Benevolent Guardian

It was a quiet New Mexico evening many years ago and I was sitting in my cell (room) watching all the old cadets laconically stroll about looking for new cadets to pick on. It was a warmish evening, so no one felt truly energetic and there was just a mild level of baiting and harassment going on. I used to prop my 1950s government-issued desk chair against my 1940s steel bunk and drink my coffee and watch the "slab". This was a slab of cement about a block long. It was the gathering place for our troop, and lots went on there: some cadets polished shoes, others practiced drill, and still others would sit around and toss stories back and forth. All of our rooms bordered the slab and the prisoners (new cadets) would peer out of their windows, watching the old cadets "enjoying" slab life. To venture out onto the slab as a new cadet was to invite ritualized abuse.

As taps was about to blow I noticed one of my rat buddies (RAT stands for recruit at training) rolling down the slab. Bold of him to venture out into the wilderness of old cadet territory, and even bolder to roll down the slab. My buddy was a good old cajun boy who'd been sipping beer and chewing crawdads since he was about 2 years old. At that moment, he was feeling no pain.

Ever see a car accident about to happen? I sensed rather than saw the ripple of excitement buzz through the older cadets. There were so many things that they could seize on and have just tons of fun with. Underage drinking, sneaking out of the barracks, new cadet violations - the possibilities were endless. As they were about to pounce, the Squadron Commander took charge. This was beyond good old-fashioned fun, and a lot of bad things could have happened (expulsion, etc.). He quieted the crowd before they knew what was happening, and tucked my buddy into bed. The administration was not informed and the TC (troop commander) handled the corrective actions when Chris had dried out a bit. Chris didn't get off scot-free, but he was able to continue his schooling and become a productive member of our troop.

I read the Harvard Business Review fairly regularly. (OK, every chance I get). It carried an interesting article recently that resonated with me, about leading clever people. First, let me make clear that I believe that everyone is clever in their own way. This isn't a an attempt to make everybody "feel good," but an honest observation: most folks are able to do something very very well. You just have to figure out what that something is (e.g., applying lipstick in unusual ways... name the movie.).

Chris wasn't a great soldier, but he was a great people person. Chris and I used to talk about the mundane things, and his vivid memories of growing up in the bayou. He helped me get through a tough time. (I wanted to quit more than once. Everyone wants to quit during their cadet period...) If Chris had been expelled, I might not have made it through this hell that was new cadet training. He reminded me to have some fun with things, and that this too would pass. He was a great friend.

So... my point? Leaders sometimes exercise benevolent guardianship. Sometimes they rescue you when you have screwed things up really badly. Sometimes they yell at you and make you do crazy things (thanks a lot SSG Mac!), and sometimes they just do nothing and let you sort it out. I have made more than my fair share of mistakes, but I have been lucky enough to have benevolent leaders. They watch out for me and I watch out for them.

Really talented people don't need lots of leadership, they need great leaders. Read the HBR article....