Way back when I was a young E4 studying for the E5 Sergeant board many things were drilled into my head. I spent every waking hour studying for the board. Military leadership has been replicated throughout the civilian sector for years. Mainly due to the fact that what is done in the military has life altering actions. If you take what works in the military, one has to believe it’ll work in the civilian world. Among things learned like “Be, Know, Do”, “Seek responsibility and accept responsibility for your actions”, the styles of leadership, etc., one thing that has always jumped out at me was the “4 C’s of Leadership”. Courage, Competence, Candor and Commitment. I extracted the following directly from the U.S. Army Leadership Manual, FM 22-100, dated 31Jul1990, Military Leadership.
The four individual values that all soldiers
(leaders and led) are expected to possess are
courage, candor, competence, and commitment.
These four values are considered essential for
building the trust which must exist for a unit to
operate at peak efficiency.
Courage
Courage comes in two forms. Physical courage is overcoming fears of bodily harm and doing your duty. Moral courage is overcoming fears of other than bodily harm while doing
what ought to be done. Moral courage is as important as physical courage. It is the courage to stand firm on your values, your moral principles, and your convictions. You show moral courage when you do something based on one of your values or moral principles, knowing that the action may not be in your best interest. It takes special courage to support unpopular decisions and to make it difficult for others to do the wrong thing. Others may encourage you to embrace a “slightly” unethical solution as the easiest or most
convenient method. Do not ease the way for others to do wrong; stand up for your beliefs and what you know is right. Do not compromise your professional ethic or your individual values and moral principles. If you believe you are right after sober and considered judgment, hold your position.
Candor
Candor is being frank, open, honest, and sincere with your soldiers, seniors, and peers. It
is an expression of personal integrity. If handled properly, disagreeing with others and
presenting your point of view are not wrong. Remember these three important points:
(1) select the right time and place to offer your
criticism or advice;
(2) do not criticize a plan
without giving a constructive alternative;
(3) recognize that when your leader has made the
final decision, you must end your discussion and
support legal and proper orders even if you do
not personally agree with them.
There is often no time in combat to verify reports or to question the accuracy of information. Consequences are too important, and time is too short to communicate anything but the truth. Candor is equally important in peacetime. Demand it from your subordinates and expect it from your peers and superiors. Candor expresses personal
integrity.
The beliefs of a leader impact
directly on the leadership climate,
cohesion, discipline, training, and
combat effectiveness of a unit.
Competence
Competence is proficiency in required professional knowledge, judgment, and skills. Each leader must have it to train and to develop a cohesive, disciplined unit with all the required
individual and collective skills to win on the battlefield. Competence builds confidence in
one’s self and one’s unit; both are crucial elements of morale, courage, and, ultimately,
success on the battlefield.
Commitment
Commitment means the dedication to carry out all unit missions and to serve the values of
the country, the Army, and the unit. This is shown by doing your best to contribute to the
Army, to train and develop your unit, and to help your soldiers develop professionally and
personally.
These are not principles that can be faked. They must be lived in everything you do. Many people may stray from you as you begin to practice these. That’s OK because you don’t want them around anyway. Good leaders can lead and be led, period. Practice these principles in everything you do and I promise you will reap the harvest. Please Like, Share and Subscribe!!! Leave a comment for me or ask a question. Thank you!!
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