At a MDWG Drill Team Practice in the fall of 1993, I recall Capt. Duke pointing out his concern that the "tricks" cadets learn in CAP don't help them as adults. For instance, the popular cadet leadership style back then was "Yell, Scream, and Give Push-Ups". While that might work on the drill pad, can you imagine trying it in a business setting? Or as the mayor of a small town? Many cadet "Leadership Tricks" just don't work in the real world.

Since that time, National has tried very hard to get rid of that style of "leadership", but I believe that attitude is still around. Get a room full of Phase III and IV Cadets and ask them about tips and tricks, and two recurring themes will be punishment and reward. Perhaps a few of them will mention "be a good example." Some might mention span of control, homogenous assignment, Maslov's Hierarchy, etc. However, when the rubber meets the road, it's the first three tools that get the most attention.

In the business world, the fear and intimidation school of management is a real problem; just read any Dilbert strip or article by Victor Stone. I dubbed this the "False Militarism" style of leadership, and in CAP it is rivaled only by the "Picnic Social" style. My next few columns will try to recreate those old discussions, analyzing leadership styles with a critical eye. We will try to see what works best and why.

Until next month, why not analyze your own leadership style? I would love to hear your initial reaction to my ideas above, and perhaps I will include your comments in a future article. Please email me.