mlnd 1

and a Skil led intelligence 1 bull In my opinion this is a leader1

of ins 1gh t I ~

The second quality of mi I itary genius determination is

also further defined by Clausewitz He describes as essential

the courage to accept responsibility courage in the face

of a mora 1 danger 7 The i ndi v 1 dua 1 of courageous

determination possesses a presence of mind that deals with the

random unpredictable occurrences of armed confl let and a

~trength of wll 1 which overcome~ any adversity or catastrophic

turn of events To Clausewltz this requires staunchness

character calmness self-control and emotional balance in the

midst of exceptional stress Thls is the decisively

determined leader who wi 11 follow the inner 1ight resolute in

his conviction of final victory

These qualities first of insight to visualize to form a

clear almost spontaneous mental picture of what must be

accomplished and second of determination to decisively act

with courage and a strength of will that assures success are

depleted in many historical accounts of great military leaders

For example in Sun Tzus The Art of War the commentator Tu

Mu states If wise a commander is able to recognize changing

circumstances and acts expedientlyA Early ln Greek history

Xenophon in his Anabasis or the March up Country describes the

tragic assassination of the entire senior leadership of his

lOOOO ~man army Xenophon quickly grasped the essential

actions that had to be accompished in order to save the Greek

force from complete annihilation In numerous incidents which

followed Xenophon quickly perceived the maneuvers of his

enemies and correctly took immediate steps to avoid defeat and

achieve victory At the same time he always retained a

strategic vlslon that guided his decisions toward the Greek

mi li tary objective 10

This sense of lnslght and determination ls exempl lfled by

several American generals in World War II One example is

found ln the German counteroffensive of December 1944 the

Battle of the Bulge which caught US forces total Jy

unprepared The early German success seemed to be the

catastrophic event that Hitler hoped would break up the

Anglo-American al lance Despite the initial losses suffered by

the Americans General Omar Bradley quickly grasped that this

battle was a great opportunity for the al 1 les to seal off and

utterly destroy a significant portion of Germans remaining

mi I itary force

Bradley correctly assessed that the enemy had little

reserve strength and that an encirclement of the entire German

Army west of the Rhine River would hasten the collapse of

Germany and the end of the war Together with other key

generals notably General George S Patton Bradley set In

motion a massive attack into the German Southern flank

Unfortunate l y an attack from the north into the waist of the

bulge to complete the encirclement was not brought to full

fruition This was largely due to an attitude of pessimism

displayed by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery Whereas Bradley

saw an opportunity for offensive action and military success

Montgomery could only see that the allies had suffered a major

defeat Instead of a bold counter-attack at the enemy s point

of vulnerabil i ty the Field Marshal advocated a cautious

defense At the conclusion of the battle an encirclement was

in fact completed but it had been accomplished too late The

bulk of the German Army slipped out of the trap and fought

again 11

This example typifies a difference between superior

commanders and their less noteworthy contemporaries The great

commanders quite literally see things differently and then act

according to their insights Perhaps the most masterful

example of this abi I ity to visualize was Napoleon Bonaparte

More than once he faced forces on two fronts which were

numerical Jy superior to his own Driven by his inner _light and

by a fierce determination to create success Napolean

repeatedly turned eminent disasters into astonishing victories

Writing about the defeat of General Schwarzenberg Clausewitz

noted Napoleons rapid and accurate appraisal of the situation

his boldness in executing rapid movements and his resolute

attacks at the decisive points In Napoleons mind the

outcome was known before the battle commenced His single army

seque~tlal ly and decisively defeated two superior forces 1l

Other military theorists al Jude to these qualities of

superior mi lltary commanders For example Jomoni states that

without vision coolness and ski 11 the best strategic plan

would tall in the face of the enemy~ Ardant Du P1cq understood

that the conduct of war rests not merely on weapons and

technical formations but most essentially on the commander and

The ~econd 1~ a qual lty of temperament summed up by Clausewltz

in one word determination

Clausewltz 1 s Inward eye perhaps most closely approximates

the English deflnltlon of the word lntultlon 1 the faculty1

of knowing without the use of rational processes sharp

insight+ He wrote The man responsible for evaluating the

whole must bring to hls task the quality of intuition that

perceives the truth at every point Otherwise a chaos of

opinions would arise and fatally entangle Judgement What

this task requires in the way of heightened Intellectual gifts

is a sense of unity and a power of judgement raised to a

marvelous pitch of vision which easily grasps and dismisses a

thousand remote possibilities 5 It would be misleading

however to equate this inner light or 1 COUP d 1 oeil 1 with mere

intuition Clausewitz labors to describe this quality of

intellect using phrases such as 1 the quick recognition of

truth 1 ltessentilal facts and ideasgt a 1 comprehensive mlnd 1

and a Skil led intelligence 1 bull In my opinion this is a leader1

of ins 1gh t I ~

The second quality of mi I itary genius determination is

also further defined by Clausewitz He describes as essential

the courage to accept responsibility courage in the face

of a mora 1 danger 7 The i ndi v 1 dua 1 of courageous

determination possesses a presence of mind that deals with the

random unpredictable occurrences of armed confl let and a

~trength of wll 1 which overcome~ any adversity or catastrophic

turn of events To Clausewltz this requires staunchness

character calmness self-control and emotional balance in the

midst of exceptional stress Thls is the decisively

determined leader who wi 11 follow the inner 1ight resolute in

his conviction of final victory

These qualities first of insight to visualize to form a

clear almost spontaneous mental picture of what must be

accomplished and second of determination to decisively act

with courage and a strength of will that assures success are

depleted in many historical accounts of great military leaders

For example in Sun Tzus The Art of War the commentator Tu

Mu states If wise a commander is able to recognize changing

circumstances and acts expedientlyA Early ln Greek history

Xenophon in his Anabasis or the March up Country describes the

tragic assassination of the entire senior leadership of his

lOOOO ~man army Xenophon quickly grasped the essential

actions that had to be accompished in order to save the Greek

force from complete annihilation In numerous incidents which

followed Xenophon quickly perceived the maneuvers of his

enemies and correctly took immediate steps to avoid defeat and

achieve victory At the same time he always retained a

strategic vlslon that guided his decisions toward the Greek

mi li tary objective 10

This sense of lnslght and determination ls exempl lfled by

several American generals in World War II One example is

found ln the German counteroffensive of December 1944 the

Battle of the Bulge which caught US forces total Jy

unprepared The early German success seemed to be the

catastrophic event that Hitler hoped would break up the

Anglo-American al lance Despite the initial losses suffered by

the Americans General Omar Bradley quickly grasped that this

battle was a great opportunity for the al 1 les to seal off and

utterly destroy a significant portion of Germans remaining

mi I itary force

Bradley correctly assessed that the enemy had little

reserve strength and that an encirclement of the entire German

Army west of the Rhine River would hasten the collapse of

Germany and the end of the war Together with other key

generals notably General George S Patton Bradley set In

motion a massive attack into the German Southern flank

Unfortunate l y an attack from the north into the waist of the

bulge to complete the encirclement was not brought to full

fruition This was largely due to an attitude of pessimism

displayed by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery Whereas Bradley

saw an opportunity for offensive action and military success

Montgomery could only see that the allies had suffered a major

defeat Instead of a bold counter-attack at the enemy s point

of vulnerabil i ty the Field Marshal advocated a cautious

defense At the conclusion of the battle an encirclement was

in fact completed but it had been accomplished too late The

bulk of the German Army slipped out of the trap and fought

again 11

This example typifies a difference between superior

commanders and their less noteworthy contemporaries The great

commanders quite literally see things differently and then act

according to their insights Perhaps the most masterful

example of this abi I ity to visualize was Napoleon Bonaparte

More than once he faced forces on two fronts which were

numerical Jy superior to his own Driven by his inner _light and

by a fierce determination to create success Napolean

repeatedly turned eminent disasters into astonishing victories

Writing about the defeat of General Schwarzenberg Clausewitz

noted Napoleons rapid and accurate appraisal of the situation

his boldness in executing rapid movements and his resolute

attacks at the decisive points In Napoleons mind the

outcome was known before the battle commenced His single army

seque~tlal ly and decisively defeated two superior forces 1l

Other military theorists al Jude to these qualities of

superior mi lltary commanders For example Jomoni states that

without vision coolness and ski 11 the best strategic plan

would tall in the face of the enemy~ Ardant Du P1cq understood

that the conduct of war rests not merely on weapons and

technical formations but most essentially on the commander and

~trength of wll 1 which overcome~ any adversity or catastrophic

turn of events To Clausewltz this requires staunchness

character calmness self-control and emotional balance in the

midst of exceptional stress Thls is the decisively

determined leader who wi 11 follow the inner 1ight resolute in

his conviction of final victory

These qualities first of insight to visualize to form a

clear almost spontaneous mental picture of what must be

accomplished and second of determination to decisively act

with courage and a strength of will that assures success are

depleted in many historical accounts of great military leaders

For example in Sun Tzus The Art of War the commentator Tu

Mu states If wise a commander is able to recognize changing

circumstances and acts expedientlyA Early ln Greek history

Xenophon in his Anabasis or the March up Country describes the

tragic assassination of the entire senior leadership of his

lOOOO ~man army Xenophon quickly grasped the essential

actions that had to be accompished in order to save the Greek

force from complete annihilation In numerous incidents which

followed Xenophon quickly perceived the maneuvers of his

enemies and correctly took immediate steps to avoid defeat and

achieve victory At the same time he always retained a

strategic vlslon that guided his decisions toward the Greek

mi li tary objective 10

This sense of lnslght and determination ls exempl lfled by

several American generals in World War II One example is

found ln the German counteroffensive of December 1944 the

Battle of the Bulge which caught US forces total Jy

unprepared The early German success seemed to be the

catastrophic event that Hitler hoped would break up the

Anglo-American al lance Despite the initial losses suffered by

the Americans General Omar Bradley quickly grasped that this

battle was a great opportunity for the al 1 les to seal off and

utterly destroy a significant portion of Germans remaining

mi I itary force

Bradley correctly assessed that the enemy had little

reserve strength and that an encirclement of the entire German

Army west of the Rhine River would hasten the collapse of

Germany and the end of the war Together with other key

generals notably General George S Patton Bradley set In

motion a massive attack into the German Southern flank

Unfortunate l y an attack from the north into the waist of the

bulge to complete the encirclement was not brought to full

fruition This was largely due to an attitude of pessimism

displayed by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery Whereas Bradley

saw an opportunity for offensive action and military success

Montgomery could only see that the allies had suffered a major

defeat Instead of a bold counter-attack at the enemy s point

of vulnerabil i ty the Field Marshal advocated a cautious

defense At the conclusion of the battle an encirclement was

in fact completed but it had been accomplished too late The

bulk of the German Army slipped out of the trap and fought

again 11

This example typifies a difference between superior

commanders and their less noteworthy contemporaries The great

commanders quite literally see things differently and then act

according to their insights Perhaps the most masterful

example of this abi I ity to visualize was Napoleon Bonaparte

More than once he faced forces on two fronts which were

numerical Jy superior to his own Driven by his inner _light and

by a fierce determination to create success Napolean

repeatedly turned eminent disasters into astonishing victories

Writing about the defeat of General Schwarzenberg Clausewitz

noted Napoleons rapid and accurate appraisal of the situation

his boldness in executing rapid movements and his resolute

attacks at the decisive points In Napoleons mind the

outcome was known before the battle commenced His single army

seque~tlal ly and decisively defeated two superior forces 1l

Other military theorists al Jude to these qualities of

superior mi lltary commanders For example Jomoni states that

without vision coolness and ski 11 the best strategic plan

would tall in the face of the enemy~ Ardant Du P1cq understood

that the conduct of war rests not merely on weapons and

technical formations but most essentially on the commander and

This sense of lnslght and determination ls exempl lfled by

several American generals in World War II One example is

found ln the German counteroffensive of December 1944 the

Battle of the Bulge which caught US forces total Jy

unprepared The early German success seemed to be the

catastrophic event that Hitler hoped would break up the

Anglo-American al lance Despite the initial losses suffered by

the Americans General Omar Bradley quickly grasped that this

battle was a great opportunity for the al 1 les to seal off and

utterly destroy a significant portion of Germans remaining

mi I itary force

Bradley correctly assessed that the enemy had little

reserve strength and that an encirclement of the entire German

Army west of the Rhine River would hasten the collapse of

Germany and the end of the war Together with other key

generals notably General George S Patton Bradley set In

motion a massive attack into the German Southern flank

Unfortunate l y an attack from the north into the waist of the

bulge to complete the encirclement was not brought to full

fruition This was largely due to an attitude of pessimism

displayed by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery Whereas Bradley

saw an opportunity for offensive action and military success

Montgomery could only see that the allies had suffered a major

defeat Instead of a bold counter-attack at the enemy s point

of vulnerabil i ty the Field Marshal advocated a cautious

defense At the conclusion of the battle an encirclement was

in fact completed but it had been accomplished too late The

bulk of the German Army slipped out of the trap and fought

again 11

This example typifies a difference between superior

commanders and their less noteworthy contemporaries The great

commanders quite literally see things differently and then act

according to their insights Perhaps the most masterful

example of this abi I ity to visualize was Napoleon Bonaparte

More than once he faced forces on two fronts which were

numerical Jy superior to his own Driven by his inner _light and

by a fierce determination to create success Napolean

repeatedly turned eminent disasters into astonishing victories

Writing about the defeat of General Schwarzenberg Clausewitz

noted Napoleons rapid and accurate appraisal of the situation

his boldness in executing rapid movements and his resolute

attacks at the decisive points In Napoleons mind the

outcome was known before the battle commenced His single army

seque~tlal ly and decisively defeated two superior forces 1l

Other military theorists al Jude to these qualities of

superior mi lltary commanders For example Jomoni states that

without vision coolness and ski 11 the best strategic plan

would tall in the face of the enemy~ Ardant Du P1cq understood

that the conduct of war rests not merely on weapons and

technical formations but most essentially on the commander and

defense At the conclusion of the battle an encirclement was

in fact completed but it had been accomplished too late The

bulk of the German Army slipped out of the trap and fought

again 11

This example typifies a difference between superior

commanders and their less noteworthy contemporaries The great

commanders quite literally see things differently and then act

according to their insights Perhaps the most masterful

example of this abi I ity to visualize was Napoleon Bonaparte

More than once he faced forces on two fronts which were

numerical Jy superior to his own Driven by his inner _light and

by a fierce determination to create success Napolean

repeatedly turned eminent disasters into astonishing victories

Writing about the defeat of General Schwarzenberg Clausewitz

noted Napoleons rapid and accurate appraisal of the situation

his boldness in executing rapid movements and his resolute

attacks at the decisive points In Napoleons mind the

outcome was known before the battle commenced His single army

seque~tlal ly and decisively defeated two superior forces 1l

Other military theorists al Jude to these qualities of

superior mi lltary commanders For example Jomoni states that

without vision coolness and ski 11 the best strategic plan

would tall in the face of the enemy~ Ardant Du P1cq understood

that the conduct of war rests not merely on weapons and

technical formations but most essentially on the commander and

the troops He counsel led the commander to seek a knowledge of

self of his soldiers and of the enemy~ B H Llddel I Hart in

advocating the indirect approach emphasized the need to

anticipate the enemys moves to psychologically entrap the

enemy ln his own expectations and then to surprise him with an

unexpected strike at his center of gravity In this Llddel 1

Hart promotes the concept of the commander who can imagine the

mind of his enemy and sees from the perspective of his

adversary what he sees5 J F C Fuller author of

Generalship quotes Baron von der Goltz One of the most

important talents of a general we would cal 1 that of a creative

mind to spy out the soul of ones adversary and to act ln a

manner in which will astonish him this is generalship~

To quickly grasp an ever dynamic situation to as

Calusewitz states scent out the truth within the realm of

wars uncertaintly to perceive the essential ingredients

of victory and then to decisively and courageously determine

the correct courses of action these are the hallmarks of al 1

great military commanders Based on these qualities of

lntel lect great commanders possess an inner confidence and

resolve that sustains them even in the face of almost certain

defeat In a very real sense these commanders cannot fall

If beaten by conditions completely beyond their control they

most often rise again to fight and win

If leaders of insight and determination are critical to

success In battle what if anything can we do to develop

these qualities of intellect and temperament~ Many individuals

believe these attributes to be inherent or natural gifts

Recent research however suggests that we can significantly

improve our natural abilities and foster them in others if we

are wi I ling to make the necessary effortm Of course not

everyone wil I become a Bonaparte or a Patton but

professionally we owe it to ourselves and to our country to

develop our potential to the fullest extent

I bel leve we can draw a highly useful para lel from pi lots

who fly high performance fighter aircraft Flying in time and

three-dimentional space at speeds greater than sound pilots

are surrounded by electronic Instrumentation and a deluge of

data To be successful In combat pi lots must absorb only that

information which is critical to the engagement and then

visualize their performance in the context of what the enemy Is

doing and what he will do They may sound like a highly

analytical process but In reality pl lots report that ln combat

they dont have the time to think Rather they feel or

see their way through what ls to take place a mental

projection of the future coupled with decisive action to

control maneuver and fight the aircraft AlI else Is

excluded from a pilot s senses as his mind balances the need

for diagnostic Information with the imperative to lntuitlvely

fly by the seat of hls pants

It is wel 1 known that the success of US pl lots ln

air-to-air engagements dramatically declined in the interval

between the Korean War and the war in Vietnam From a ki I 1

ratio of 12 to 1 ln Korea the ratio dropped to 3 to 1 ln

Vietnam Research showed that pilots who survived their first

five air-to-alr engagements were likely to obtain high kil 1

ratios in future encounters The Air Force and Navy recognized

that combat experience held one key to dog-fighting success

Both services initiated simulation training so that pilots

would gain the experience of those critical first five missions

prior to entering actual combat Not surprisingly these and

other efforts soon produced kil I ratios equalt to or better

than those of the Korean War

Todays pilots learn in the classroom gain experience in

sophisticated simulators engage in actual flying combat

situations against the best US pilots who act as aggressors

return to the classroom to have their successes and failures

analyzed and then repeat the cycle They do this repeatedly

until as Air Force Colonel George Lewis Jr puts it they are

11absolutely convinced that they are bullbullbull the best the bravest

the toughest--and the smartest 11 lq

The point to learn from this is that good alr-to-alr

combat pi lots are developed not born And while there are

some i n d i v i du a 1 s w i t h natura 1 f 1 y i n g t a I en t s v i r t u a 1 I y a 1 1

pilots can greatly Improve similar qualities of insight and

determination with training and most critically with

experience

In fact experience is the basic foundation of proficiency

in any skill science or art This is perhaps self-evident

but what is less apparent is that the quality of the experience

is of paramount importance in individual development and

accomplishment Two examples serve to illustrate this The

first example is negative and the second is positive

Recently I was comparing styles of leadership with a

visiting European officer He had just returned from a TDY

trip to Fort Hood and had been quite impressed with the large

scale of almost everything the number of qual lty troops the

amount of equipment and the great training areas Then ln a

sudden turn of the discussion he remarked that the greatest

problem that he saw with American officers was what he referred

to as management by mushroom Briefly paraphrased

management by mushroom is when an officer ls fertilized and

watered and nourished and promoted Then the officer makes a

mistake and like the mushroom he ls cut off and eaten up

The NTC ls indeed an excel lent vehicle for training and

developing leaders It ls a highly sophisticated simulation

that has some similarities to the Air Force and Navy simulated

combat training programs For example in comparing lt to the

Navys Top Gun program NTC offers excel lent simulation through

Individual soldier and vehicle laser firing devices the

Multiuple Integrated Laser Engagement System ltMILESgt The

integrated use of MILES other sensors recording media

computer graphics capabilities and highly skll led trainers and

evaluators provide outstanding training opportunities to learn

from the successes and problems of stressful simulated

battlefield conditions

In contrast to the Top Gun School however the number of

simulations a battalion commander can participate in are

limited In some ways NTC is also a far more complex

environment And most importantly to the extent NTC is used

to negatively evaluate officers performance there is a

propo~tional decrease in its value as a means for gaining

critical experience If there is an artifical pressure to

perform in conformity to a zero defects standard creative

initiative wi 11 be sacrificed and officers will be forced to

learn how to pass the NTC career test And if a battalion

commander s career is at stake solely due to a number of

mistakes made at NTC or one of the other training centers then

the Army runs the risk of eliminating potentially excellent

combat leaders from future service It wa3 precisely this

perspective that most alarmed the European officer who had

visited Fort Hood Management by mushroom 1 where It exists

should be eliminated

The second example of the importance of experience in

developing leadership comes from a dynamic leader who

consistently achieved outstanding performance from his

subordinates I got to know him soon after he had taken over a

unit with a reputation of having a laissez-faire mentality

The new chief was a dynamo of actlvlty and he soon parcel led

out a number of demanding assignments to al 1 of his key

subordinates One of them recalled receiving a particularly

tough job to do and wondered if he would measure up to the

challenge As the project progressed this subordinate on two

occasions checked back with the chief for additional guidance

and in both cases he was given just a few minutes for his

super i or to clarify a point or two Several days later the

officer completed the assignment and filed the after-action

report It was at this point that the chief provided the

subordinate with his first real feedback concerning his

performance

The chief expressed his complete satisfaction ln the

finished assignment and then noted that the subordlnate 1 S work

wa3 outstanding - 3lml Jar to the way he would have done lt

himself In the future the subordinate was told he could be

entrusted with any challenge the unit would face From that

time on thls officer performed his duties in an outstanding

manner Not coincldentl ly other officers had siml Jar

experiences and they also began to turn in consistently

superior results It was not self-evident at the time

however that the new chief had challenged his subordinates to

the highest extent of their individual abilities and then with

an adequate amount of guidance left them free to succeed

largely on their own And when they did succeed they owned

that success- it was theirs and they had earned lt The

immediate result was a sense of self-assurance that was

experienced both individually and throughout the unit

It is perhaps a truism that a successful experience

produces assurance and confidence In this unit since

virtually every individual was succeeding to some degree there

seemed to be little competition Cooperat i on actually

increased as individuals began to recognize that their

accomplishments were interdependently l i nked to unit

achievement When this occurred most officers for the first

time started to see and comprehend the big picture The

combination of successful experience self-assurance and

comprehension led to new and even higher levels of performance

From this point on most officers in the unit refused to

believe that anything less than the best was acceptable

Someone expressed the comment that if the unlt had been at war

the idea of defeat would have been unimaginable A cohesive

team had been forged that was unstoppable The atmosphere on

the Job was almost electric but there was little frenetic

movement or helter-skelter behavior The unit worked with

determination and with a quiet Intensity It was at this point

that a distinct change occurred Individuals operating in this

environment free of unnecessary restraints could visualize

new opportunities and options Intuitively they could see

what had been obscure And with these added insights there

was an almost fierce determination to follow through to

excellence I believe that the positive experience

self-assurance and comprehension of the ful i situation led

directly to Clausewitzs inward eye of insight and to decisive

determination ltSee Figure 1gt

When the chief was about to leave for a new assignment

asked him to explain the secret of his success His answer was

that as a leader he had three tasks to accomplish First to

recognize that each individual brings unique talents to the

unit Second to employ those talents and challenge each

individual to the greatest extent of his or her abilities

Third to provide additional support guidance backing and

I

FOUNDATIONS OF GENIUS

INSIGHT

Intuitive grasp Decisive and resolute of uncertainties unshakeable in purpose imagnatlve intelligence courageous

An understanding of the big picture

~ SELF ASSURANCE

Confident in the face of the unknown

0 Tried tested capable

horsepower when needed In hl~ opinion alI of the other

factors of success would naturally fol low21

This pattern of success and excellence is consistently

repeated by outstanding leaders For example in May 1966 one

of the foremost combat commanders of World War II and the

Korean War General Matthew B Ridgeway addressed the Command

and General Staff Col lege on the topic of leadership Through

out his speech General Ridgeway emphasized the Important role

of leaders in developing toe climate that will ensure their

subordinates development earned success self-confidence

foresight and vision His thoughts largely parallel the

leadership approach of the previous example One paragraph

perhaps best typifies his concept of leadership

Every man is entitled to go into battle with

the best chance of survival your forethought as a

leader can provide What best helps you discharge

this responsibility Sharing things with your

men always being where the crisis is or seems

most likely to develop always thinking of what

help you can give your commanders who are

executing your orders doing your utmost to see

that the best in rations shelter first aid and

evacuation facilities are available being

generous with praise swift and fair with

punishment when you have your facts Intolerant of

demonstrated failure in leadership on which lives

depend yet making ful 1 allowances for human

weaknesses and the stresses and strains of battle

on individuals~

Embodied in these words is the quiet splrlt of battlefield

leadership success These are the thoughts of an officer who

most of us would willingly follow into battle Experienced

self-assured and comprehending Matthew Ridgeway was an

insightful and determined commander who bred those same

qualities of intellect and temperament in his subordinates

Those of us who are ln the military frequently see post

cemeteries with rows of markers that attest to the men and

women who have sacrificed for their country and the ideals of

freedom justice and liberty In the United States we have

been especially fortunate to have had the service of leaders

who have possessed the intellect and temperament to insure

battlefield success From history we learn of these great

soldiers their heroic deeds and their insight and

determination that would not fail even in the darkest hour

If for no other reason do we not owe a debt to those who

have gone before us to carry on their examp l es of leadership

Do we not owe tho~e who ~erve with u~ our leadership in

training them to succeed as experienced self-confident and

farsighted leaders who wil I develop the lnsight and

determination essential to victory in battle We have the

means to achieve these ends now - they are not dependent upon

new technology or next years budget And regardless of the

weapons we possess or the funds which may be available no

success wil 1 compensate for our failure to develop these

leadership qual itles of intellect and temperament in ourselves

and in our subordinates

END NOTES

1 MAJ Mike Marker private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas January 1988

2 Carl von Clausewitz On War trans Michael Howard and Peter Peret ltPrinceton NJ Princeton University Press 1976gt p 102

3 Ibid p 102

4 Wl II lam Morris Tbe American Herltaae Dictionary of the English Language ltBoston MA Houghton Mifflin Company 1976gt p 74

5 Clausewitz p 112

6 Ibid p 102

7 Ibid p 102

8 Ibid p 105

9 Samuel B Griffith Syn Tzy Tbe Art of War ltLondon GB Oxford University Press 1971gt p 65

10 Wilt D Rouse trans The March Up Countrv A Translation of Xenophon s Anabas1 s ltAnn Arbor MI The Un 1 vers ity of M 1 ch 1gao Press 1964gt

11 Omar Bradley and Clay Blair A Generals Life ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1983gt pp 350-392

12 Clausewitz p 102

13 Antoine Henri Jomini The Art of War p 158

14 Ardant Du Pique Battle Stydies Ancient and Modern trans Colonel John N Greely and Major Robert C Cotton ltHarrisburg PA The Military Service Publishing Company 1946gt

15 B H Liddell Hart Strategy rev 2nd ed ltLondon GB Faber and Faber Ltd 1954gt p 146

16 JFC Fuller Generalship ltHarrisburg PA Military Service Publishing Company 1936gt p 32

17 Clausewitz 109

18 Betty Edwards Drawing on the Artist Within ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1986gt p xiii

19 Michael Aatchell bullThe Militarys New Starsbull US News and World Report 104 lt18 April 1988) p 35

20 Lieutenant Colonel Josef Weingast Austrian Armed Forces private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas February 1988

21 George Putnam private Interview St Louis Missouri January 1987

22 Matthew B Ridgeway bullLeadershipbull Military Reylew ltOctober 1966gt p 47

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If leaders of insight and determination are critical to

success In battle what if anything can we do to develop

these qualities of intellect and temperament~ Many individuals

believe these attributes to be inherent or natural gifts

Recent research however suggests that we can significantly

improve our natural abilities and foster them in others if we

are wi I ling to make the necessary effortm Of course not

everyone wil I become a Bonaparte or a Patton but

professionally we owe it to ourselves and to our country to

develop our potential to the fullest extent

I bel leve we can draw a highly useful para lel from pi lots

who fly high performance fighter aircraft Flying in time and

three-dimentional space at speeds greater than sound pilots

are surrounded by electronic Instrumentation and a deluge of

data To be successful In combat pi lots must absorb only that

information which is critical to the engagement and then

visualize their performance in the context of what the enemy Is

doing and what he will do They may sound like a highly

analytical process but In reality pl lots report that ln combat

they dont have the time to think Rather they feel or

see their way through what ls to take place a mental

projection of the future coupled with decisive action to

control maneuver and fight the aircraft AlI else Is

excluded from a pilot s senses as his mind balances the need

for diagnostic Information with the imperative to lntuitlvely

fly by the seat of hls pants

It is wel 1 known that the success of US pl lots ln

air-to-air engagements dramatically declined in the interval

between the Korean War and the war in Vietnam From a ki I 1

ratio of 12 to 1 ln Korea the ratio dropped to 3 to 1 ln

Vietnam Research showed that pilots who survived their first

five air-to-alr engagements were likely to obtain high kil 1

ratios in future encounters The Air Force and Navy recognized

that combat experience held one key to dog-fighting success

Both services initiated simulation training so that pilots

would gain the experience of those critical first five missions

prior to entering actual combat Not surprisingly these and

other efforts soon produced kil I ratios equalt to or better

than those of the Korean War

Todays pilots learn in the classroom gain experience in

sophisticated simulators engage in actual flying combat

situations against the best US pilots who act as aggressors

return to the classroom to have their successes and failures

analyzed and then repeat the cycle They do this repeatedly

until as Air Force Colonel George Lewis Jr puts it they are

11absolutely convinced that they are bullbullbull the best the bravest

the toughest--and the smartest 11 lq

The point to learn from this is that good alr-to-alr

combat pi lots are developed not born And while there are

some i n d i v i du a 1 s w i t h natura 1 f 1 y i n g t a I en t s v i r t u a 1 I y a 1 1

pilots can greatly Improve similar qualities of insight and

determination with training and most critically with

experience

In fact experience is the basic foundation of proficiency

in any skill science or art This is perhaps self-evident

but what is less apparent is that the quality of the experience

is of paramount importance in individual development and

accomplishment Two examples serve to illustrate this The

first example is negative and the second is positive

Recently I was comparing styles of leadership with a

visiting European officer He had just returned from a TDY

trip to Fort Hood and had been quite impressed with the large

scale of almost everything the number of qual lty troops the

amount of equipment and the great training areas Then ln a

sudden turn of the discussion he remarked that the greatest

problem that he saw with American officers was what he referred

to as management by mushroom Briefly paraphrased

management by mushroom is when an officer ls fertilized and

watered and nourished and promoted Then the officer makes a

mistake and like the mushroom he ls cut off and eaten up

The NTC ls indeed an excel lent vehicle for training and

developing leaders It ls a highly sophisticated simulation

that has some similarities to the Air Force and Navy simulated

combat training programs For example in comparing lt to the

Navys Top Gun program NTC offers excel lent simulation through

Individual soldier and vehicle laser firing devices the

Multiuple Integrated Laser Engagement System ltMILESgt The

integrated use of MILES other sensors recording media

computer graphics capabilities and highly skll led trainers and

evaluators provide outstanding training opportunities to learn

from the successes and problems of stressful simulated

battlefield conditions

In contrast to the Top Gun School however the number of

simulations a battalion commander can participate in are

limited In some ways NTC is also a far more complex

environment And most importantly to the extent NTC is used

to negatively evaluate officers performance there is a

propo~tional decrease in its value as a means for gaining

critical experience If there is an artifical pressure to

perform in conformity to a zero defects standard creative

initiative wi 11 be sacrificed and officers will be forced to

learn how to pass the NTC career test And if a battalion

commander s career is at stake solely due to a number of

mistakes made at NTC or one of the other training centers then

the Army runs the risk of eliminating potentially excellent

combat leaders from future service It wa3 precisely this

perspective that most alarmed the European officer who had

visited Fort Hood Management by mushroom 1 where It exists

should be eliminated

The second example of the importance of experience in

developing leadership comes from a dynamic leader who

consistently achieved outstanding performance from his

subordinates I got to know him soon after he had taken over a

unit with a reputation of having a laissez-faire mentality

The new chief was a dynamo of actlvlty and he soon parcel led

out a number of demanding assignments to al 1 of his key

subordinates One of them recalled receiving a particularly

tough job to do and wondered if he would measure up to the

challenge As the project progressed this subordinate on two

occasions checked back with the chief for additional guidance

and in both cases he was given just a few minutes for his

super i or to clarify a point or two Several days later the

officer completed the assignment and filed the after-action

report It was at this point that the chief provided the

subordinate with his first real feedback concerning his

performance

The chief expressed his complete satisfaction ln the

finished assignment and then noted that the subordlnate 1 S work

wa3 outstanding - 3lml Jar to the way he would have done lt

himself In the future the subordinate was told he could be

entrusted with any challenge the unit would face From that

time on thls officer performed his duties in an outstanding

manner Not coincldentl ly other officers had siml Jar

experiences and they also began to turn in consistently

superior results It was not self-evident at the time

however that the new chief had challenged his subordinates to

the highest extent of their individual abilities and then with

an adequate amount of guidance left them free to succeed

largely on their own And when they did succeed they owned

that success- it was theirs and they had earned lt The

immediate result was a sense of self-assurance that was

experienced both individually and throughout the unit

It is perhaps a truism that a successful experience

produces assurance and confidence In this unit since

virtually every individual was succeeding to some degree there

seemed to be little competition Cooperat i on actually

increased as individuals began to recognize that their

accomplishments were interdependently l i nked to unit

achievement When this occurred most officers for the first

time started to see and comprehend the big picture The

combination of successful experience self-assurance and

comprehension led to new and even higher levels of performance

From this point on most officers in the unit refused to

believe that anything less than the best was acceptable

Someone expressed the comment that if the unlt had been at war

the idea of defeat would have been unimaginable A cohesive

team had been forged that was unstoppable The atmosphere on

the Job was almost electric but there was little frenetic

movement or helter-skelter behavior The unit worked with

determination and with a quiet Intensity It was at this point

that a distinct change occurred Individuals operating in this

environment free of unnecessary restraints could visualize

new opportunities and options Intuitively they could see

what had been obscure And with these added insights there

was an almost fierce determination to follow through to

excellence I believe that the positive experience

self-assurance and comprehension of the ful i situation led

directly to Clausewitzs inward eye of insight and to decisive

determination ltSee Figure 1gt

When the chief was about to leave for a new assignment

asked him to explain the secret of his success His answer was

that as a leader he had three tasks to accomplish First to

recognize that each individual brings unique talents to the

unit Second to employ those talents and challenge each

individual to the greatest extent of his or her abilities

Third to provide additional support guidance backing and

I

FOUNDATIONS OF GENIUS

INSIGHT

Intuitive grasp Decisive and resolute of uncertainties unshakeable in purpose imagnatlve intelligence courageous

An understanding of the big picture

~ SELF ASSURANCE

Confident in the face of the unknown

0 Tried tested capable

horsepower when needed In hl~ opinion alI of the other

factors of success would naturally fol low21

This pattern of success and excellence is consistently

repeated by outstanding leaders For example in May 1966 one

of the foremost combat commanders of World War II and the

Korean War General Matthew B Ridgeway addressed the Command

and General Staff Col lege on the topic of leadership Through

out his speech General Ridgeway emphasized the Important role

of leaders in developing toe climate that will ensure their

subordinates development earned success self-confidence

foresight and vision His thoughts largely parallel the

leadership approach of the previous example One paragraph

perhaps best typifies his concept of leadership

Every man is entitled to go into battle with

the best chance of survival your forethought as a

leader can provide What best helps you discharge

this responsibility Sharing things with your

men always being where the crisis is or seems

most likely to develop always thinking of what

help you can give your commanders who are

executing your orders doing your utmost to see

that the best in rations shelter first aid and

evacuation facilities are available being

generous with praise swift and fair with

punishment when you have your facts Intolerant of

demonstrated failure in leadership on which lives

depend yet making ful 1 allowances for human

weaknesses and the stresses and strains of battle

on individuals~

Embodied in these words is the quiet splrlt of battlefield

leadership success These are the thoughts of an officer who

most of us would willingly follow into battle Experienced

self-assured and comprehending Matthew Ridgeway was an

insightful and determined commander who bred those same

qualities of intellect and temperament in his subordinates

Those of us who are ln the military frequently see post

cemeteries with rows of markers that attest to the men and

women who have sacrificed for their country and the ideals of

freedom justice and liberty In the United States we have

been especially fortunate to have had the service of leaders

who have possessed the intellect and temperament to insure

battlefield success From history we learn of these great

soldiers their heroic deeds and their insight and

determination that would not fail even in the darkest hour

If for no other reason do we not owe a debt to those who

have gone before us to carry on their examp l es of leadership

Do we not owe tho~e who ~erve with u~ our leadership in

training them to succeed as experienced self-confident and

farsighted leaders who wil I develop the lnsight and

determination essential to victory in battle We have the

means to achieve these ends now - they are not dependent upon

new technology or next years budget And regardless of the

weapons we possess or the funds which may be available no

success wil 1 compensate for our failure to develop these

leadership qual itles of intellect and temperament in ourselves

and in our subordinates

END NOTES

1 MAJ Mike Marker private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas January 1988

2 Carl von Clausewitz On War trans Michael Howard and Peter Peret ltPrinceton NJ Princeton University Press 1976gt p 102

3 Ibid p 102

4 Wl II lam Morris Tbe American Herltaae Dictionary of the English Language ltBoston MA Houghton Mifflin Company 1976gt p 74

5 Clausewitz p 112

6 Ibid p 102

7 Ibid p 102

8 Ibid p 105

9 Samuel B Griffith Syn Tzy Tbe Art of War ltLondon GB Oxford University Press 1971gt p 65

10 Wilt D Rouse trans The March Up Countrv A Translation of Xenophon s Anabas1 s ltAnn Arbor MI The Un 1 vers ity of M 1 ch 1gao Press 1964gt

11 Omar Bradley and Clay Blair A Generals Life ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1983gt pp 350-392

12 Clausewitz p 102

13 Antoine Henri Jomini The Art of War p 158

14 Ardant Du Pique Battle Stydies Ancient and Modern trans Colonel John N Greely and Major Robert C Cotton ltHarrisburg PA The Military Service Publishing Company 1946gt

15 B H Liddell Hart Strategy rev 2nd ed ltLondon GB Faber and Faber Ltd 1954gt p 146

16 JFC Fuller Generalship ltHarrisburg PA Military Service Publishing Company 1936gt p 32

17 Clausewitz 109

18 Betty Edwards Drawing on the Artist Within ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1986gt p xiii

19 Michael Aatchell bullThe Militarys New Starsbull US News and World Report 104 lt18 April 1988) p 35

20 Lieutenant Colonel Josef Weingast Austrian Armed Forces private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas February 1988

21 George Putnam private Interview St Louis Missouri January 1987

22 Matthew B Ridgeway bullLeadershipbull Military Reylew ltOctober 1966gt p 47

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for diagnostic Information with the imperative to lntuitlvely

fly by the seat of hls pants

It is wel 1 known that the success of US pl lots ln

air-to-air engagements dramatically declined in the interval

between the Korean War and the war in Vietnam From a ki I 1

ratio of 12 to 1 ln Korea the ratio dropped to 3 to 1 ln

Vietnam Research showed that pilots who survived their first

five air-to-alr engagements were likely to obtain high kil 1

ratios in future encounters The Air Force and Navy recognized

that combat experience held one key to dog-fighting success

Both services initiated simulation training so that pilots

would gain the experience of those critical first five missions

prior to entering actual combat Not surprisingly these and

other efforts soon produced kil I ratios equalt to or better

than those of the Korean War

Todays pilots learn in the classroom gain experience in

sophisticated simulators engage in actual flying combat

situations against the best US pilots who act as aggressors

return to the classroom to have their successes and failures

analyzed and then repeat the cycle They do this repeatedly

until as Air Force Colonel George Lewis Jr puts it they are

11absolutely convinced that they are bullbullbull the best the bravest

the toughest--and the smartest 11 lq

The point to learn from this is that good alr-to-alr

combat pi lots are developed not born And while there are

some i n d i v i du a 1 s w i t h natura 1 f 1 y i n g t a I en t s v i r t u a 1 I y a 1 1

pilots can greatly Improve similar qualities of insight and

determination with training and most critically with

experience

In fact experience is the basic foundation of proficiency

in any skill science or art This is perhaps self-evident

but what is less apparent is that the quality of the experience

is of paramount importance in individual development and

accomplishment Two examples serve to illustrate this The

first example is negative and the second is positive

Recently I was comparing styles of leadership with a

visiting European officer He had just returned from a TDY

trip to Fort Hood and had been quite impressed with the large

scale of almost everything the number of qual lty troops the

amount of equipment and the great training areas Then ln a

sudden turn of the discussion he remarked that the greatest

problem that he saw with American officers was what he referred

to as management by mushroom Briefly paraphrased

management by mushroom is when an officer ls fertilized and

watered and nourished and promoted Then the officer makes a

mistake and like the mushroom he ls cut off and eaten up

The NTC ls indeed an excel lent vehicle for training and

developing leaders It ls a highly sophisticated simulation

that has some similarities to the Air Force and Navy simulated

combat training programs For example in comparing lt to the

Navys Top Gun program NTC offers excel lent simulation through

Individual soldier and vehicle laser firing devices the

Multiuple Integrated Laser Engagement System ltMILESgt The

integrated use of MILES other sensors recording media

computer graphics capabilities and highly skll led trainers and

evaluators provide outstanding training opportunities to learn

from the successes and problems of stressful simulated

battlefield conditions

In contrast to the Top Gun School however the number of

simulations a battalion commander can participate in are

limited In some ways NTC is also a far more complex

environment And most importantly to the extent NTC is used

to negatively evaluate officers performance there is a

propo~tional decrease in its value as a means for gaining

critical experience If there is an artifical pressure to

perform in conformity to a zero defects standard creative

initiative wi 11 be sacrificed and officers will be forced to

learn how to pass the NTC career test And if a battalion

commander s career is at stake solely due to a number of

mistakes made at NTC or one of the other training centers then

the Army runs the risk of eliminating potentially excellent

combat leaders from future service It wa3 precisely this

perspective that most alarmed the European officer who had

visited Fort Hood Management by mushroom 1 where It exists

should be eliminated

The second example of the importance of experience in

developing leadership comes from a dynamic leader who

consistently achieved outstanding performance from his

subordinates I got to know him soon after he had taken over a

unit with a reputation of having a laissez-faire mentality

The new chief was a dynamo of actlvlty and he soon parcel led

out a number of demanding assignments to al 1 of his key

subordinates One of them recalled receiving a particularly

tough job to do and wondered if he would measure up to the

challenge As the project progressed this subordinate on two

occasions checked back with the chief for additional guidance

and in both cases he was given just a few minutes for his

super i or to clarify a point or two Several days later the

officer completed the assignment and filed the after-action

report It was at this point that the chief provided the

subordinate with his first real feedback concerning his

performance

The chief expressed his complete satisfaction ln the

finished assignment and then noted that the subordlnate 1 S work

wa3 outstanding - 3lml Jar to the way he would have done lt

himself In the future the subordinate was told he could be

entrusted with any challenge the unit would face From that

time on thls officer performed his duties in an outstanding

manner Not coincldentl ly other officers had siml Jar

experiences and they also began to turn in consistently

superior results It was not self-evident at the time

however that the new chief had challenged his subordinates to

the highest extent of their individual abilities and then with

an adequate amount of guidance left them free to succeed

largely on their own And when they did succeed they owned

that success- it was theirs and they had earned lt The

immediate result was a sense of self-assurance that was

experienced both individually and throughout the unit

It is perhaps a truism that a successful experience

produces assurance and confidence In this unit since

virtually every individual was succeeding to some degree there

seemed to be little competition Cooperat i on actually

increased as individuals began to recognize that their

accomplishments were interdependently l i nked to unit

achievement When this occurred most officers for the first

time started to see and comprehend the big picture The

combination of successful experience self-assurance and

comprehension led to new and even higher levels of performance

From this point on most officers in the unit refused to

believe that anything less than the best was acceptable

Someone expressed the comment that if the unlt had been at war

the idea of defeat would have been unimaginable A cohesive

team had been forged that was unstoppable The atmosphere on

the Job was almost electric but there was little frenetic

movement or helter-skelter behavior The unit worked with

determination and with a quiet Intensity It was at this point

that a distinct change occurred Individuals operating in this

environment free of unnecessary restraints could visualize

new opportunities and options Intuitively they could see

what had been obscure And with these added insights there

was an almost fierce determination to follow through to

excellence I believe that the positive experience

self-assurance and comprehension of the ful i situation led

directly to Clausewitzs inward eye of insight and to decisive

determination ltSee Figure 1gt

When the chief was about to leave for a new assignment

asked him to explain the secret of his success His answer was

that as a leader he had three tasks to accomplish First to

recognize that each individual brings unique talents to the

unit Second to employ those talents and challenge each

individual to the greatest extent of his or her abilities

Third to provide additional support guidance backing and

I

FOUNDATIONS OF GENIUS

INSIGHT

Intuitive grasp Decisive and resolute of uncertainties unshakeable in purpose imagnatlve intelligence courageous

An understanding of the big picture

~ SELF ASSURANCE

Confident in the face of the unknown

0 Tried tested capable

horsepower when needed In hl~ opinion alI of the other

factors of success would naturally fol low21

This pattern of success and excellence is consistently

repeated by outstanding leaders For example in May 1966 one

of the foremost combat commanders of World War II and the

Korean War General Matthew B Ridgeway addressed the Command

and General Staff Col lege on the topic of leadership Through

out his speech General Ridgeway emphasized the Important role

of leaders in developing toe climate that will ensure their

subordinates development earned success self-confidence

foresight and vision His thoughts largely parallel the

leadership approach of the previous example One paragraph

perhaps best typifies his concept of leadership

Every man is entitled to go into battle with

the best chance of survival your forethought as a

leader can provide What best helps you discharge

this responsibility Sharing things with your

men always being where the crisis is or seems

most likely to develop always thinking of what

help you can give your commanders who are

executing your orders doing your utmost to see

that the best in rations shelter first aid and

evacuation facilities are available being

generous with praise swift and fair with

punishment when you have your facts Intolerant of

demonstrated failure in leadership on which lives

depend yet making ful 1 allowances for human

weaknesses and the stresses and strains of battle

on individuals~

Embodied in these words is the quiet splrlt of battlefield

leadership success These are the thoughts of an officer who

most of us would willingly follow into battle Experienced

self-assured and comprehending Matthew Ridgeway was an

insightful and determined commander who bred those same

qualities of intellect and temperament in his subordinates

Those of us who are ln the military frequently see post

cemeteries with rows of markers that attest to the men and

women who have sacrificed for their country and the ideals of

freedom justice and liberty In the United States we have

been especially fortunate to have had the service of leaders

who have possessed the intellect and temperament to insure

battlefield success From history we learn of these great

soldiers their heroic deeds and their insight and

determination that would not fail even in the darkest hour

If for no other reason do we not owe a debt to those who

have gone before us to carry on their examp l es of leadership

Do we not owe tho~e who ~erve with u~ our leadership in

training them to succeed as experienced self-confident and

farsighted leaders who wil I develop the lnsight and

determination essential to victory in battle We have the

means to achieve these ends now - they are not dependent upon

new technology or next years budget And regardless of the

weapons we possess or the funds which may be available no

success wil 1 compensate for our failure to develop these

leadership qual itles of intellect and temperament in ourselves

and in our subordinates

END NOTES

1 MAJ Mike Marker private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas January 1988

2 Carl von Clausewitz On War trans Michael Howard and Peter Peret ltPrinceton NJ Princeton University Press 1976gt p 102

3 Ibid p 102

4 Wl II lam Morris Tbe American Herltaae Dictionary of the English Language ltBoston MA Houghton Mifflin Company 1976gt p 74

5 Clausewitz p 112

6 Ibid p 102

7 Ibid p 102

8 Ibid p 105

9 Samuel B Griffith Syn Tzy Tbe Art of War ltLondon GB Oxford University Press 1971gt p 65

10 Wilt D Rouse trans The March Up Countrv A Translation of Xenophon s Anabas1 s ltAnn Arbor MI The Un 1 vers ity of M 1 ch 1gao Press 1964gt

11 Omar Bradley and Clay Blair A Generals Life ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1983gt pp 350-392

12 Clausewitz p 102

13 Antoine Henri Jomini The Art of War p 158

14 Ardant Du Pique Battle Stydies Ancient and Modern trans Colonel John N Greely and Major Robert C Cotton ltHarrisburg PA The Military Service Publishing Company 1946gt

15 B H Liddell Hart Strategy rev 2nd ed ltLondon GB Faber and Faber Ltd 1954gt p 146

16 JFC Fuller Generalship ltHarrisburg PA Military Service Publishing Company 1936gt p 32

17 Clausewitz 109

18 Betty Edwards Drawing on the Artist Within ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1986gt p xiii

19 Michael Aatchell bullThe Militarys New Starsbull US News and World Report 104 lt18 April 1988) p 35

20 Lieutenant Colonel Josef Weingast Austrian Armed Forces private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas February 1988

21 George Putnam private Interview St Louis Missouri January 1987

22 Matthew B Ridgeway bullLeadershipbull Military Reylew ltOctober 1966gt p 47

• img001
• img002
• img003
• img004
• img005
• img006
• img007
• img008
• img009
• img010
• img011
• img012
• img013
• img014
• img015
• img016
• img017
• img018
• img019
• img020
• img021
• img022

The point to learn from this is that good alr-to-alr

combat pi lots are developed not born And while there are

some i n d i v i du a 1 s w i t h natura 1 f 1 y i n g t a I en t s v i r t u a 1 I y a 1 1

pilots can greatly Improve similar qualities of insight and

determination with training and most critically with

experience

In fact experience is the basic foundation of proficiency

in any skill science or art This is perhaps self-evident

but what is less apparent is that the quality of the experience

is of paramount importance in individual development and

accomplishment Two examples serve to illustrate this The

first example is negative and the second is positive

Recently I was comparing styles of leadership with a

visiting European officer He had just returned from a TDY

trip to Fort Hood and had been quite impressed with the large

scale of almost everything the number of qual lty troops the

amount of equipment and the great training areas Then ln a

sudden turn of the discussion he remarked that the greatest

problem that he saw with American officers was what he referred

to as management by mushroom Briefly paraphrased

management by mushroom is when an officer ls fertilized and

watered and nourished and promoted Then the officer makes a

mistake and like the mushroom he ls cut off and eaten up

The NTC ls indeed an excel lent vehicle for training and

developing leaders It ls a highly sophisticated simulation

that has some similarities to the Air Force and Navy simulated

combat training programs For example in comparing lt to the

Navys Top Gun program NTC offers excel lent simulation through

Individual soldier and vehicle laser firing devices the

Multiuple Integrated Laser Engagement System ltMILESgt The

integrated use of MILES other sensors recording media

computer graphics capabilities and highly skll led trainers and

evaluators provide outstanding training opportunities to learn

from the successes and problems of stressful simulated

battlefield conditions

In contrast to the Top Gun School however the number of

simulations a battalion commander can participate in are

limited In some ways NTC is also a far more complex

environment And most importantly to the extent NTC is used

to negatively evaluate officers performance there is a

propo~tional decrease in its value as a means for gaining

critical experience If there is an artifical pressure to

perform in conformity to a zero defects standard creative

initiative wi 11 be sacrificed and officers will be forced to

learn how to pass the NTC career test And if a battalion

commander s career is at stake solely due to a number of

mistakes made at NTC or one of the other training centers then

the Army runs the risk of eliminating potentially excellent

combat leaders from future service It wa3 precisely this

perspective that most alarmed the European officer who had

visited Fort Hood Management by mushroom 1 where It exists

should be eliminated

The second example of the importance of experience in

developing leadership comes from a dynamic leader who

consistently achieved outstanding performance from his

subordinates I got to know him soon after he had taken over a

unit with a reputation of having a laissez-faire mentality

The new chief was a dynamo of actlvlty and he soon parcel led

out a number of demanding assignments to al 1 of his key

subordinates One of them recalled receiving a particularly

tough job to do and wondered if he would measure up to the

challenge As the project progressed this subordinate on two

occasions checked back with the chief for additional guidance

and in both cases he was given just a few minutes for his

super i or to clarify a point or two Several days later the

officer completed the assignment and filed the after-action

report It was at this point that the chief provided the

subordinate with his first real feedback concerning his

performance

The chief expressed his complete satisfaction ln the

finished assignment and then noted that the subordlnate 1 S work

wa3 outstanding - 3lml Jar to the way he would have done lt

himself In the future the subordinate was told he could be

entrusted with any challenge the unit would face From that

time on thls officer performed his duties in an outstanding

manner Not coincldentl ly other officers had siml Jar

experiences and they also began to turn in consistently

superior results It was not self-evident at the time

however that the new chief had challenged his subordinates to

the highest extent of their individual abilities and then with

an adequate amount of guidance left them free to succeed

largely on their own And when they did succeed they owned

that success- it was theirs and they had earned lt The

immediate result was a sense of self-assurance that was

experienced both individually and throughout the unit

It is perhaps a truism that a successful experience

produces assurance and confidence In this unit since

virtually every individual was succeeding to some degree there

seemed to be little competition Cooperat i on actually

increased as individuals began to recognize that their

accomplishments were interdependently l i nked to unit

achievement When this occurred most officers for the first

time started to see and comprehend the big picture The

combination of successful experience self-assurance and

comprehension led to new and even higher levels of performance

From this point on most officers in the unit refused to

believe that anything less than the best was acceptable

Someone expressed the comment that if the unlt had been at war

the idea of defeat would have been unimaginable A cohesive

team had been forged that was unstoppable The atmosphere on

the Job was almost electric but there was little frenetic

movement or helter-skelter behavior The unit worked with

determination and with a quiet Intensity It was at this point

that a distinct change occurred Individuals operating in this

environment free of unnecessary restraints could visualize

new opportunities and options Intuitively they could see

what had been obscure And with these added insights there

was an almost fierce determination to follow through to

excellence I believe that the positive experience

self-assurance and comprehension of the ful i situation led

directly to Clausewitzs inward eye of insight and to decisive

determination ltSee Figure 1gt

When the chief was about to leave for a new assignment

asked him to explain the secret of his success His answer was

that as a leader he had three tasks to accomplish First to

recognize that each individual brings unique talents to the

unit Second to employ those talents and challenge each

individual to the greatest extent of his or her abilities

Third to provide additional support guidance backing and

I

FOUNDATIONS OF GENIUS

INSIGHT

Intuitive grasp Decisive and resolute of uncertainties unshakeable in purpose imagnatlve intelligence courageous

An understanding of the big picture

~ SELF ASSURANCE

Confident in the face of the unknown

0 Tried tested capable

horsepower when needed In hl~ opinion alI of the other

factors of success would naturally fol low21

This pattern of success and excellence is consistently

repeated by outstanding leaders For example in May 1966 one

of the foremost combat commanders of World War II and the

Korean War General Matthew B Ridgeway addressed the Command

and General Staff Col lege on the topic of leadership Through

out his speech General Ridgeway emphasized the Important role

of leaders in developing toe climate that will ensure their

subordinates development earned success self-confidence

foresight and vision His thoughts largely parallel the

leadership approach of the previous example One paragraph

perhaps best typifies his concept of leadership

Every man is entitled to go into battle with

the best chance of survival your forethought as a

leader can provide What best helps you discharge

this responsibility Sharing things with your

men always being where the crisis is or seems

most likely to develop always thinking of what

help you can give your commanders who are

executing your orders doing your utmost to see

that the best in rations shelter first aid and

evacuation facilities are available being

generous with praise swift and fair with

punishment when you have your facts Intolerant of

demonstrated failure in leadership on which lives

depend yet making ful 1 allowances for human

weaknesses and the stresses and strains of battle

on individuals~

Embodied in these words is the quiet splrlt of battlefield

leadership success These are the thoughts of an officer who

most of us would willingly follow into battle Experienced

self-assured and comprehending Matthew Ridgeway was an

insightful and determined commander who bred those same

qualities of intellect and temperament in his subordinates

Those of us who are ln the military frequently see post

cemeteries with rows of markers that attest to the men and

women who have sacrificed for their country and the ideals of

freedom justice and liberty In the United States we have

been especially fortunate to have had the service of leaders

who have possessed the intellect and temperament to insure

battlefield success From history we learn of these great

soldiers their heroic deeds and their insight and

determination that would not fail even in the darkest hour

If for no other reason do we not owe a debt to those who

have gone before us to carry on their examp l es of leadership

Do we not owe tho~e who ~erve with u~ our leadership in

training them to succeed as experienced self-confident and

farsighted leaders who wil I develop the lnsight and

determination essential to victory in battle We have the

means to achieve these ends now - they are not dependent upon

new technology or next years budget And regardless of the

weapons we possess or the funds which may be available no

success wil 1 compensate for our failure to develop these

leadership qual itles of intellect and temperament in ourselves

and in our subordinates

END NOTES

1 MAJ Mike Marker private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas January 1988

2 Carl von Clausewitz On War trans Michael Howard and Peter Peret ltPrinceton NJ Princeton University Press 1976gt p 102

3 Ibid p 102

4 Wl II lam Morris Tbe American Herltaae Dictionary of the English Language ltBoston MA Houghton Mifflin Company 1976gt p 74

5 Clausewitz p 112

6 Ibid p 102

7 Ibid p 102

8 Ibid p 105

9 Samuel B Griffith Syn Tzy Tbe Art of War ltLondon GB Oxford University Press 1971gt p 65

10 Wilt D Rouse trans The March Up Countrv A Translation of Xenophon s Anabas1 s ltAnn Arbor MI The Un 1 vers ity of M 1 ch 1gao Press 1964gt

11 Omar Bradley and Clay Blair A Generals Life ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1983gt pp 350-392

12 Clausewitz p 102

13 Antoine Henri Jomini The Art of War p 158

14 Ardant Du Pique Battle Stydies Ancient and Modern trans Colonel John N Greely and Major Robert C Cotton ltHarrisburg PA The Military Service Publishing Company 1946gt

15 B H Liddell Hart Strategy rev 2nd ed ltLondon GB Faber and Faber Ltd 1954gt p 146

16 JFC Fuller Generalship ltHarrisburg PA Military Service Publishing Company 1936gt p 32

17 Clausewitz 109

18 Betty Edwards Drawing on the Artist Within ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1986gt p xiii

19 Michael Aatchell bullThe Militarys New Starsbull US News and World Report 104 lt18 April 1988) p 35

20 Lieutenant Colonel Josef Weingast Austrian Armed Forces private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas February 1988

21 George Putnam private Interview St Louis Missouri January 1987

22 Matthew B Ridgeway bullLeadershipbull Military Reylew ltOctober 1966gt p 47

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The NTC ls indeed an excel lent vehicle for training and

developing leaders It ls a highly sophisticated simulation

that has some similarities to the Air Force and Navy simulated

combat training programs For example in comparing lt to the

Navys Top Gun program NTC offers excel lent simulation through

Individual soldier and vehicle laser firing devices the

Multiuple Integrated Laser Engagement System ltMILESgt The

integrated use of MILES other sensors recording media

computer graphics capabilities and highly skll led trainers and

evaluators provide outstanding training opportunities to learn

from the successes and problems of stressful simulated

battlefield conditions

In contrast to the Top Gun School however the number of

simulations a battalion commander can participate in are

limited In some ways NTC is also a far more complex

environment And most importantly to the extent NTC is used

to negatively evaluate officers performance there is a

propo~tional decrease in its value as a means for gaining

critical experience If there is an artifical pressure to

perform in conformity to a zero defects standard creative

initiative wi 11 be sacrificed and officers will be forced to

learn how to pass the NTC career test And if a battalion

commander s career is at stake solely due to a number of

mistakes made at NTC or one of the other training centers then

the Army runs the risk of eliminating potentially excellent

combat leaders from future service It wa3 precisely this

perspective that most alarmed the European officer who had

visited Fort Hood Management by mushroom 1 where It exists

should be eliminated

The second example of the importance of experience in

developing leadership comes from a dynamic leader who

consistently achieved outstanding performance from his

subordinates I got to know him soon after he had taken over a

unit with a reputation of having a laissez-faire mentality

The new chief was a dynamo of actlvlty and he soon parcel led

out a number of demanding assignments to al 1 of his key

subordinates One of them recalled receiving a particularly

tough job to do and wondered if he would measure up to the

challenge As the project progressed this subordinate on two

occasions checked back with the chief for additional guidance

and in both cases he was given just a few minutes for his

super i or to clarify a point or two Several days later the

officer completed the assignment and filed the after-action

report It was at this point that the chief provided the

subordinate with his first real feedback concerning his

performance

The chief expressed his complete satisfaction ln the

finished assignment and then noted that the subordlnate 1 S work

wa3 outstanding - 3lml Jar to the way he would have done lt

himself In the future the subordinate was told he could be

entrusted with any challenge the unit would face From that

time on thls officer performed his duties in an outstanding

manner Not coincldentl ly other officers had siml Jar

experiences and they also began to turn in consistently

superior results It was not self-evident at the time

however that the new chief had challenged his subordinates to

the highest extent of their individual abilities and then with

an adequate amount of guidance left them free to succeed

largely on their own And when they did succeed they owned

that success- it was theirs and they had earned lt The

immediate result was a sense of self-assurance that was

experienced both individually and throughout the unit

It is perhaps a truism that a successful experience

produces assurance and confidence In this unit since

virtually every individual was succeeding to some degree there

seemed to be little competition Cooperat i on actually

increased as individuals began to recognize that their

accomplishments were interdependently l i nked to unit

achievement When this occurred most officers for the first

time started to see and comprehend the big picture The

combination of successful experience self-assurance and

comprehension led to new and even higher levels of performance

From this point on most officers in the unit refused to

believe that anything less than the best was acceptable

Someone expressed the comment that if the unlt had been at war

the idea of defeat would have been unimaginable A cohesive

team had been forged that was unstoppable The atmosphere on

the Job was almost electric but there was little frenetic

movement or helter-skelter behavior The unit worked with

determination and with a quiet Intensity It was at this point

that a distinct change occurred Individuals operating in this

environment free of unnecessary restraints could visualize

new opportunities and options Intuitively they could see

what had been obscure And with these added insights there

was an almost fierce determination to follow through to

excellence I believe that the positive experience

self-assurance and comprehension of the ful i situation led

directly to Clausewitzs inward eye of insight and to decisive

determination ltSee Figure 1gt

When the chief was about to leave for a new assignment

asked him to explain the secret of his success His answer was

that as a leader he had three tasks to accomplish First to

recognize that each individual brings unique talents to the

unit Second to employ those talents and challenge each

individual to the greatest extent of his or her abilities

Third to provide additional support guidance backing and

I

FOUNDATIONS OF GENIUS

INSIGHT

Intuitive grasp Decisive and resolute of uncertainties unshakeable in purpose imagnatlve intelligence courageous

An understanding of the big picture

~ SELF ASSURANCE

Confident in the face of the unknown

0 Tried tested capable

horsepower when needed In hl~ opinion alI of the other

factors of success would naturally fol low21

This pattern of success and excellence is consistently

repeated by outstanding leaders For example in May 1966 one

of the foremost combat commanders of World War II and the

Korean War General Matthew B Ridgeway addressed the Command

and General Staff Col lege on the topic of leadership Through

out his speech General Ridgeway emphasized the Important role

of leaders in developing toe climate that will ensure their

subordinates development earned success self-confidence

foresight and vision His thoughts largely parallel the

leadership approach of the previous example One paragraph

perhaps best typifies his concept of leadership

Every man is entitled to go into battle with

the best chance of survival your forethought as a

leader can provide What best helps you discharge

this responsibility Sharing things with your

men always being where the crisis is or seems

most likely to develop always thinking of what

help you can give your commanders who are

executing your orders doing your utmost to see

that the best in rations shelter first aid and

evacuation facilities are available being

generous with praise swift and fair with

punishment when you have your facts Intolerant of

demonstrated failure in leadership on which lives

depend yet making ful 1 allowances for human

weaknesses and the stresses and strains of battle

on individuals~

Embodied in these words is the quiet splrlt of battlefield

leadership success These are the thoughts of an officer who

most of us would willingly follow into battle Experienced

self-assured and comprehending Matthew Ridgeway was an

insightful and determined commander who bred those same

qualities of intellect and temperament in his subordinates

Those of us who are ln the military frequently see post

cemeteries with rows of markers that attest to the men and

women who have sacrificed for their country and the ideals of

freedom justice and liberty In the United States we have

been especially fortunate to have had the service of leaders

who have possessed the intellect and temperament to insure

battlefield success From history we learn of these great

soldiers their heroic deeds and their insight and

determination that would not fail even in the darkest hour

If for no other reason do we not owe a debt to those who

have gone before us to carry on their examp l es of leadership

Do we not owe tho~e who ~erve with u~ our leadership in

training them to succeed as experienced self-confident and

farsighted leaders who wil I develop the lnsight and

determination essential to victory in battle We have the

means to achieve these ends now - they are not dependent upon

new technology or next years budget And regardless of the

weapons we possess or the funds which may be available no

success wil 1 compensate for our failure to develop these

leadership qual itles of intellect and temperament in ourselves

and in our subordinates

END NOTES

1 MAJ Mike Marker private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas January 1988

2 Carl von Clausewitz On War trans Michael Howard and Peter Peret ltPrinceton NJ Princeton University Press 1976gt p 102

3 Ibid p 102

4 Wl II lam Morris Tbe American Herltaae Dictionary of the English Language ltBoston MA Houghton Mifflin Company 1976gt p 74

5 Clausewitz p 112

6 Ibid p 102

7 Ibid p 102

8 Ibid p 105

9 Samuel B Griffith Syn Tzy Tbe Art of War ltLondon GB Oxford University Press 1971gt p 65

10 Wilt D Rouse trans The March Up Countrv A Translation of Xenophon s Anabas1 s ltAnn Arbor MI The Un 1 vers ity of M 1 ch 1gao Press 1964gt

11 Omar Bradley and Clay Blair A Generals Life ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1983gt pp 350-392

12 Clausewitz p 102

13 Antoine Henri Jomini The Art of War p 158

14 Ardant Du Pique Battle Stydies Ancient and Modern trans Colonel John N Greely and Major Robert C Cotton ltHarrisburg PA The Military Service Publishing Company 1946gt

15 B H Liddell Hart Strategy rev 2nd ed ltLondon GB Faber and Faber Ltd 1954gt p 146

16 JFC Fuller Generalship ltHarrisburg PA Military Service Publishing Company 1936gt p 32

17 Clausewitz 109

18 Betty Edwards Drawing on the Artist Within ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1986gt p xiii

19 Michael Aatchell bullThe Militarys New Starsbull US News and World Report 104 lt18 April 1988) p 35

20 Lieutenant Colonel Josef Weingast Austrian Armed Forces private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas February 1988

21 George Putnam private Interview St Louis Missouri January 1987

22 Matthew B Ridgeway bullLeadershipbull Military Reylew ltOctober 1966gt p 47

• img001
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• img022

combat leaders from future service It wa3 precisely this

perspective that most alarmed the European officer who had

visited Fort Hood Management by mushroom 1 where It exists

should be eliminated

The second example of the importance of experience in

developing leadership comes from a dynamic leader who

consistently achieved outstanding performance from his

subordinates I got to know him soon after he had taken over a

unit with a reputation of having a laissez-faire mentality

The new chief was a dynamo of actlvlty and he soon parcel led

out a number of demanding assignments to al 1 of his key

subordinates One of them recalled receiving a particularly

tough job to do and wondered if he would measure up to the

challenge As the project progressed this subordinate on two

occasions checked back with the chief for additional guidance

and in both cases he was given just a few minutes for his

super i or to clarify a point or two Several days later the

officer completed the assignment and filed the after-action

report It was at this point that the chief provided the

subordinate with his first real feedback concerning his

performance

The chief expressed his complete satisfaction ln the

finished assignment and then noted that the subordlnate 1 S work

wa3 outstanding - 3lml Jar to the way he would have done lt

himself In the future the subordinate was told he could be

entrusted with any challenge the unit would face From that

time on thls officer performed his duties in an outstanding

manner Not coincldentl ly other officers had siml Jar

experiences and they also began to turn in consistently

superior results It was not self-evident at the time

however that the new chief had challenged his subordinates to

the highest extent of their individual abilities and then with

an adequate amount of guidance left them free to succeed

largely on their own And when they did succeed they owned

that success- it was theirs and they had earned lt The

immediate result was a sense of self-assurance that was

experienced both individually and throughout the unit

It is perhaps a truism that a successful experience

produces assurance and confidence In this unit since

virtually every individual was succeeding to some degree there

seemed to be little competition Cooperat i on actually

increased as individuals began to recognize that their

accomplishments were interdependently l i nked to unit

achievement When this occurred most officers for the first

time started to see and comprehend the big picture The

combination of successful experience self-assurance and

comprehension led to new and even higher levels of performance

From this point on most officers in the unit refused to

believe that anything less than the best was acceptable

Someone expressed the comment that if the unlt had been at war

the idea of defeat would have been unimaginable A cohesive

team had been forged that was unstoppable The atmosphere on

the Job was almost electric but there was little frenetic

movement or helter-skelter behavior The unit worked with

determination and with a quiet Intensity It was at this point

that a distinct change occurred Individuals operating in this

environment free of unnecessary restraints could visualize

new opportunities and options Intuitively they could see

what had been obscure And with these added insights there

was an almost fierce determination to follow through to

excellence I believe that the positive experience

self-assurance and comprehension of the ful i situation led

directly to Clausewitzs inward eye of insight and to decisive

determination ltSee Figure 1gt

When the chief was about to leave for a new assignment

asked him to explain the secret of his success His answer was

that as a leader he had three tasks to accomplish First to

recognize that each individual brings unique talents to the

unit Second to employ those talents and challenge each

individual to the greatest extent of his or her abilities

Third to provide additional support guidance backing and

I

FOUNDATIONS OF GENIUS

INSIGHT

Intuitive grasp Decisive and resolute of uncertainties unshakeable in purpose imagnatlve intelligence courageous

An understanding of the big picture

~ SELF ASSURANCE

Confident in the face of the unknown

0 Tried tested capable

horsepower when needed In hl~ opinion alI of the other

factors of success would naturally fol low21

This pattern of success and excellence is consistently

repeated by outstanding leaders For example in May 1966 one

of the foremost combat commanders of World War II and the

Korean War General Matthew B Ridgeway addressed the Command

and General Staff Col lege on the topic of leadership Through

out his speech General Ridgeway emphasized the Important role

of leaders in developing toe climate that will ensure their

subordinates development earned success self-confidence

foresight and vision His thoughts largely parallel the

leadership approach of the previous example One paragraph

perhaps best typifies his concept of leadership

Every man is entitled to go into battle with

the best chance of survival your forethought as a

leader can provide What best helps you discharge

this responsibility Sharing things with your

men always being where the crisis is or seems

most likely to develop always thinking of what

help you can give your commanders who are

executing your orders doing your utmost to see

that the best in rations shelter first aid and

evacuation facilities are available being

generous with praise swift and fair with

punishment when you have your facts Intolerant of

demonstrated failure in leadership on which lives

depend yet making ful 1 allowances for human

weaknesses and the stresses and strains of battle

on individuals~

Embodied in these words is the quiet splrlt of battlefield

leadership success These are the thoughts of an officer who

most of us would willingly follow into battle Experienced

self-assured and comprehending Matthew Ridgeway was an

insightful and determined commander who bred those same

qualities of intellect and temperament in his subordinates

Those of us who are ln the military frequently see post

cemeteries with rows of markers that attest to the men and

women who have sacrificed for their country and the ideals of

freedom justice and liberty In the United States we have

been especially fortunate to have had the service of leaders

who have possessed the intellect and temperament to insure

battlefield success From history we learn of these great

soldiers their heroic deeds and their insight and

determination that would not fail even in the darkest hour

If for no other reason do we not owe a debt to those who

have gone before us to carry on their examp l es of leadership

Do we not owe tho~e who ~erve with u~ our leadership in

training them to succeed as experienced self-confident and

farsighted leaders who wil I develop the lnsight and

determination essential to victory in battle We have the

means to achieve these ends now - they are not dependent upon

new technology or next years budget And regardless of the

weapons we possess or the funds which may be available no

success wil 1 compensate for our failure to develop these

leadership qual itles of intellect and temperament in ourselves

and in our subordinates

END NOTES

1 MAJ Mike Marker private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas January 1988

2 Carl von Clausewitz On War trans Michael Howard and Peter Peret ltPrinceton NJ Princeton University Press 1976gt p 102

3 Ibid p 102

4 Wl II lam Morris Tbe American Herltaae Dictionary of the English Language ltBoston MA Houghton Mifflin Company 1976gt p 74

5 Clausewitz p 112

6 Ibid p 102

7 Ibid p 102

8 Ibid p 105

9 Samuel B Griffith Syn Tzy Tbe Art of War ltLondon GB Oxford University Press 1971gt p 65

10 Wilt D Rouse trans The March Up Countrv A Translation of Xenophon s Anabas1 s ltAnn Arbor MI The Un 1 vers ity of M 1 ch 1gao Press 1964gt

11 Omar Bradley and Clay Blair A Generals Life ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1983gt pp 350-392

12 Clausewitz p 102

13 Antoine Henri Jomini The Art of War p 158

14 Ardant Du Pique Battle Stydies Ancient and Modern trans Colonel John N Greely and Major Robert C Cotton ltHarrisburg PA The Military Service Publishing Company 1946gt

15 B H Liddell Hart Strategy rev 2nd ed ltLondon GB Faber and Faber Ltd 1954gt p 146

16 JFC Fuller Generalship ltHarrisburg PA Military Service Publishing Company 1936gt p 32

17 Clausewitz 109

18 Betty Edwards Drawing on the Artist Within ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1986gt p xiii

19 Michael Aatchell bullThe Militarys New Starsbull US News and World Report 104 lt18 April 1988) p 35

20 Lieutenant Colonel Josef Weingast Austrian Armed Forces private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas February 1988

21 George Putnam private Interview St Louis Missouri January 1987

22 Matthew B Ridgeway bullLeadershipbull Military Reylew ltOctober 1966gt p 47

• img001
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• img022

wa3 outstanding - 3lml Jar to the way he would have done lt

himself In the future the subordinate was told he could be

entrusted with any challenge the unit would face From that

time on thls officer performed his duties in an outstanding

manner Not coincldentl ly other officers had siml Jar

experiences and they also began to turn in consistently

superior results It was not self-evident at the time

however that the new chief had challenged his subordinates to

the highest extent of their individual abilities and then with

an adequate amount of guidance left them free to succeed

largely on their own And when they did succeed they owned

that success- it was theirs and they had earned lt The

immediate result was a sense of self-assurance that was

experienced both individually and throughout the unit

It is perhaps a truism that a successful experience

produces assurance and confidence In this unit since

virtually every individual was succeeding to some degree there

seemed to be little competition Cooperat i on actually

increased as individuals began to recognize that their

accomplishments were interdependently l i nked to unit

achievement When this occurred most officers for the first

time started to see and comprehend the big picture The

combination of successful experience self-assurance and

comprehension led to new and even higher levels of performance

From this point on most officers in the unit refused to

believe that anything less than the best was acceptable

Someone expressed the comment that if the unlt had been at war

the idea of defeat would have been unimaginable A cohesive

team had been forged that was unstoppable The atmosphere on

the Job was almost electric but there was little frenetic

movement or helter-skelter behavior The unit worked with

determination and with a quiet Intensity It was at this point

that a distinct change occurred Individuals operating in this

environment free of unnecessary restraints could visualize

new opportunities and options Intuitively they could see

what had been obscure And with these added insights there

was an almost fierce determination to follow through to

excellence I believe that the positive experience

self-assurance and comprehension of the ful i situation led

directly to Clausewitzs inward eye of insight and to decisive

determination ltSee Figure 1gt

When the chief was about to leave for a new assignment

asked him to explain the secret of his success His answer was

that as a leader he had three tasks to accomplish First to

recognize that each individual brings unique talents to the

unit Second to employ those talents and challenge each

individual to the greatest extent of his or her abilities

Third to provide additional support guidance backing and

I

FOUNDATIONS OF GENIUS

INSIGHT

Intuitive grasp Decisive and resolute of uncertainties unshakeable in purpose imagnatlve intelligence courageous

An understanding of the big picture

~ SELF ASSURANCE

Confident in the face of the unknown

0 Tried tested capable

horsepower when needed In hl~ opinion alI of the other

factors of success would naturally fol low21

This pattern of success and excellence is consistently

repeated by outstanding leaders For example in May 1966 one

of the foremost combat commanders of World War II and the

Korean War General Matthew B Ridgeway addressed the Command

and General Staff Col lege on the topic of leadership Through

out his speech General Ridgeway emphasized the Important role

of leaders in developing toe climate that will ensure their

subordinates development earned success self-confidence

foresight and vision His thoughts largely parallel the

leadership approach of the previous example One paragraph

perhaps best typifies his concept of leadership

Every man is entitled to go into battle with

the best chance of survival your forethought as a

leader can provide What best helps you discharge

this responsibility Sharing things with your

men always being where the crisis is or seems

most likely to develop always thinking of what

help you can give your commanders who are

executing your orders doing your utmost to see

that the best in rations shelter first aid and

evacuation facilities are available being

generous with praise swift and fair with

punishment when you have your facts Intolerant of

demonstrated failure in leadership on which lives

depend yet making ful 1 allowances for human

weaknesses and the stresses and strains of battle

on individuals~

Embodied in these words is the quiet splrlt of battlefield

leadership success These are the thoughts of an officer who

most of us would willingly follow into battle Experienced

self-assured and comprehending Matthew Ridgeway was an

insightful and determined commander who bred those same

qualities of intellect and temperament in his subordinates

Those of us who are ln the military frequently see post

cemeteries with rows of markers that attest to the men and

women who have sacrificed for their country and the ideals of

freedom justice and liberty In the United States we have

been especially fortunate to have had the service of leaders

who have possessed the intellect and temperament to insure

battlefield success From history we learn of these great

soldiers their heroic deeds and their insight and

determination that would not fail even in the darkest hour

If for no other reason do we not owe a debt to those who

have gone before us to carry on their examp l es of leadership

Do we not owe tho~e who ~erve with u~ our leadership in

training them to succeed as experienced self-confident and

farsighted leaders who wil I develop the lnsight and

determination essential to victory in battle We have the

means to achieve these ends now - they are not dependent upon

new technology or next years budget And regardless of the

weapons we possess or the funds which may be available no

success wil 1 compensate for our failure to develop these

leadership qual itles of intellect and temperament in ourselves

and in our subordinates

END NOTES

1 MAJ Mike Marker private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas January 1988

2 Carl von Clausewitz On War trans Michael Howard and Peter Peret ltPrinceton NJ Princeton University Press 1976gt p 102

3 Ibid p 102

4 Wl II lam Morris Tbe American Herltaae Dictionary of the English Language ltBoston MA Houghton Mifflin Company 1976gt p 74

5 Clausewitz p 112

6 Ibid p 102

7 Ibid p 102

8 Ibid p 105

9 Samuel B Griffith Syn Tzy Tbe Art of War ltLondon GB Oxford University Press 1971gt p 65

10 Wilt D Rouse trans The March Up Countrv A Translation of Xenophon s Anabas1 s ltAnn Arbor MI The Un 1 vers ity of M 1 ch 1gao Press 1964gt

11 Omar Bradley and Clay Blair A Generals Life ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1983gt pp 350-392

12 Clausewitz p 102

13 Antoine Henri Jomini The Art of War p 158

14 Ardant Du Pique Battle Stydies Ancient and Modern trans Colonel John N Greely and Major Robert C Cotton ltHarrisburg PA The Military Service Publishing Company 1946gt

15 B H Liddell Hart Strategy rev 2nd ed ltLondon GB Faber and Faber Ltd 1954gt p 146

16 JFC Fuller Generalship ltHarrisburg PA Military Service Publishing Company 1936gt p 32

17 Clausewitz 109

18 Betty Edwards Drawing on the Artist Within ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1986gt p xiii

19 Michael Aatchell bullThe Militarys New Starsbull US News and World Report 104 lt18 April 1988) p 35

20 Lieutenant Colonel Josef Weingast Austrian Armed Forces private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas February 1988

21 George Putnam private Interview St Louis Missouri January 1987

22 Matthew B Ridgeway bullLeadershipbull Military Reylew ltOctober 1966gt p 47

• img001
• img002
• img003
• img004
• img005
• img006
• img007
• img008
• img009
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• img012
• img013
• img014
• img015
• img016
• img017
• img018
• img019
• img020
• img021
• img022

From this point on most officers in the unit refused to

believe that anything less than the best was acceptable

Someone expressed the comment that if the unlt had been at war

the idea of defeat would have been unimaginable A cohesive

team had been forged that was unstoppable The atmosphere on

the Job was almost electric but there was little frenetic

movement or helter-skelter behavior The unit worked with

determination and with a quiet Intensity It was at this point

that a distinct change occurred Individuals operating in this

environment free of unnecessary restraints could visualize

new opportunities and options Intuitively they could see

what had been obscure And with these added insights there

was an almost fierce determination to follow through to

excellence I believe that the positive experience

self-assurance and comprehension of the ful i situation led

directly to Clausewitzs inward eye of insight and to decisive

determination ltSee Figure 1gt

When the chief was about to leave for a new assignment

asked him to explain the secret of his success His answer was

that as a leader he had three tasks to accomplish First to

recognize that each individual brings unique talents to the

unit Second to employ those talents and challenge each

individual to the greatest extent of his or her abilities

Third to provide additional support guidance backing and

I

FOUNDATIONS OF GENIUS

INSIGHT

Intuitive grasp Decisive and resolute of uncertainties unshakeable in purpose imagnatlve intelligence courageous

An understanding of the big picture

~ SELF ASSURANCE

Confident in the face of the unknown

0 Tried tested capable

horsepower when needed In hl~ opinion alI of the other

factors of success would naturally fol low21

This pattern of success and excellence is consistently

repeated by outstanding leaders For example in May 1966 one

of the foremost combat commanders of World War II and the

Korean War General Matthew B Ridgeway addressed the Command

and General Staff Col lege on the topic of leadership Through

out his speech General Ridgeway emphasized the Important role

of leaders in developing toe climate that will ensure their

subordinates development earned success self-confidence

foresight and vision His thoughts largely parallel the

leadership approach of the previous example One paragraph

perhaps best typifies his concept of leadership

Every man is entitled to go into battle with

the best chance of survival your forethought as a

leader can provide What best helps you discharge

this responsibility Sharing things with your

men always being where the crisis is or seems

most likely to develop always thinking of what

help you can give your commanders who are

executing your orders doing your utmost to see

that the best in rations shelter first aid and

evacuation facilities are available being

generous with praise swift and fair with

punishment when you have your facts Intolerant of

demonstrated failure in leadership on which lives

depend yet making ful 1 allowances for human

weaknesses and the stresses and strains of battle

on individuals~

Embodied in these words is the quiet splrlt of battlefield

leadership success These are the thoughts of an officer who

most of us would willingly follow into battle Experienced

self-assured and comprehending Matthew Ridgeway was an

insightful and determined commander who bred those same

qualities of intellect and temperament in his subordinates

Those of us who are ln the military frequently see post

cemeteries with rows of markers that attest to the men and

women who have sacrificed for their country and the ideals of

freedom justice and liberty In the United States we have

been especially fortunate to have had the service of leaders

who have possessed the intellect and temperament to insure

battlefield success From history we learn of these great

soldiers their heroic deeds and their insight and

determination that would not fail even in the darkest hour

If for no other reason do we not owe a debt to those who

have gone before us to carry on their examp l es of leadership

Do we not owe tho~e who ~erve with u~ our leadership in

training them to succeed as experienced self-confident and

farsighted leaders who wil I develop the lnsight and

determination essential to victory in battle We have the

means to achieve these ends now - they are not dependent upon

new technology or next years budget And regardless of the

weapons we possess or the funds which may be available no

success wil 1 compensate for our failure to develop these

leadership qual itles of intellect and temperament in ourselves

and in our subordinates

END NOTES

1 MAJ Mike Marker private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas January 1988

2 Carl von Clausewitz On War trans Michael Howard and Peter Peret ltPrinceton NJ Princeton University Press 1976gt p 102

3 Ibid p 102

4 Wl II lam Morris Tbe American Herltaae Dictionary of the English Language ltBoston MA Houghton Mifflin Company 1976gt p 74

5 Clausewitz p 112

6 Ibid p 102

7 Ibid p 102

8 Ibid p 105

9 Samuel B Griffith Syn Tzy Tbe Art of War ltLondon GB Oxford University Press 1971gt p 65

10 Wilt D Rouse trans The March Up Countrv A Translation of Xenophon s Anabas1 s ltAnn Arbor MI The Un 1 vers ity of M 1 ch 1gao Press 1964gt

11 Omar Bradley and Clay Blair A Generals Life ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1983gt pp 350-392

12 Clausewitz p 102

13 Antoine Henri Jomini The Art of War p 158

14 Ardant Du Pique Battle Stydies Ancient and Modern trans Colonel John N Greely and Major Robert C Cotton ltHarrisburg PA The Military Service Publishing Company 1946gt

15 B H Liddell Hart Strategy rev 2nd ed ltLondon GB Faber and Faber Ltd 1954gt p 146

16 JFC Fuller Generalship ltHarrisburg PA Military Service Publishing Company 1936gt p 32

17 Clausewitz 109

18 Betty Edwards Drawing on the Artist Within ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1986gt p xiii

19 Michael Aatchell bullThe Militarys New Starsbull US News and World Report 104 lt18 April 1988) p 35

20 Lieutenant Colonel Josef Weingast Austrian Armed Forces private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas February 1988

21 George Putnam private Interview St Louis Missouri January 1987

22 Matthew B Ridgeway bullLeadershipbull Military Reylew ltOctober 1966gt p 47

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FOUNDATIONS OF GENIUS

INSIGHT

Intuitive grasp Decisive and resolute of uncertainties unshakeable in purpose imagnatlve intelligence courageous

An understanding of the big picture

~ SELF ASSURANCE

Confident in the face of the unknown

0 Tried tested capable

horsepower when needed In hl~ opinion alI of the other

factors of success would naturally fol low21

This pattern of success and excellence is consistently

repeated by outstanding leaders For example in May 1966 one

of the foremost combat commanders of World War II and the

Korean War General Matthew B Ridgeway addressed the Command

and General Staff Col lege on the topic of leadership Through

out his speech General Ridgeway emphasized the Important role

of leaders in developing toe climate that will ensure their

subordinates development earned success self-confidence

foresight and vision His thoughts largely parallel the

leadership approach of the previous example One paragraph

perhaps best typifies his concept of leadership

Every man is entitled to go into battle with

the best chance of survival your forethought as a

leader can provide What best helps you discharge

this responsibility Sharing things with your

men always being where the crisis is or seems

most likely to develop always thinking of what

help you can give your commanders who are

executing your orders doing your utmost to see

that the best in rations shelter first aid and

evacuation facilities are available being

generous with praise swift and fair with

punishment when you have your facts Intolerant of

demonstrated failure in leadership on which lives

depend yet making ful 1 allowances for human

weaknesses and the stresses and strains of battle

on individuals~

Embodied in these words is the quiet splrlt of battlefield

leadership success These are the thoughts of an officer who

most of us would willingly follow into battle Experienced

self-assured and comprehending Matthew Ridgeway was an

insightful and determined commander who bred those same

qualities of intellect and temperament in his subordinates

Those of us who are ln the military frequently see post

cemeteries with rows of markers that attest to the men and

women who have sacrificed for their country and the ideals of

freedom justice and liberty In the United States we have

been especially fortunate to have had the service of leaders

who have possessed the intellect and temperament to insure

battlefield success From history we learn of these great

soldiers their heroic deeds and their insight and

determination that would not fail even in the darkest hour

If for no other reason do we not owe a debt to those who

have gone before us to carry on their examp l es of leadership

Do we not owe tho~e who ~erve with u~ our leadership in

training them to succeed as experienced self-confident and

farsighted leaders who wil I develop the lnsight and

determination essential to victory in battle We have the

means to achieve these ends now - they are not dependent upon

new technology or next years budget And regardless of the

weapons we possess or the funds which may be available no

success wil 1 compensate for our failure to develop these

leadership qual itles of intellect and temperament in ourselves

and in our subordinates

END NOTES

1 MAJ Mike Marker private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas January 1988

2 Carl von Clausewitz On War trans Michael Howard and Peter Peret ltPrinceton NJ Princeton University Press 1976gt p 102

3 Ibid p 102

4 Wl II lam Morris Tbe American Herltaae Dictionary of the English Language ltBoston MA Houghton Mifflin Company 1976gt p 74

5 Clausewitz p 112

6 Ibid p 102

7 Ibid p 102

8 Ibid p 105

9 Samuel B Griffith Syn Tzy Tbe Art of War ltLondon GB Oxford University Press 1971gt p 65

10 Wilt D Rouse trans The March Up Countrv A Translation of Xenophon s Anabas1 s ltAnn Arbor MI The Un 1 vers ity of M 1 ch 1gao Press 1964gt

11 Omar Bradley and Clay Blair A Generals Life ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1983gt pp 350-392

12 Clausewitz p 102

13 Antoine Henri Jomini The Art of War p 158

14 Ardant Du Pique Battle Stydies Ancient and Modern trans Colonel John N Greely and Major Robert C Cotton ltHarrisburg PA The Military Service Publishing Company 1946gt

15 B H Liddell Hart Strategy rev 2nd ed ltLondon GB Faber and Faber Ltd 1954gt p 146

16 JFC Fuller Generalship ltHarrisburg PA Military Service Publishing Company 1936gt p 32

17 Clausewitz 109

18 Betty Edwards Drawing on the Artist Within ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1986gt p xiii

19 Michael Aatchell bullThe Militarys New Starsbull US News and World Report 104 lt18 April 1988) p 35

20 Lieutenant Colonel Josef Weingast Austrian Armed Forces private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas February 1988

21 George Putnam private Interview St Louis Missouri January 1987

22 Matthew B Ridgeway bullLeadershipbull Military Reylew ltOctober 1966gt p 47

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horsepower when needed In hl~ opinion alI of the other

factors of success would naturally fol low21

This pattern of success and excellence is consistently

repeated by outstanding leaders For example in May 1966 one

of the foremost combat commanders of World War II and the

Korean War General Matthew B Ridgeway addressed the Command

and General Staff Col lege on the topic of leadership Through

out his speech General Ridgeway emphasized the Important role

of leaders in developing toe climate that will ensure their

subordinates development earned success self-confidence

foresight and vision His thoughts largely parallel the

leadership approach of the previous example One paragraph

perhaps best typifies his concept of leadership

Every man is entitled to go into battle with

the best chance of survival your forethought as a

leader can provide What best helps you discharge

this responsibility Sharing things with your

men always being where the crisis is or seems

most likely to develop always thinking of what

help you can give your commanders who are

executing your orders doing your utmost to see

that the best in rations shelter first aid and

evacuation facilities are available being

generous with praise swift and fair with

punishment when you have your facts Intolerant of

demonstrated failure in leadership on which lives

depend yet making ful 1 allowances for human

weaknesses and the stresses and strains of battle

on individuals~

Embodied in these words is the quiet splrlt of battlefield

leadership success These are the thoughts of an officer who

most of us would willingly follow into battle Experienced

self-assured and comprehending Matthew Ridgeway was an

insightful and determined commander who bred those same

qualities of intellect and temperament in his subordinates

Those of us who are ln the military frequently see post

cemeteries with rows of markers that attest to the men and

women who have sacrificed for their country and the ideals of

freedom justice and liberty In the United States we have

been especially fortunate to have had the service of leaders

who have possessed the intellect and temperament to insure

battlefield success From history we learn of these great

soldiers their heroic deeds and their insight and

determination that would not fail even in the darkest hour

If for no other reason do we not owe a debt to those who

have gone before us to carry on their examp l es of leadership

Do we not owe tho~e who ~erve with u~ our leadership in

training them to succeed as experienced self-confident and

farsighted leaders who wil I develop the lnsight and

determination essential to victory in battle We have the

means to achieve these ends now - they are not dependent upon

new technology or next years budget And regardless of the

weapons we possess or the funds which may be available no

success wil 1 compensate for our failure to develop these

leadership qual itles of intellect and temperament in ourselves

and in our subordinates

END NOTES

1 MAJ Mike Marker private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas January 1988

2 Carl von Clausewitz On War trans Michael Howard and Peter Peret ltPrinceton NJ Princeton University Press 1976gt p 102

3 Ibid p 102

4 Wl II lam Morris Tbe American Herltaae Dictionary of the English Language ltBoston MA Houghton Mifflin Company 1976gt p 74

5 Clausewitz p 112

6 Ibid p 102

7 Ibid p 102

8 Ibid p 105

9 Samuel B Griffith Syn Tzy Tbe Art of War ltLondon GB Oxford University Press 1971gt p 65

10 Wilt D Rouse trans The March Up Countrv A Translation of Xenophon s Anabas1 s ltAnn Arbor MI The Un 1 vers ity of M 1 ch 1gao Press 1964gt

11 Omar Bradley and Clay Blair A Generals Life ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1983gt pp 350-392

12 Clausewitz p 102

13 Antoine Henri Jomini The Art of War p 158

14 Ardant Du Pique Battle Stydies Ancient and Modern trans Colonel John N Greely and Major Robert C Cotton ltHarrisburg PA The Military Service Publishing Company 1946gt

15 B H Liddell Hart Strategy rev 2nd ed ltLondon GB Faber and Faber Ltd 1954gt p 146

16 JFC Fuller Generalship ltHarrisburg PA Military Service Publishing Company 1936gt p 32

17 Clausewitz 109

18 Betty Edwards Drawing on the Artist Within ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1986gt p xiii

19 Michael Aatchell bullThe Militarys New Starsbull US News and World Report 104 lt18 April 1988) p 35

20 Lieutenant Colonel Josef Weingast Austrian Armed Forces private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas February 1988

21 George Putnam private Interview St Louis Missouri January 1987

22 Matthew B Ridgeway bullLeadershipbull Military Reylew ltOctober 1966gt p 47

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generous with praise swift and fair with

punishment when you have your facts Intolerant of

demonstrated failure in leadership on which lives

depend yet making ful 1 allowances for human

weaknesses and the stresses and strains of battle

on individuals~

Embodied in these words is the quiet splrlt of battlefield

leadership success These are the thoughts of an officer who

most of us would willingly follow into battle Experienced

self-assured and comprehending Matthew Ridgeway was an

insightful and determined commander who bred those same

qualities of intellect and temperament in his subordinates

Those of us who are ln the military frequently see post

cemeteries with rows of markers that attest to the men and

women who have sacrificed for their country and the ideals of

freedom justice and liberty In the United States we have

been especially fortunate to have had the service of leaders

who have possessed the intellect and temperament to insure

battlefield success From history we learn of these great

soldiers their heroic deeds and their insight and

determination that would not fail even in the darkest hour

If for no other reason do we not owe a debt to those who

have gone before us to carry on their examp l es of leadership

Do we not owe tho~e who ~erve with u~ our leadership in

training them to succeed as experienced self-confident and

farsighted leaders who wil I develop the lnsight and

determination essential to victory in battle We have the

means to achieve these ends now - they are not dependent upon

new technology or next years budget And regardless of the

weapons we possess or the funds which may be available no

success wil 1 compensate for our failure to develop these

leadership qual itles of intellect and temperament in ourselves

and in our subordinates

END NOTES

1 MAJ Mike Marker private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas January 1988

2 Carl von Clausewitz On War trans Michael Howard and Peter Peret ltPrinceton NJ Princeton University Press 1976gt p 102

3 Ibid p 102

4 Wl II lam Morris Tbe American Herltaae Dictionary of the English Language ltBoston MA Houghton Mifflin Company 1976gt p 74

5 Clausewitz p 112

6 Ibid p 102

7 Ibid p 102

8 Ibid p 105

9 Samuel B Griffith Syn Tzy Tbe Art of War ltLondon GB Oxford University Press 1971gt p 65

10 Wilt D Rouse trans The March Up Countrv A Translation of Xenophon s Anabas1 s ltAnn Arbor MI The Un 1 vers ity of M 1 ch 1gao Press 1964gt

11 Omar Bradley and Clay Blair A Generals Life ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1983gt pp 350-392

12 Clausewitz p 102

13 Antoine Henri Jomini The Art of War p 158

14 Ardant Du Pique Battle Stydies Ancient and Modern trans Colonel John N Greely and Major Robert C Cotton ltHarrisburg PA The Military Service Publishing Company 1946gt

15 B H Liddell Hart Strategy rev 2nd ed ltLondon GB Faber and Faber Ltd 1954gt p 146

16 JFC Fuller Generalship ltHarrisburg PA Military Service Publishing Company 1936gt p 32

17 Clausewitz 109

18 Betty Edwards Drawing on the Artist Within ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1986gt p xiii

19 Michael Aatchell bullThe Militarys New Starsbull US News and World Report 104 lt18 April 1988) p 35

20 Lieutenant Colonel Josef Weingast Austrian Armed Forces private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas February 1988

21 George Putnam private Interview St Louis Missouri January 1987

22 Matthew B Ridgeway bullLeadershipbull Military Reylew ltOctober 1966gt p 47

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Do we not owe tho~e who ~erve with u~ our leadership in

training them to succeed as experienced self-confident and

farsighted leaders who wil I develop the lnsight and

determination essential to victory in battle We have the

means to achieve these ends now - they are not dependent upon

new technology or next years budget And regardless of the

weapons we possess or the funds which may be available no

success wil 1 compensate for our failure to develop these

leadership qual itles of intellect and temperament in ourselves

and in our subordinates

END NOTES

1 MAJ Mike Marker private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas January 1988

2 Carl von Clausewitz On War trans Michael Howard and Peter Peret ltPrinceton NJ Princeton University Press 1976gt p 102

3 Ibid p 102

4 Wl II lam Morris Tbe American Herltaae Dictionary of the English Language ltBoston MA Houghton Mifflin Company 1976gt p 74

5 Clausewitz p 112

6 Ibid p 102

7 Ibid p 102

8 Ibid p 105

9 Samuel B Griffith Syn Tzy Tbe Art of War ltLondon GB Oxford University Press 1971gt p 65

10 Wilt D Rouse trans The March Up Countrv A Translation of Xenophon s Anabas1 s ltAnn Arbor MI The Un 1 vers ity of M 1 ch 1gao Press 1964gt

11 Omar Bradley and Clay Blair A Generals Life ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1983gt pp 350-392

12 Clausewitz p 102

13 Antoine Henri Jomini The Art of War p 158

14 Ardant Du Pique Battle Stydies Ancient and Modern trans Colonel John N Greely and Major Robert C Cotton ltHarrisburg PA The Military Service Publishing Company 1946gt

15 B H Liddell Hart Strategy rev 2nd ed ltLondon GB Faber and Faber Ltd 1954gt p 146

16 JFC Fuller Generalship ltHarrisburg PA Military Service Publishing Company 1936gt p 32

17 Clausewitz 109

18 Betty Edwards Drawing on the Artist Within ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1986gt p xiii

19 Michael Aatchell bullThe Militarys New Starsbull US News and World Report 104 lt18 April 1988) p 35

20 Lieutenant Colonel Josef Weingast Austrian Armed Forces private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas February 1988

21 George Putnam private Interview St Louis Missouri January 1987

22 Matthew B Ridgeway bullLeadershipbull Military Reylew ltOctober 1966gt p 47

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END NOTES

1 MAJ Mike Marker private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas January 1988

2 Carl von Clausewitz On War trans Michael Howard and Peter Peret ltPrinceton NJ Princeton University Press 1976gt p 102

3 Ibid p 102

4 Wl II lam Morris Tbe American Herltaae Dictionary of the English Language ltBoston MA Houghton Mifflin Company 1976gt p 74

5 Clausewitz p 112

6 Ibid p 102

7 Ibid p 102

8 Ibid p 105

9 Samuel B Griffith Syn Tzy Tbe Art of War ltLondon GB Oxford University Press 1971gt p 65

10 Wilt D Rouse trans The March Up Countrv A Translation of Xenophon s Anabas1 s ltAnn Arbor MI The Un 1 vers ity of M 1 ch 1gao Press 1964gt

11 Omar Bradley and Clay Blair A Generals Life ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1983gt pp 350-392

12 Clausewitz p 102

13 Antoine Henri Jomini The Art of War p 158

14 Ardant Du Pique Battle Stydies Ancient and Modern trans Colonel John N Greely and Major Robert C Cotton ltHarrisburg PA The Military Service Publishing Company 1946gt

15 B H Liddell Hart Strategy rev 2nd ed ltLondon GB Faber and Faber Ltd 1954gt p 146

16 JFC Fuller Generalship ltHarrisburg PA Military Service Publishing Company 1936gt p 32

17 Clausewitz 109

18 Betty Edwards Drawing on the Artist Within ltNew York NY Simon and Schuster Inc 1986gt p xiii

19 Michael Aatchell bullThe Militarys New Starsbull US News and World Report 104 lt18 April 1988) p 35

20 Lieutenant Colonel Josef Weingast Austrian Armed Forces private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas February 1988

21 George Putnam private Interview St Louis Missouri January 1987

22 Matthew B Ridgeway bullLeadershipbull Military Reylew ltOctober 1966gt p 47

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19 Michael Aatchell bullThe Militarys New Starsbull US News and World Report 104 lt18 April 1988) p 35

20 Lieutenant Colonel Josef Weingast Austrian Armed Forces private interview Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth Kansas February 1988

21 George Putnam private Interview St Louis Missouri January 1987

22 Matthew B Ridgeway bullLeadershipbull Military Reylew ltOctober 1966gt p 47

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