[March 25, 2017] I was given command of the worst company in a U.S. Infantry battalion. The company consisted of 179 soldiers, most from the farmlands and small towns around the Northeast United States and recently returned from Operation Desert Storm in 1991.1 The unit’s Battalion Commander came to me one day and asked me to take command immediately of this broken unit. He knew that only someone experienced would be able to attract great people to it.
“A great person attracts great people and knows how to hold them together.” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, German writer and statesman
Their personnel had been frustrated by not being part of the combat operation, their equipment was in a state of disrepair, and the unit commander has been relieved of his duties. My job … fix it. First, a little background on the U.S. Army; command is always the best job you can get and all good officers work hard to gain such a position. In command, you have the authority and resources to get things done. It requires someone with vision and an ability to bring in other good soldiers to make it work.
My commander had the confidence that I could do the job but he could have had any number of senior Army Captains in the Infantry. We were a reliable bunch who had been through a lot since we were Second Lieutenants. Those who had successfully been Platoon Leaders and junior staff officers were considered but he wanted someone who also had a previous company command and thus proven experience.2
This was my first chance as a commander to actually do those things I wanted. My previous Infantry Company was already a good unit with skilled soldiers. With this new unit, as my commander would say, I “only had one way to go … up [since they were at the bottom].” After one year I left command with a great send-off by the unit and several actually cried at my farewell dinner.
What I had learned previously in command was that those leaders who can attract the best people (and keep them) are those who will be most successful with the least effort. Now, don’t get me wrong, it was very difficult and nerve racking to bring the unit back up to army standards. My first task however was to show them that I cared about each soldier and that what they did mattered. We had a wonderful time doing this (due to the independence we were given) but we worked our rear-ends off in the process.
“Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, and much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.” – Mother Teresa
Between the unit sergeants, soldiers, and a few officers, the unit became the best unit east of the Mississippi River (based on army statistics) by winning the U.S. Army-wide maintenance award and several competitions. My legacy was that I developed better leaders and to this day, more than 20 years later, they invite me back for their annual Dining-Outs and some of the original unit members are there to greet me.
The well-known fact is, great leaders attract great people.
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- Also known as the Persian Gulf War 1990-1991, First Gulf War, Gulf War I, and codenamed Operation Desert Shield (build up)/Desert Storm (combat): http://www.history.com/topics/persian-gulf-war
- My first request was for the authority to select my own officers without meddling from anyone. I also chose a new First Sergeant and promoted a number of junior sergeants who demonstrated promise. The poor performers were moved out and skilled, knowledgeable, proven leaders were moved in. After that the unit had numerous requests from senior sergeants and other officers to join the unit.