[November 21, 2016] I remember the military order clearly like it was yesterday. As one of the senior U.S. Army engineers in Iraq, I was used to getting unusual requests but this one was different because it came directly from General Petraeus, Commander of the entire combat force. The order? Build enough barracks, headquarters structures, dining facilities, utilities, and security to accommodate 45,000 troops and their equipment.1
They begin arriving in 45 days, I was told. It was January 2007 and, in Iraq, there was no “Motel 6” or any existing place to put these troops so we had to build it from scratch. But that’s what leadership is about … often a balancing act that pits capability versus need.
And so it is today with U.S. Marine Commandant General Robert Neller who is balancing the capability of the Marine Corps and its responsibilities under current national defense strategy. He is leading an effort to modify the basic structure of his Infantry units to add new equipment and capabilities without adding personnel and with a shrinking budget. A great article in the Military Officer magazine, November 2016 issue, by Tom Philpott addresses how Neller plans to do this.
That balancing act often means what the leader needs to add or transform capabilities and making decisions on what to forfeit. This means prioritizing in stride with a changing mission set, changing risks/threats, and with uncertain resource assets. Not easy in the best of times. In fact, this is what separates the good from the great leaders. Fortunately, the U.S. Marines have a great leader in Neller.
Like any great leader, Neller will be successful if he exercises strategic patience and the moral courage to make hard decisions. Can just any leader do this? I doubt it. Today we’ve been told that there is a crisis in leadership across America and I would think across most nations. Today’s political, economic, and social environments are more volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world than ever before.
Sometimes leadership also means exercising diplomacy to get their mission accomplished. It certainly helps the balancing act because the leader relies on proactive, trustworthy subordinates and a network of hard working, smart, dedicated people. Leadership will always be a balancing act and only those who can handle it will succeed.
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- Later that number was increased to 60,000 troops and support personnel.