From time to time, I write articles for a professional newsletter, and it’s usually a true story that either happened to me or someone I knew in my military career. It usually has a lesson to be learned or something to do with leadership. I don’t want to bore anyone with my "war stories" and by some of the decorations I see being worn throughout the Alabama Wing, there are probably a lot better stories then mine. However, glancing up on my office wall, a message of importance came to me that I would like to pass along. It’s a saying that every officer and NCO is taught from the time they enter an academy, officer’s training school, officer candidate school or NCO prep school. "RANK DOES NOT CONFER PRIVILEGE OR GIVE POWER. IT IMPOSES RESPONSIBILITY." That’s it, that’s all it says but think about … "Rank does not confer privilege or give power. It imposes responsibility.

Now, the first thing you think of, is what you may have been told by people in the military, "rank has its privilege!" and it is very true. But do you use it or abuse it? There is a difference. Are you a leader, dictator or boss? How do you use your rank?

A leader gets things done through the management of people. Do you get things done in you unit? Of course you do or your unit would not last long. You deal with people who are responsible for certain jobs. Do you cooperate with your fellow workers or do you become a dictator and build your own little world? One of the best known dictators built a wall around his country and possessions. We called it the "Iron Curtain". If you have someone who is building that wall around his/her position, you will not have a smooth running organization.

How about the Public Affairs Officer needing information for a story. He needs the correct names and spelling of people for the story. So he goes to the file cabinet to get the information. The Admin officer puts on his "boss" suit and jumps on the PAO for being in HIS filing cabinet. The PAO jumps back at the Admin officer yelling that he has a job to do and he can’t do it because he can’t get in the filing cabinet. Now you have a yelling contest on your hands and cadets are watching. This is a good training situation. Does anyone see any teamwork going on here? Are bosses team players? If you are in charge and a boss type comes into your unit, you need to train or re-train him.

In CAP we have many bosses instead of leaders who command. What do you do if you are already working with a "boss"? That’s a hard one, because a boss makes work a drudgery and it breeds resentment. Sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and bare it until they leave or you leave. That’s hard especially in a volunteer organization such as ours. You may desire to give something back to your community and it seems they won’t let you.

If it doesn’t make them look important, they’ll usually say "NO". If he doesn’t like the idea he will say "NO". The "NO" word means he doesn’t have to deal with it. Bosses don’t seem to realize that if a new idea doesn’t work, you can always go back to the old way of doing things. So rather then trying something new, just say, "NO!

Leaders foster enthusiasm and cooperation. So what you need to do is to cause enthusiasm and cooperation within your unit in spite of your "boss". Warning! If you use all your leadership skills and make your unit look good regardless of the boss, don’t look for that pat on the back. What is necessary is that as a leader, you must insure that your fellow workers get that pat from you. Remember that a leader creates confidence, makes work interesting, shows how and relies on cooperation. That’s it! Now would you like to hear a war story anyway?

Okay…

Our squadron was participating in a Cadet Drill Competition. I was giving the team a few words of encouragement each time they came off the field. Then I would walk away to the grand stands. Just before the last part of the competition, I started walking away when the Cadet Drill Commander called me back, "Major Wilson, would you please stay out here with us?" I asked why… he said something that brought back memories of a war and of young men I led not much older then he. He said, "Major, when you’re out here. It makes us feel good and it gives us a feeling of confidence." I stayed until it was time for them to perform. THEY won!

Article submitted to ALCAP by:

Major Ed Wilson