Attitudes are Caught, Not Taught

By | September 17, 2019

[September 17, 2019]  It was in late November and early December 2004 that a U.S. Marine Task Force being called upon to push into Fallujah, Iraq.  The 1st U.S. Marine Division’s plan was to crush Iraqi insurgents upon the fortified positions of a U.S. Armored Brigade sitting east of the city; a classic hammer-anvil strategy.

“A leader’s attitude is caught by his or her followers more quickly than his or her actions.” – John C. Maxwell, author, speaker, and pastor

The unit commander was intimately connected to his men and they would do anything for him.  After the word was passed along our lines that the Marines were to jump into battle, you could hear the “Hooahs” and the elation that they were finally getting into the fight.  The aggressive attitude of this commander had permeated throughout his fighting unit.

“I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.”  – Alexander the Great

Attitudes are caught, not taught.  A military leader with a pessimistic attitude will lose each battle, not because his troops are poorly supplied or lacking in training, but because his attitude is one of defeat.  The commander’s attitude will move throughout his men like wildfire.  It should come as no surprise that this is an old idea, proven repeatedly in commerce, war, and diplomacy.  When it comes to success, there is little other than a winning attitude that can make a difference.

I regularly give talks to young men and women in High School and College.  Part of every speech is simple advice on how to be successful in life and career.  I tell them to obey the rules (like telling the truth), work hard, and have a good attitude.  It’s the attitude that matters because even those with intelligence, limitless opportunities, and well-connected networks will inevitably fail to achieve their goals without the right attitude.

Fifteen years ago, in the Second Battle for Fallujah, the 1st Marine Division won great success on the battlefield because their commander, Major General Jim Mattis, USMC, had a winning, go-get-em attitude that each Marine had caught.  They were winners and it showed.  I played only a small part but even on the U.S. Army side of the fight we “caught” his winning attitude.

Author: Douglas R. Satterfield

Hello. I provide one article every day. My writings are influenced by great thinkers such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Jung, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Jean Piaget, Erich Neumann, and Jordan Peterson, whose insight and brilliance have gotten millions worldwide to think about improving ourselves. Thank you for reading my blog.

18 thoughts on “Attitudes are Caught, Not Taught

  1. Joe Omerrod

    Gen Satterfield, well done today in your blog post. The quotes from Maxwell and Alexander the Great are two that help hit home the idea of attitudes and their tremendous importance. Today, we don’t teach that unfortunately. In schools you can do as you wish and there is no punishment. We used to be graded on deportment. No longer.

    Reply
  2. Walter H.

    Good reading today. You know, I always had this in the back of my mind but never articulated it. Now I can. Thank you Gen Satterfield. This is one of the reasons I keep coming back to your leadership website.

    Reply
    1. Mikka Solarno

      Same here, Walter. I’m one of the new readers and recently have been going thru some of the old articles. They are worth a reading. I highly recommend them to you.

      Reply
  3. Harry Donner

    Another superb article that hits right on a point I’ve been trying to make at my workplace. We have a lot of young people who go around with the idea that they should be handed everything and not earn it. The older coworkers are outraged. See what happens. I don’t even call it a ‘bad’ attitude, just one that doesn’t show humility, loyalty, graciousness.

    Reply
    1. Jerry C. Jones

      I see what you mean, Harry. I too see this at work. Looks like we have an education to push on the new people.

      Reply
  4. Willie Shrumburger

    If you want to read about a person with a bad attitude in a prominent politician, just read the DAILY FAVORITES from Gen. Satterfield’s blog today. Ilhan Omar is a Minnesota representative who was nasty about the most recent 9/11 anniversary. She is using it as a weapon against the people of the USA. She should be ashamed. Of course, she is not because she sees herself as morally superior to us all. Don’t we have a name for that?

    Reply
  5. The Kid 1945

    I’ve seen it happen over and over. A new young person comes into your company, one who is smart and hard working but has a dismissive attitude about others. They think they are superior to others or are morally better, etc. Then things go sour because that person’s attitude turned everyone off and would not cooperate. That is the reason, as an example, why we encourage having humility and just a good-old fashioned good attitude.

    Reply
    1. Yusaf from Texas

      Roger that. You can’t teach a good attitude, it has to be grown and nurtured.

      Reply
    2. Eric Coda

      Right! A good attitude is closely aligned with good customer service, dedication, and a willingness to help others. That is why it works so well. I know what I wrote is overly simplistic but I’ve seen just too many young people who fail on this simple idea.

      Reply
      1. Dale Paul Fox

        I agree Eric. Why that is, is an unknown to me. I wish I could get into the mind of some of those folks and say “watch out, you’ve gone too far.”

        Reply
  6. Ronny Fisher

    Well written and to the point. Much is often dismissed about having a good attitude. If you don’t, then people will not treat you well.

    Reply
  7. Army Captain

    I liked this article because it hits home the point that much of what we do is thru our motivations. The inner motivations are what is most important.

    Reply
    1. Autistic Techie

      You got that right, Army Capt. Good to see you on again and agreeing with Gen. Satterfield about how much a positive attitude has on everyone around them. And it doesn’t just apply to work but to the family and any other group you encounter.

      Reply

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