My Dad’s WWII Leadership Guide Booklet

My Dad’s WWII Leadership Guide Booklet

?by Mark Preston

This week was an exciting week for my family. My son Stuart completed advanced training at Fort Benning to become a US Army Calvary Scout. We are excited to see the man he has become and following his future. Seeing men and women being trained and led by true leaders made me remember my own father’s history in the army.

While going through my attic, I came across some of my father’s letters and notes. James Carson Preston was a great man that was respected and loved throughout his life. He grew up in Jackson Georgia as one of 11 brothers and sisters during the great depression. The stories on the front porch, that he would tell me, were priceless. He was a Mess Sergeant during WWII at a Prisoner of War Camp in Texas. He treated the prisoners as his customers and led a group of them in cooking all the meals for the camp. He was respected by both the German Prisoners of War as well as his fellow soldiers. He and my mother adopted me when I was 3 days old, and at that time he was 59. Dad passed away in 1977, when I was 11, but his memory lives on based on his life, love, and actions during his life. I enjoyed reading this little guidebook and thought about how most principles of leadership remain the same today. Enjoy:

MILITARTY LEADERSHIP

Military Leadership is the art of influencing and directing men / women in such a way as to obtain their willing obedience, confidence, respect, and loyal cooperation in order to accomplish the mission.

LEADERSHIP TRAITS are personal qualities that are of great value to the commander in gaining the willing obedience, confidence, respect, and loyal cooperation of his men.

LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES are guides to the proper exercise of command.

SUPERVISION is the art of checking on the progress of actions and orders without undue harassment.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF A COMMANDER

1.??????Accomplishment of the mission.

2.??????Welfare of the men / women.

THE PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESS

1.??????Recognize the problem.

2.??????Make an estimate of the situation.

3.??????Take Action.

INDICATIONS OF MILITARY LEADERSHIP

MORALE is the state of mind of the individual. This state of mind is dependent upon his attitude toward everything that affects him.

DISCIPLINE is the individual or group attitude that insures prompt obedience to orders and initiation of appropriate action in the absence of orders.

ESPRIT DE CORPS is the loyalty to, pride in, and enthusiasm for a unit shown by its members.

PROFICENCY is the technical, tactical, and physical ability that enables superior performance.

A COMBAT EFFECTIVE UNIT is one which will accomplish any mission assigned or indicated for which it has been organized, equipped, and trained to perform in the shortest possible time, with least expenditure of resources and with least confusion.?

THE DESIRABLE TRAITS OF A LEADER

(Alphabetical Order)

BEARING – Creating a favorable impression in carriage, appearance, and personal conduct at all times.

COURAGE (PHYSICAL and MORAL) – a mental quality which recognizes fear of danger or criticism but enables the individual to meet danger or opposition with calmness and firmness.

DECISIVENESS – Ability to make decisions promptly and then express them in a clear and forceful manner.

DEPENDABILITY – The certainty of proper performance of duty and loyalty to seniors and subordinates.

ENDURANCE – Mental and physical stamina measure by the ability to stand pain, fatigue, distress, and hardship.

ENTHUSIASM – The display of sincere interest and exuberance in the performance of duties.

INITIATIVE – A quality of seeing what must be done and commencing a course of action.

INTEGRITY – Uprightness of character and soundness of moral principle: the quality of absolute truthfulness and honesty.

JUEGEMENT – Weighing facts and possible solutions on which to base sound decisions.

JUSTICE – Being impartial and consistent in exercising command.

KNOWLEDGE– Acquired information including professional knowledge and an understanding of your subordinates.

LOYALTY – Faithfulness to country, the Army, your unit, your senior and subordinates.

TACT – The ability to deal with others without creating offense.

UNSELFISHNESS – The avoidance of providing for one’s own comfort and personal advancement at the expense of others.?

LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES

1.??????Be technically and tactically proficient.

2.??????Know yourself and seek self-improvement.

3.??????Know you men and look out for their welfare.

4.??????Keep your men informed.

5.??????Set the example.

6.??????Ensure the task is understood supervised and accomplished.

7.??????Train your men / women as a team

8.??????Make sound and timely decisions.

9.??????Develop a sense of responsibility among subordinates.

10.???Employ your command in accordance with its capabilities.

11.???Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.?

How can I help you?

I hope you enjoyed the article. Please comment and share, I would like to hear your thoughts. Have a great week! Please reach out if you need help developing leadership and engagement at your company.

I specialize in:

·????????Monthly Leadership Coaching

·????????Rattlesnake Hunt Engagement

·????????Strategic Planning Workshops

·????????Value Stream Mapping Workshops

·????????Lean Certification

·????????Lean Assessment and Lean Journey Development

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Have a great week!

Mark

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Mark Preston

[email protected]