The Tough Truth

“I deeply regret that it becomes my duty as President and Commander in Chief of the United States military forces to replace you as Supreme Commander, Allied Powers; Commander in Chief, United Nations Command; Commander in Chief, Far East; and Commanding General, U.S. Army, Far East.”

-President Harry S. Truman letter to General MacArthur April 11, 1951

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General Douglas McArthur was one of the most popular, powerful, decorated and prominent military figures in the history of the world.

He graduated first in his class from West Point in 1903.

McArthur was a five-star general and a national hero in the eyes of the American people by the end of World War ll.

He was also viewed by many as conceited and self-obsessed.

When the Korean Conflict expanded in late 1950 to include China, McArthur essentially believed that World War lll had begun and the U.S. had to wage it.

Harry Truman, the General’s boss, did not see the issue in the same light. He wanted to stop the spread of communism into South Korea and he had zero interest in committing a war weary U.S. into another global conflict.

Through a series of ill-advised and selfish political moves, McArthur made it clear to the world that he disagreed with his boss.

Big mistake.

On April 11, 1951, General Douglas McArthur learned the tough truth that most people never understand until it’s too late.

We are all replaceable.

?Legacy

At some point in our professional careers, somewhere in our early and mid-thirties, I think we all begin to ask ourselves a few important questions.

How much talent do I really have?

Do I have enough to get through an entire career?

And what will people think of me when I get to the end of that career?

Will I be known as somebody respected?

Known to have lived an honest and positive life with the humility of acknowledging all my many flaws?

Known as somebody who made a difference to the lives of people around me?

Did I encourage and coach people to aspire to reach potential in other areas of the organization?

Or will I be known as somebody who carefully built an empire by withholding information and credit for successes and quietly blocking career progressions for selfish reasons ?

Somebody who tried to block people from leaving my team simply because it would pose the challenge of doing my job and finding a replacement?

Perhaps assassinating the character of some coworkers all in the name of some greater good that is really nothing more than protecting your self-preservation?

Legacy should serve as a source of pride and motivation for future generations.

Legacy preserves memories and teaches valuable life lessons.

A proper focus on legacy, in the spirit of servant leadership, helps avoid learning the tough truth the hard way.

Embrace the Tough Truth

Accepting the Tough Truth could be seen by some as a somber reality that pushes people to go through the motions every day as simply another gear in the machine.

What’s the point?

However, there's a big difference in my opinion between being hard to replace and irreplaceable. You and others around you will suffer greatly if you think you are irreplaceable both in the short term and long term.

If you are working at a company with just a halfway decent senior management team, they will never allow somebody to be irreplaceable because they would be negligent to do so.

And you wind up being like General MacArthur.

Thinking you are irreplaceable is also a sure way to make your job your entire self-identity.

Not a good thing at all.?

Retirement offers wonderful opportunities to write several new chapters in your life and be part of your legacy.

While its tough to walk away from wealth and power, hanging around a company in one position for too long is usually not a recipe for career success or personal happiness.

When you embrace the Tough Truth, you avoid all these negative consequences, and you benefit in many areas.

Developing other people to be able to succeed creates a deeper meaning to your role as a servant leader in addition to taking agency on your legacy.

Developing other people should make you a higher candidate for growth in your organization.?

Regrettably, many Human Resource departments have assumed unhealthy powers in companies in the past decade that can make attaining these benefits much more challenging.

They have often weaponized social issues and encouraged ageism.

Do not let this discourage you.

Stay focused on your mission, remain steadfast in your pursuit of excellence, and always do the right thing.

It is better to lose and do the right thing than win and do the bad thing,

Integrity will always matter.

Time

One way or another, everybody learns the Tough Truth.

Father Time is the undisputed heavyweight champion.

If you accumulate wealth and power, you can buy anything you want.

Except time.

If you happen to leave a company after a great run and things run smoothly after you leave, pat yourself on the back.

You did your job.

If you become like General McArthur, you will likely never see the knockout punch coming.

And you will likely experience the one thing we try to avoid most of our life.

Regret.

Knowing you could have used your time differently to do something different, make a different choice, or take some action that would have produced a positive result rather than something terrible.?

Accepting the Tough Truth is taking agency on how you live your personal and professional life.

The choice is yours alone.

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Patrick McGarry

7/05/2024?

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

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