severe fight, was ordered to go back into it in fifteen minutes. He sat
complacently smoking while his resting men audibly growled about it and
told each other the dire things that would take place before they would
go in again. He knew his men and let them growl it out, and when the
time was up not one of them hesitated to obey his order to fall in and
swing back into the fight. In his place a hot-headed youngster could
easily have started a mutiny. And equally true, a few vicious disloyal
spirits among those men would have made it wrong for the lieutenant
to have allowed them to growl and threaten. Such situations require
a level head and a knowledge of the true spirit of the men--and are
interesting tests of one's qualifications as a leader.
_Loyalty by Example._--One of the basic things the leader has to
develop in his men is loyalty--and loyalty not alone to him and to the
team, but to the larger organization. To this end he may do much by the
power of his own example in cheerfully carrying out the instructions
from higher authority. If you are told to do some disagreeable
thing, do not try for cheap popularity by saying to the men "so and
so has ordered this, and we have got to do it." Accept the full
responsibility of your subordinate office, and take your men loyally
and unquestioningly through the work. Your team is a member of the
larger team, and should play its part therein as loyally and keenly as
you want the individuals to play their parts in your team. You should
try to arouse their pride in having their team do its part well, their
interest in the success of the larger team, and their belief in the
ability of its leader.
_When to Question Instructions._--Any questioning before your men
of the wisdom of instructions from higher authority, any grumbling
from you about their unfairness, would injure this fine spirit of
loyalty and of co-operation in the larger team. It would show you up
as unworthy of your responsible position in the organization and thus
hurt the men's respect for you. If you have an honest question of the
fairness or wisdom of the instructions go to higher authority first
and fight it out yourself in the interests of your men, without any
question of loyalty. That is part of your business both as guardian of
your men's welfare, and as a loyal member of the larger organization.
It is a delicate matter, involving your own sense of subordination,
and your judgment as to what is really best. It can never be done in
a spirit of brag or bluster, but only quietly in a spirit of loyalty,
true subordination, and desire for the best interests of the whole.
Occasions for such action are happily very rare--if your larger
organization is in reasonably good hands.
_Receiving Instructions._--When you receive instructions from higher
authority be sure you get their true meaning before you begin to act.
The subordinate with the quick, cheerful, "Yes, sir," and away to the
task, leaves a pleasant sensation until we discover that he has bungled
the job because he did not half understand what we wanted. Take time
to understand, but do not quibble about little details nor fuss about
the way in which the instructions are expressed. You are expected to
use your own sense and ingenuity in executing these instructions, so
be sure that you have grasped their spirit and purpose, and then go to
their execution with an enthusiasm and loyalty which will carry the
same spirit to the men.
_How to Encourage Suggestions._--We have spoken of the value of
encouraging subordinates to make suggestions for improvements, etc.,
of how they may add to the general efficiency, and how they certainly
increase the man's pleasure in his work and thus his personal
efficiency through giving play to his constructive instincts and
his natural desire for self-expression. The point now is how these
suggestions are to be encouraged. Certainly not by superficial
methods. For example, an organization which had accepted the idea
of the value of suggestions from the men tried simply to buy them
off-hand by inaugurating a bi-weekly prize rewarding contest in giving
suggestions. It was their notion that for a prize of five dollars some
employee was going to tell them how to make two blades of grass grow in
place of one. This method missed all appreciation of the fundamental
principles involved and of course ended in a farce.
These suggestions we want spring naturally from the interest and
partnership you have made the men feel in the organization; from the
ideas for improvement which they then evolve as they carry on at their
work, thinking how it might be done better or how the team might
get bigger results. The only encouragement they need is first this
atmosphere of partnership; and second, a boss who has sense enough
to give their suggestions fair consideration. The leader who has not
the time or patience to listen to suggestions can never get the best
efforts of the men, and is doing the enterprise real damage.
Every man should feel sure that his suggestion will be fairly
considered and, if his idea has real value, that he will be given
full credit all the way up the line to the big chief. And the way to
do this is to take the man in person to higher authority and have
him personally explain his idea. This makes very real to him and his
fellows his importance as a member of the team. If in a big business
concern the man were actually called before the board of directors to
explain the details of some improvement he had thought out, nothing
could do more to establish a sense of partnership in the undertaking.
Appreciating their value, you can make as much as you will of every
opportunity thus to increase the men's interest in the work and their
sense of co-operation.
_Advantage of Ambition._--Ambition for advancement is another of the
human instincts to be considered by the leader both in connection with
his own career and in handling his subordinates. Every one should feel
that he may progress as far as his actual ability warrants--and he
certainly may, for good leaders are still rare and to be desired and
the truest saying of life is that there is plenty of room at the top.
But subordinates must realize that selfish ambition cannot win, that
it is only by playing for the team and working for the best interests
of the whole outfit that one can win his superior's recommendation
for promotion. The unselfish ambition of an individual thus improves
both his chances for promotion and the work of the team. Industrial
progress and individual promotion both spring from individual effort to
increase output or to decrease expenditure of energy. It is generally
true throughout industry that "the great stream of intelligence,
inventiveness and adaptation flows from the bottom up and not from the
top down, and that the top is continually being recruited from the
bottom," as employers daily graduate from the classes of laborers. This
latter is so common a fact that it is frequently overlooked. It is so
wholesome a fact, so characteristic of our democratic institutions and
so helpful a thought in times of unrest and discouragement, that it
should be emphasized and frequently brought to mind.
_Never Deny an Earned Promotion._--An earned promotion should never
be denied a man when his opportunity does come, simply because his
superior feels that he cannot spare this man's services. As unjust
as that is, it is often done, and always to the cost of the group
spirit. In reality there are very few men in life so important to
their positions that they cannot be replaced--and often to surprising
advantage. No matter what pains are necessary to train the man's
replacement, it is far better to let him go than it is to keep him
and thus lower the morale of all by showing that your selfishness or
laziness is going to stand in the way of a deserved promotion. This
situation is often avoided by the excellent rule that each man in the
organization shall always have at least one other who has qualified to
take his place.
_How to Win Promotion._--It is not practical here to detail the
ways to win advancement,--magazine articles are always giving happy
suggestions in this field,--but these are general hints: A man does
not win by bragging about his abilities, or by anything that smacks
of "freshness." The way to get the superior's attention to your merit
is to make the merit conspicuous. You may be sure that management is
always seeking the man who can produce, and that superior results will
soon catch its eye. So go at each task cheerfully, and above all make
it clear that your one big interest is the success of the outfit. One
thing that so often denies promotion to a keen man is the statement of
his superior that "Jones is keen all right, but he thinks nine times
for Jones and once for the company." This is too bad, when the same
amount of work and ability unselfishly directed might so easily have
carried him ahead.
_Value of True Merit._--But the saddest thing is to see a man get
sore at heart and quit trying because he thinks that his merit is not
recognized. Make the merit big enough, and it is sure to win. Someone
will find it out, and buy your superior services. Ralph Parlette well
explains this in his so human pamphlet, "It's Up to You," in which
he illustrates human experience by what happens when you shake a jar
containing a mixture of beans and nuts: The little beans rattle down,
the smallest to the very bottom, and the larger nuts shake up, the
largest to the very top. Thus we find our place and hold it in life's
struggle according not to our wishes but to our actual size. Friendly
influence may elevate the little bean to high position, but the jolts
of experience soon rattle him back to the place he fits without
rattling; adversity may have crowded the big nut to the bottom, but the
same jolts will see him shaking up again to the top. It is not luck
that takes one up or down, it is size--and the answer to ambition is
_grow bigger_. There is so much true human nature in them that a few
sentences are quoted: "Everybody wants to go up. But everybody is not
willing to pay the price by first growing bigger so that he can shake
higher. So many want to be boosted up. Everybody is doing one of three
things: holding his place, rattling down, or shaking up. Whatever place
we shake into, if we want to hold our place, we must hold our size. We
must fill the place, for if we shrink up smaller than the place, we
rattle. Nobody can stay long where he rattles. And you observe that in
order to hold our size, we must keep on growing enough to supply the
loss by evaporation. Evaporation is going on all the time, in lives as
well as in liquids. A plum becomes a prune by evaporation. I wish human
plums became as valuable when they become prunes."
_Joy of Accomplishment._--Akin to man's natural delight in doing things
well is the motive for accomplishment, and the pleasure he gets from
seeing a thing completed. We all know people who are more or less
ruled by this passion, who "get their teeth set" as we say in doing
something, and can be interested in nothing else until they have done
it. One of America's most successful business men recently replied when
asked what he considered the best thing in life, "The satisfaction that
comes from accomplishment." This may be enjoyed by every individual no
matter in what walk of life, for it means the satisfaction to be had
from the accomplishment of the tasks in our own daily life and work.
The housewife has it from the contemplation of her glistening shelf of
preserves, the farmer gets it from his crops and the schoolboy from his
work and play--when he completes a set task, or first swims across the
river.
The leader may often appeal to this instinct to increase
accomplishment. It helps explain the advantage of letting the men
know what they are doing as they work, and especially of letting them
know from time to time what they have accomplished toward the general
result. This is the reason that the posting of progress charts does so
much to arouse interest in factory and shop work, and is another reason
for including the workman in a knowledge of the general progress of the
whole organization.
Everyone is supposed to have some underlying purpose, some goal in
life--as Bishop Brent says, "even the loafer may be supposed to have
the purpose to live as easily as possible." But we do not have to await
the satisfaction of having attained this distant goal. We get more
satisfaction en route from the successful completion of each of the
small steps that bring us a bit nearer the goal, and count that day
good in which we have taken one. So the leader may encourage the faith
and assure the continued efforts of his subordinates by showing them
from time to time where they have made successful progress toward the
desired end.
_Indifference and Discouragement_ are the natural enemies of this
instinct for accomplishment, which may invade our minds and prevent the
operation of this instinct. They come from failure, or what seems like
failure when long-continued efforts show no results; and from getting
stale through the constant repetition of the same task, without variety
or the stimulation of new ideas. The leader must combat these enemies
by introducing other thoughts to replace them. He must encourage the
discouraged and interest those who are bored. He may often stimulate
interest in even monotonous work by commenting on the perfection of its
execution and the amount of its daily output. It is possible to relieve
the monotony of long hours at the same tedious machine by letting two
men alternate tasks, if it can be done without offending the instinct
of proprietorship which makes a man resent having another touch "his
machine." Here is the leader's chance for ingenuity--he knows what is
needed, it is up to him to supply it. Learning other jobs in fitting
himself for promotion, brief opportunities for supervising the work of
others, getting better acquainted with the general work of the whole
outfit--are possible suggestions.
_Justice and Fairness._--Justice and fairness are generally considered
the first essentials for handling men successfully, and yet how often
we see leaders who give them no consideration. Human nature demands
fair play, and gives its best response only in that atmosphere. No
matter what our religious beliefs, we have to recognize that our best
advances in civilization and community living have been based on the
philosophy of life taught by the Son of the carpenter of Nazareth; a
philosophy which recognizes how the natural impulses of mankind react
to fair dealing and decent treatment.
The eminently successful Endicott Johnson corporation is run on the
basic proposition that ninety per cent of mankind are good and will
make good when confidence is shown in their good intentions. The
working rules for their organization are accordingly made to fit the
big majority rather than the ten per cent minority. And this policy
works--though it be revolutionary. Rules are generally made to fit the
few weaklings who are not man enough to play fair in the team--and
the big majority have accordingly had to be cramped in their freedom
because of the meanness or ignorance of these few. This has been a
common fault in army administration. One ignorant trooper injures a
horse by running him on a hard road, and an indifferent commander
at once forbids all soldiers ever to ride at a gallop. One man is
disorderly in town, and all men are forbidden to visit the town. This
may be an easy way to avoid trouble, but it is distinctly arbitrary and
unjust--and indicative of unfitness for leadership.
This same spirit of indifference to the well being of the good men
in making efforts to control the shiftless is to be found in every
business and walk of life. The point is that better results may
often be obtained by showing confidence in good intentions, allowing
more freedom of action, and controlling the meaner spirits through
education, elimination, and the spirit and example of their comrades.
The leader should remember that fitness for command is proven by
ability to arouse a spirit that makes the men want to give one hundred
per cent results. It is not shown by control through arbitrary
methods--any "dub" can make rules which practically reduce his men to a
state of serfdom.
This is but one phase of showing fairness. The leader will have all
kinds of situations to meet in which he must show it. It is impossible
to anticipate them with rules, but you may meet them successfully
by a continuing determination not to act in passion or impatience,
and to judge each case fairly with thought for the effect on all.
In doing this, you will arrive at the best solutions by giving full
consideration to the Golden Rule about "doing unto others"; and by
remembering that your final decisions must have for their object the
development of the individual's character and the group's discipline.
_Surplus Spirit._--There are now and then men of so much virility of
body and spirit that they are unable to expend enough of it on the
ordinary day's affairs--and the surplus often gets them into trouble.
A good leader tries to accommodate them with enough hard work and play
to keep them comfortably steady, while the poor leader, blind to human
nature, punishes their derelictions without effort at remedy, and gives
them a reputation for deviltry, and even for worthlessness. Yet these
very men were capable of tremendous exertions for good had they been
properly directed. War always astonishes the community by bringing
such cases of reputed worthlessness to the fore in often brilliant
performance. These men found in the demands of war enough to engage
all their surplus energies; and because of this very store of surplus
energy they were able to outdo their fellows. Giving men work to "keep
them out of trouble" is as wise a saying as it is homely--and is well
worth remembering when you find some man looking for trouble. It is a
well known trick in the army to call up some wild lad who is always
getting into mischief, arouse his pride by finding some element of
his personality to praise and rely on, and then put him in charge of
a squad of men or even appoint him a corporal. Nine times out of ten
he will react to this responsibility by giving unusual service. The
difficulty is to find opportunity so to promote a seemingly bad man as
not to establish an unfortunate standard of performance for winning
promotion. Such are the interesting things in leadership.
_Self-Respect Essential._--The leader has to guard his own self-respect
and that of his men. Self-respect is absolutely essential to having
self-confidence, and self-confidence is absolutely essential for either
leader or man to play his part successfully. If work is to progress
efficiently each will be constantly called upon to make decisions as
to what is best to be done, and to act upon them definitely. Each
must therefore have enough self-confidence to do this without running
to someone to ask what to do in an effort "to pass the buck" of
responsibility.
_In the Leader._--First, then, the leader must maintain his own
self-respect--in his daily contact with life and men, and in the
conduct of his office. His relations with his superiors and co-ordinate
leaders; his knowledge of his job; his self-control of temper,
frivolity, pettiness, etc.; his methods of directing work and handling
men--all these are to influence and to evidence his self-respect, and
are thus matters for his consideration. He must realize that he stands
before his men as a better man on the job than any one of them--and in
this light he wants to be an inspiration, not an apology. It need not
lessen his self-respect if he lacks either physical stature, or age and
long experience--though both these may be helpful. Superior knowledge
and moral qualities determine one's fitness for leadership, and enlist
the men's loyalty and obedience. How often in the war, especially
in the French army, we saw grizzled old fighters loyally following
youngsters just out of the training schools because they had confidence
in the knowledge these boys had gained. In our draft army training it
was not uncommon to see a squad of big Northwestern lumbermen following
a keen-eyed little corporal as though they thought him a second
Napoleon. It is not the size or age of the body but what emanates from
the soul within it, that makes the leader of men.
_In the Men._--And second, the leader has to cherish the self-respect
of his individual subordinates, be they leaders of smaller groups or
the men themselves. He needs their intelligent co-operation and must
often depend on their individual judgment and their willingness to
carry on without specific instructions. And unless these men believe
in themselves and feel that he believes in them they will be afraid
to decide what to do, and afraid to do it, for fear of failure and
its consequences. So by showing confidence in them, by never ignoring
them as individuals, by encouraging and commending good as well as
correcting error, the leader develops the self-respect of his men as a
sure basis for the self-confidence and strength of character they need
in order to meet his requirements.
_Courage, Fear and Self-Control._--In many fields of activity a
leader is likely to be called upon to meet emergencies requiring
a cool head and a stout heart. Some men shrink from assuming the
responsibilities of leadership in these fields lest they lack the
nerve and show fear when the test comes. It should be helpful to
them to understand something about these emotions, why they come and
how they are controlled. We may assume that everyone feels fear, for
the self-protective instincts are perhaps the strongest, and fear
is Nature's instinctive warning of the imminence of danger or of
consequences which threaten our well being. The purpose of this warning
is to make us take steps to meet the danger, and it thus leads us
to action. Then we forget the fear, as it generally disappears when
we have gotten into action. A developed mind and character, bodily
health, and a determined purpose, all combine to enable one to avoid
showing fear or letting it improperly influence his actions. No one
would willingly follow a leader who lacked a courageous character, nor
could a leader hope to carry on successfully if he was self-conscious
of his own moral weakness. So we say that both the leader and his men
must have confidence that the leader possesses courage and force of
character, so he will be self-controlled and capable of calm reasonable
judgments in the crises of his work. The leader establishes this mutual
confidence by the self-control and good judgment with which he meets
the smaller emergencies of daily administration. If he becomes excited
over little things, bellows and shouts because something goes wrong,
he is not only failing in self-control, but is making his men question
his force of character and his ability to meet a real situation.
A new leader should therefore make a point of training himself in
self-control under trying circumstances; he should even seek situations
which try his nerve and judgment, rather than avoid trouble as the weak
man does by quietly slipping around it.
_Control by Power of Example._--It is the leader's function to be calm
in emergency; unruffled, even sardonic if he has it in him, in the face
of hardships; unperturbed and even casual in the face of danger. The
psychological power of mental suggestion is now well understood, and
accepted as one of the sure means for controlling men. If you are a
real leader your men will take their mental attitude from what yours
appears to be. In danger they will watch your movements, even facial
expression, for reassurance. It is then that you drop some casual
remark, "borrow the makings" and roll a cigarette, do any simple thing
naturally, showing that you are at ease and confident in these abnormal
circumstances; and your men regain their wavering confidence, feeling
that you are not afraid. So, in time of unavoidable hardship, you
must avoid showing annoyance or impatience. Your sardonic acceptance
of necessary conditions will unconsciously lead to theirs, and save
the nerve strain and damage to _esprit_ which result from grumbling,
and bucking, and cursing out everything in general. And in emergency
you must show perfect self-control. Remember that your conduct will
determine that of your men. If you are excited, they will be more so.
The emergency will call for perhaps the most accurate, determined,
self-controlled work, and if your heart has jumped into your throat
and made your voice quaver and your ideas confused (and this will
happen to the best of men), nothing but disaster can result if you
communicate this to your men. You will gain time and success in the
end, if you take time now to swallow your heart, and regain perfect
self-control, before you say one word to betray your perturbation. Then
with calm self-assured demeanor give your directions as becomes a real
leader. Directions so given are a great comfort to the men, and assure
steady intelligent execution. To begin shouting excited ill-advised
instructions in an emergency is one of the most characteristic failures
of inexperienced leadership. Try to train yourself so that you will be
one of the exceptions, by acquiring the habit in any given situation of
being first sure of yourself, and then calmly giving directions to your
men.
You have opportunity to train for this in the ordinary affairs of life,
and may thus acquire a facility for knowing what to do in an emergency
and doing it with calm assurance. In any public accident or emergency
there is generally some "admirable bystander" whose mind has acted
instantaneously, who has jumped in and done the right thing. Question
your mental processes to learn why you were not the man, and try to
qualify next time.
_Decision._--It is characteristic of a successful leader to make good
decisions that do not have to be changed and to stick to them, and it
is characteristic of the valor of ignorance to make quick ones that
are generally wrong. Of course quick decisions are preferable if they
are right. They are necessary in the army, though not so as a rule
in civil life, where the leader may generally take time to weigh his
subject before deciding. In many cases it is even best that he first
take time to consult his subordinates. But in every case he must
come ultimately to a definite decision as to his course, announce it
clearly as his decision, and have the force of character to carry it
out without showing hesitation or vacillation. The impossible man as a
leader is one who cannot make up his mind; the next better is he who
is influenced by the last man who talks to him; and still too poor for
his job is he who having come to a decision allows himself to waver
and change in the face of each new thought or development which the
future presents. If you have any of those tendencies, eliminate them by
watching yourself in making decisions. By practice in the small affairs
of your daily life cultivate your power to grasp the essential facts of
a situation, to arrive promptly at a decision, and to stick to it in
spite of unessentials which may come along to make a change seem better.
_Value of Thinking._--The more you think about the details and
possibilities of your job, the more you keep your mind on your work,
the better you will be prepared to make good decisions quickly.
"Because I am always thinking about it" was Napoleon's answer when
asked how he was able to make such prompt accurate decisions in the
art of war. We teach the advance guard commander as he marches to be
_thinking constantly_ what he will do if the enemy appears in any of
the various situations he meets, and thus to keep his mind prepared to
make his decision quickly. So in civil affairs that leader will do best
who is a thinker, who thinks of the business in hand and is mentally
prepared to meet its demands for direction. It is the unexpected
thing catching a man off his guard which causes his uncertainty and
indecision. It is the element of surprise in an ambuscade which makes
it so advantageous.
A leader should be found so resourceful and sure of his judgment that
he can successfully meet these occasions for quick decision. He can get
a reputation for this ability by carefully planning ahead of time for
certain tasks and thus being able to make quick decisions during their
execution. But to maintain this reputation he must acquire the habit
of giving thought to his work, not only in anticipation of certain
jobs, but continually as the work progresses. The mind which does not
have to be recalled from a fishing excursion will grasp the essential
details of a new situation more quickly and accurately than one that
was far afield when the unexpected happened.
_Personal Pride._--Pride is another quality of human nature that is
very useful to the leader in controlling his men. Just as he guards
each individual's self-respect and cherishes it as the necessary
basis of that manly and intelligent response he expects them to give
to the demands of service, so he builds up their personal pride--in
themselves, in what they are doing, and in the organization. This
pride is largely established through seeking out cases of superior
accomplishment and commending them. Once fairly developed, pride
becomes an influence to which the leader may appeal successfully for
better conduct, better results, and for patient endurance of hardship.
He will not get it in a day, any more than he will get discipline
or morale. It comes from the performance of good work that has been
recognized as such, and rests in a justified feeling of ability and
worth. So do not expect to get it by simply announcing to your men that
they are the finest. Bring them to an honest belief in their worth
through your recognition of it by praising their good work, and by
making suitable remarks to outsiders which some of them may overhear.
Find something in which they excel, and brag about it moderately. If
possible make an occasion to show their ability publicly. If your
outfit can once get a reputation for excellence, it matters little for
what, it will become more excellent--good men will seek to join it, its
personnel will thus improve, and it will continue to grow better.
_Pride in Organization._--Pride in the organization is a tremendous
influence for keeping men up to the mark. It makes them keep each other
up--and you begin to reap the rewards for having established it. You
see them developing the spirit of discipline you have hoped for, and
the co-operation in that teamwork which means so much. Every leader
should always strive to arouse this pride. While we may not prescribe
the exact steps for arousing it to fit the various conditions, your
ingenuity will suggest the ways if you will make practical use of your
knowledge that men take delight in doing things well and in having
their excellence recognized; that the excellence of the individual
should be reflected in the reputation of the team; that out of the
bodily and mental development which comes from consciously doing
things well, grow self-respect, laudable pride, and an assurance which
strengthens the individual character; and that these are the elements
of the organization spirit which you should seek to establish in your
men.
_Competition affecting Individuals._--The instinct of rivalry or
competition, which makes a man strive to excel among his companions, is
another of the leader's instruments. This is so powerful a motive that
it has to be used with judgment. Once launched in a real contest most
men are likely to sacrifice anything to win. I remember discovering
one of my young soldiers cheating in calling the hits at the target
he was marking. He was perfectly frank in admitting to me that he had
called many hits improperly, and when I asked him why, he ingenuously
replied, "I heard the captain say we must beat H troop, and I was
trying to help." He was so honest that I had to admit that the fault
was half mine, and did not punish him. As a general rule what we want
from our men is a high average of performance which may be maintained
without any impairment of their powers, so you must judge the case
fairly before introducing the spirit of contest. You must not be
using it eternally to keep the men on the jump, but only on occasions
that are worth while. There are moderate things for which it may be
used regularly to stimulate effort, as in making the best record for
punctuality, etc. But you would not want a man to be driving himself
constantly to capacity--and so you use judgment to guard against
individual injury as well as to keep the spirit fresh for use on real
occasions.
_Team Competitions._--Competition between teams engaged in like
undertakings will not only increase results, but its great advantage
is that it brings the individuals of each team into close co-operation
in order that their team may win, and thus gives them a better
comprehension of the spirit of teamwork. As every leader is constantly
trying to develop his teamwork, these rivalries are very common. But
where your team competes with another _in the same organization_ it
must play fair as a member of the larger team. The same rules of
co-operation and loyalty apply to the conduct of your team here, as
to the individual members of your own team at home. You may not do
anything for your team here which injures the other team, or lowers it
in the estimation of your men. Building up peacetime infantry spirit
by slurs at the artillery, and artillery spirit at the expense of the
infantry, was found to have been expensive business when war linked
them together in the same team and each found himself dependent for
success in battle on the co-operation of the other. "Sure he's good,
but we can beat him," is the true mental attitude for contests within
an organization.
_Care of Your Men._--Looking after your men's bodily welfare is an
interesting and important part of the leader's direct responsibilities.
I remember during the construction of one of the war training
cantonments asking a bright-looking mechanic, who was pretending
to be working at a steam heater at eleven o'clock one night, if he
thought he could do good work in such long hours as he was keeping.
"Certainly not, but I can make good pay." He was a decent-looking
American, so I asked him how he justified such a spirit in this time
of government need. "Because I am fed like a dog and lodged like one."
It was true--and the ignorance or worthlessness of that contractor
was thus squandering thousands of government dollars a day through
needlessly disaffected labor, and delaying the completion of necessary
accommodations for the soldiers. Such cases are common in every
activity.
Each job presents its own problems to be solved according to the
conditions. The big thing here is to realize that the welfare of his
men is an important consideration for the leader who expects them to
do good work. It would seem unnecessary to state that a man's mental
and physical fitness have so much to do with his accomplishment, and
yet so many bosses seem absolutely indifferent to a man's condition so
long as he is able to drag himself to his work. In reality it should
always be the first cause to investigate whenever any man shows a let
down in his performance. A man cannot keep up good work on an empty
or sour stomach, nor give continued careful attention to details if
some trouble is constantly obtruding on his field of consciousness.
This latter fact has cost many a good man an accident at his machine,
and the intelligent foreman, knowing that sore feelings, grievances
and mental troubles interfere with good performance, does all he can
to eliminate them. In not keeping your workers in the best possible
physical and mental condition, you are throwing away all kinds of
potential energy--running a six-cylinder engine that is skipping many
of the cylinders. How quickly the superintendent would get after a
foreman who did that with a machine, yet possibly never notice that
many of the human machines were as badly out of kilter.
In this question of looking after the welfare of your men there are
two opposing considerations to be kept in mind. You are to build
up in them self-respect, initiative, individual responsibility and
self-determination, and therefore must not patronize them, coddle
them, or treat them like children. On the other hand you have
to recognize the characteristic of an individual in a group--he
immediately shifts individual responsibility to the shoulders of the
group. That is the reason why every man of a company in camp will
continue to wade through the mud to reach a spring where five minutes'
work by anyone would arrange stepping stones, or to dip water with
difficulty from a shallow stream where a few minutes' work would dam it
into a comfortable pool--and no one of them would do either of these
helpful things until some leader came along and ordered it. This need
for oversight is true in every activity, and the leader has to be on
the lookout to see that his men do the things that are necessary for
their comfort and welfare.
This is particularly necessary in out-of-doors jobs, as in engineering
and construction. The man may be too tired or inexperienced to see to
it himself that he has a comfortable place to sleep. The boss knows
that the man's work of the morrow will depend on the restfulness of
his sleep, and therefore requires him to make himself reasonably
comfortable. Above all he gives constant attention to how his men are
fed, especially at their breakfasts. He sees that they have the best
available shelter and comfort for the noon rest. All this is simply
part of his job of grooming and stoking the human engine which he is
using on the work. To keep the men fit and to work them hard is his
job--and the beauty of it is that the more thoroughly he does both the
happier and more contented they are. For the hard play of tough muscles
and the stern conquest of serious obstacles both bring pleasurable
satisfaction to natural instincts in a healthy man; instincts designed
to make him a cheerful and determined actor in the struggle to conquer
nature and advance civilization. These instincts of pugnacity and of
joy in a fight, of winning out no matter what the obstacle, are readily
responsive to appeal, and most helpful to the leader who knows how to
use them.
In some industries the physical and mental condition of the workers
is made the care of a welfare department, which provides proper
environment, sanitation, athletics, hospitals, kitchens, libraries,
saving banks, country clubs, etc.--a background for successful
management. But there still remains the necessity for the personal
touch of the foreman in direct contact with the men. He understands all
the facilities offered, their advantages, and what management intends
them to do for the men--and he is there in close touch to see that the
men get the right ideas and make the most of them. But beyond all that,
incapable of general control, and properly in the sole hands of the
immediate leader for the sake of their effect on his leadership, there
are the thousand little homely things of the daily work and play in
which the thoughtful foreman makes his men feel his interest in their
welfare, success and happy living.
_Creating and Maintaining Discipline._--The inexperienced man is likely
to have more apprehension about his ability to maintain discipline
than about anything else in connection with taking charge of a group
of men. He wonders if they will obey him and is not sure of himself
as a disciplinarian. It will help him if he gets a fair idea of how
discipline is maintained. It is often said that discipline is the
result of the leader's administration of rewards and punishments. This
is too narrow a view. In reality the spirit we call discipline is the
result of the leader's whole conduct of himself and his job, of his
personality and methods, of everything he does for his men, to his
men and with them. Among all these, rewards and punishments play an
important part. But rewards have a great deal more to do with building
up discipline than have punishments, and are given much more easily
and pleasantly. In fact if the leader has established at all the spirit
of leadership herein pictured he will have but rare occasions to use
any punishments. This has been proven over and over again, and with all
kinds of men. In every phase of human endeavor, fair treatment and the
encouragement that comes from judicious appreciation of good intentions
and from praise of good work soon establish a spirit which makes
punishment quite out of place and unnecessary.
A concrete example of the highest type of rigid discipline based on
purely democratic principles is that of a highly trained college
football team. Here we have individual manliness and initiative highly
developed, together with a sense of subordination, teamwork, and the
requirements of leadership and discipline. Here we find instant,
unquestioning, cheerful obedience to commands given in action, and an
_esprit_ and morale which make the team cheerfully tackle the toughest
opponents. Where any leader may need in his group a discipline of
quick implicit obedience to orders, let him consider the spirit of the
football team as his model, rather than the spirit of whipped obedience
which was found in the galleys of old.
_Discipline from Rewards._--Probably the most effective reward is
the slight word of recognition of individual effort or excellence,
sometimes even a nod and smile are enough. The main thing is to show
this man and the others that you see and appreciate what he is doing.
So as you supervise the work of your men be on the lookout for chances
to commend individuals. Do not overdo it, fulsome or unmerited praise
does more harm than good. Keep it what nature intended it to be, a
reward for excellence which every man likes to receive, and for which
he naturally strives so long as he feels sure that he will get it when
merited.
One leader will go about inspecting his workers and look only for
faults and speak only to criticize something as wrong; while another
will seek good work to commend it, and correct mistakes in a spirit
of showing how it could be done better. The first may by tremendous
effort hold his men to a certain level of accomplishment, the second
will soon have them all going in a spirit of emulation. Smith does not
see why he cannot do as well as Jones next door, whom he heard the boss
complimenting. Appreciation of a man's excellence appeals directly
to one of his strong instincts, and never fails to inspire continued
effort to win further praise.
_Influence of Good and Poor Men._--There are always to be found in
every group certain men of stronger more cheerful characters than the
average, men who make the best of things, who jolly the rest along
through the hard tasks, and whose influence is thus a great asset.
The leader must note these men, and do what he can to increase their
influence with the others. If he has to show favor to some individual,
he should pick one of these men to receive it, thus letting everyone
see his appreciation of their cheerful willing spirit.
On the other hand there are often certain men of the meaner sort. They
do the growling and grumbling for all, and their influence is in the
direction of lowering the morale of the group. You must know these
individuals also, and do what you can to convert them to cheerfulness
and a will to win. Where a man's influence is bad, be sure you do
nothing to strengthen his standing with his fellows. If someone must
draw a disagreeable task, it is often well to let such a man have it
as a reward for being a "kicker." A leader who did not think of this
and made the mistake of handing the reward to such a one would hurt
the morale of the whole by making the men feel that virtue was not
recognized, and that their leader lacked good judgment.
You must therefore know your men and watch their work and their spirit,
so you may reward the deserving, and never appear to support the
undeserving. In time of hardship or strain, when the morale of your
outfit is being tested, it will win through or break down depending
largely on which type of men have the stronger influence. It will be
well for you then if you have strengthened the hands of the strong
cheerful ones and made them subordinate leaders of sentiment and
opinion in your group.
_Leader a Maker of Men._--The finest thing about being a leader is the
chance it gives to build up the characters of the men--to take hold of
the personal equation of a weaker brother, discover his difficulties
and weaknesses and also his strong points and possibilities, and so
to handle him as to make a man of him. This not only brings you great
satisfaction and the personal reward of feeling that you are making the
world some better by living in it, but it brings actual material gain
to the community and to your work, in that you have made this man able
to give more as a citizen and as a laborer. Many an army officer has
found his one relief from the tedium of peacetime duties in thus taking
a keen interest in the personalities of his men, and in making it his
business to build up a reasonably strong useful character out of what
may have appeared an almost hopeless wreck of humanity.
Every leader is constantly affecting the future of his men, consciously
or unconsciously. His power to reward and punish makes this necessarily
true. His decisions and acts of authority each tend to build up or
to discourage the character of the man affected. This is what makes
us shudder to see this power of leadership in the hands of ignorant,
unscrupulous, brutal or even thoughtless men. The good leader realizes
how by strict fairness, encouragement and guidance he may develop the
powers of his men; and how by continued injustice he may break a man's
spirit, destroy his manliness, and leave him a worse member of the
community than he found him. He accepts this responsibility, and takes
pleasure in trying to use his power for the better good of the men,
the community, and the work in hand. He is in some measure a "maker
of men," and with that thought in the back of his mind he studies his
problem in a desire to act to the best advantage.
_Discipline by Punishment._--"Punishment" is a severe word to use in
connection with ordinary daily affairs, but there is no milder one
whose meaning quite fits the case. It has little place in our ideas of
handling ordinary situations. In fact it stands only in the background
as a last resort. Thus in community life the penalties of the law stand
in the background as matters of no personal interest to law-abiding
citizens. Yet the existence of those penalties and of the means for
administering them are essential elements of community organization,
and they must be intelligently understood by the officers responsible
for community welfare. In this respect the leader has the same
responsibility, and it is necessary to discuss frankly how he shall use
this power of punishment, in order that he may meet this responsibility
successfully.
Punishment is intended to be a corrective. It must be administered for
the sole good of the man and of the group, and never in a spirit of
vindictiveness or revenge. By punishment we mean all the corrective
measures commonly used as means of disciplining men--reprimand,
docking pay, deprivation of privilege, suspension, discharge, etc. The
severity of any given punishment is largely a matter of the spirit and
infrequency with which it is given. It is in every case a matter of
prayerful consideration for the leader, until long experience has made
him quite infallible in his judgment.
It is possible to fix a set standard of punishments, such a punishment
to follow such an offense, but this standard cannot be followed
arbitrarily. That would ignore the big human factor and all manner of
extenuating circumstances. Every case of an offense must in fairness
be judged on its own merits. The leader must judge the peculiar
circumstances attending it, consider the personality of the offender,
and above all discover the underlying motive. It is unquestionably
true that most men naturally prefer to do right, and go wrong only for
some reason. Very often some sense of offended justice is behind it.
In any case the punishment cannot be reasonable unless founded on a
true understanding of the facts. And it must be both reasonable and
just, for its one big object is the effect it will have on the man's
character and the group discipline. This effect is the determining
factor. It is most important that both leader and men shall always
realize that whatever punishment is given, it is done for the good of
all as well as for that of the individual.
_Investigation of Offense._--To be able to get at the actual truth
of the matter takes tact and knowledge of human nature. You will be
interested in developing this ability in yourself. It will often be
difficult to get the man to be frank, he cannot quite believe in your
desire to be fair, and his instincts of secretiveness, pugnacity, being
a good sport, etc., all stand in your way. Put yourself in his place
is a good rule during the investigation. It is going to take time
and patience and skill, until you have established the tradition of
cards on the table and a square deal for all. By avoiding ever acting
in passion and by always showing a determination to get the facts and
judge fairly, you will soon be able to get at the real truth about each
offense, and to learn what it really means in your organization that
this man has done as he did. Then you may decide what steps to take for
the best interests of all.
Do not think that this is Utopian, or that it takes too much time.
It is a leader's business to have time for just such things--and you
really save time by it. Do it thoroughly a few times, and you will thus
discover and root out the cause for soreness and trouble and establish
a spirit of fairness and decency which will soon reward you by freedom
from having any offenses to handle at all.
_Actual Punishment Unnecessary._--A pleasant fact is that while every
offense must be taken cognizance of, it does not have to be always
actually punished. It may often be made the subject of a plain talk to
all of the men, explaining what such an offense means to the success of
the undertaking and put so strongly that a better result may be thus
obtained without giving any punishment at all. I recall an instance in
one of the inexperienced war organizations, where a senior officer,
detailed to handle the case of a man actually guilty of the serious
offense of sleeping on post as a sentinel, made it so strong an object
lesson in his talk to the company that he put the whole outfit,
officers and men, on their feet in discipline, and did not punish the
sentinel at all. So do not feel that "punishment must always follow and
fit the crime." Use your common sense judgment, and do the thing which
you believe will best promote the discipline you are trying to inspire
in all. A reprimand, with an explanation of what the offense means to
discipline, is generally punishment enough.
_The Leader's Responsibility._--If in the end you decide that
punishment must be given, give it yourself. Be very jealous of the
authority over your own men. Do not let anyone interfere with it or
exercise it for you if you can help it. You want them to look to you
for justice and see in you the seat of authority under which they act
and to which they are responsible. This means that you personally
handle every case, and make it clear that the decision as to the
punishment is the result of your own judgment. If the offense must be
punished with more severity than you are empowered to administer, then
only send it to higher authority, and with your own recommendation. It
is a poor officer who lets a court martial run the discipline of his
command. The good one sends a man to court for punishment only in the
rarest cases, and then because he is dealing with a recalcitrant who
will not respond to decent treatment, and is therefore a candidate for
discharge. The same general rule should be true in administering any
office in civil affairs.
_Prompt Action Necessary._--As the object of both rewards and
punishments is the effect they are to have on the individual and
particularly on the group, action in both cases should be taken
immediately following the occasion, while it is fresh in the minds of
all. Let your men realize that you are right on the job of bossing, and
that the conduct of each is a matter of real interest to you and to
all. To overlook offenses and neglects that appear willful, causes them
to multiply, and discourages the faithful workers. The word or nod of
recognition of good work is immediate, and has its effect, so also does
the first step in recognition or correction of an offense. This first
step may be an admonition, or even a reprimand where you are sure it is
justified. But the first step is generally to call the man up and ask
his reason--and to ask him in a tone that assumes that he has a reason,
and that you intend to give it fair consideration. You may have to
defer action for further investigation, but you have taken the first
step and gotten the immediate effect. It only remains to carry on to a
decision as circumstances determine.
_Symptoms of Poor Leadership._--We have all seen men in positions of
authority who are awful examples of what a leader ought not to be. A
little authority in their hands seems to upset the balance in their
heads. They lose all sense of how to deal with men, become ridiculously
arbitrary and loudmouthed and blustering. They try to rule by "putting
the fear of God into them," by main strength and brute force. They are
the boss because they have been named the boss, and "they will show
them." Their first step when they see anything going wrong is to bellow
"what the h---- are you doing?" in a tone that implies that the man
is not only a fool but a criminal. They outrage every sensibility of
manliness he may have, assume his motives are those of a thief and a
liar--and then expect him to respond with good work and loyal service.
Of course that is ridiculous. Such methods of control bring only sullen
obedience, and even invite open rebellion. Swagger and bluster are but
a thin camouflage for incompetence, and it would be a wholesome thing
for these leaders to be able to realize the scorn and disgust they are
implanting in the hearts of their men. Some do not know any better,
and may be made good by training, others lack native strength of
character and are hopeless. Neither should be left in authority as they
are.
_Misconduct--Fault of Leader._--Where you find recurring cases of
insubordination, or indifference to good work, you will generally find
that the cause for it lies in the presence of a leader who is not
good enough for his job. This is true in the army, and must be true
in any organization. For it is true that men generally start out on
any job with the intention to make good on it, and if many go wrong
in an outfit, the answer is pretty sure to be that there is something
wrong with its leader. Likewise where a leader finds himself unable to
maintain discipline, he may well seek for the cause within himself.
We often hear the statement "I've got the worst bunch of anarchists
on earth. No one could do anything with them." This is an admission
of the leader's own unfitness. Men run about the same, are subject to
about the same instincts and controlled by the same general principles.
I have seen the same group of men who were all but mutinous under a
hard-headed, narrow-minded officer become one of the best disciplined
groups of the whole command under a few weeks of a new leadership which
embodied principles of fairness and decency in handling men. The
lesson is plain, both to the man who wants to be a good leader, and to
the employer who wants his subordinates to get good results.
_Giving Orders._--Many a beginner questions in his heart whether he
can get the men to obey him or not. Perhaps this will be the first
time in his life he has ever been in a position of authority to give
orders. He has been the servant rather than the master, in the ranks
of his boyhood gang rather than its captain. He has never enjoyed
the habit of command, and, unless carried along by some dominating
influence, is ill at ease in giving orders. This is very common on
the part of young corporals in the army, and calls for experience and
training before they can make good. If the youngster by tone or manner
in giving the order betray that there is any doubt in his heart that
it will be obeyed, he simply invites disobedience out of the Adam
that is in everyone. Common exhibitions of this uncertainty are--the
sickening apologetic tone and even words, high-pitched shouting of the
order, accompanying profanity, repeating the order again and again,
and threats as to what will happen if it is not obeyed. These are all
sad exhibitions of inexperience or incompetence, and are sure to lead
to trouble. See to it that you avoid every one of them, and school
yourself in the correct methods. Here are some suggestions.
_How to Give an Order._--In the first place do not give too many
orders, give as few as possible. Remember the requirements of the
modern theory of command. Here is where they apply directly. Therefore
you first make sure that the order is necessary, and that the thing to
be done is reasonable. Then pick a suitable man to do this particular
thing, call this man by name and thus get his attention, and then in a
quiet tone tell him to do so and so, just as a baseball captain tells
a member of the team to cover third base. There is no question of
obedience, no thought of it. Your quiet tone does not assume that the
man is deaf, or a surly dog, or a criminal, but does assume that he is
an intelligent, loyal member of the team of which you are captain. It
will not occur to him to disobey such an order.
_How Not to Give Orders._--On the other hand you will yourself
stimulate his disobedience if by tone or words you insult his
manliness, question his loyalty and obedience, or by threats dare him
to disobey. We see this often illustrated in the affairs of daily life,
where men untrained in authority are required to exercise it, and
generally give orders in such a manner as to stir up trouble rather
than to get cheerful obedience. This is certainly true with most
street car conductors and similar holders of a brief authority. By
observation you may get a dozen lessons daily in giving orders--ten how
not to give them, and two how to do it to get results without friction.
I once visited as their first regular army instructor a rather new
troop of National Guard cavalry that had somewhere gotten the idea
that obedience to orders would result in proportion to noise. Every
order was roared at the men, and generally accompanied by a volley
of profanity, in a pathetic effort to exercise authority. It was an
astonishing exhibition of not knowing how to handle men, and naturally
did not command the respect or obedience of the meanest man in the
troop. It was a pleasure to watch the keenness with which they grasped
the correct doctrine of command, and to see the discipline of the
whole organization develop under the change. Those same men were fast
becoming real leaders and no doubt carried through to success.
It is clear then that disobedience may often be the direct result of
the way in which the order was given, and you should remember this
when investigating a case. While that may not justify your overlooking
this particular offense, it should enable you to correct the cause of
trouble and thus avoid continued offenses. You may be able to teach
the subordinate to give orders correctly, or you may have to take away
his authority.
_The Why of an Order._--It is a good thing where possible to give
the reason for doing a thing at the same time that you give the
instructions. This not only enlists the man's intelligent interest
in carrying them out, but often gives him a chance to do better work
because he understands what the desired result is. There are of course
occasions for quick action and for simple action when this would not be
reasonable. So in using this idea of telling why, there are two things
which you must carefully look out for: first, it must never appear that
you are apologizing for giving the order. It must be clear that you are
explaining what is to be done, not why it is being ordered. And second,
avoid cultivating a spirit or habit which would make a man feel free to
stop and ask why when simply told to do a thing, as in an emergency.
So you give the reason for the action only when it is clear that the
circumstances warrant it, and when it will lead to better results.
_Necessity for Following up Instructions._--Equally important with
giving instructions is to see that they are executed. This does not
mean that you are to stand glowering at your man until he has moved.
Go about your business in absolute assurance that he is carrying on;
but if he does fail, be sure to note it and take action. Too many
leaders feel that they have done their full part when they have given
the order. To overlook even slight neglects is likely to lead to more
serious ones; and for a man to be guilty of direct willful disobedience
is a very serious thing in any organization, as it threatens the
discipline of all and demands drastic action. Do not let it be true
that you have gradually led a man into this through your shiftless
leadership, whether due to your laziness, ignorance, or lack of nerve
to enforce your authority.
In the matter of how instructions are carried out, a most helpful thing
is to make it a rule of the organization that whenever a man is given
a special task to do he is expected to report the fact as soon as it
is done. You can see the advantages of this compared to the method of
telling a man to do something and then letting him feel that you have
no further interest in it. The man realizes that you will know how much
time he takes to do it, and you realize that your duty is not fully
done when the instructions are given. It gives you a chance to check
up on his execution and to praise his expedition or excellence; and
it gives the man a chance to try to win this praise. It is as though
a father said, when giving his son a certain task, "let me know when
you are through." He would get better results than he would if he left
the lad alone with the feeling that his father would take no further
interest in it.
_Willful Disobedience._--But with all regard for everything on your
part, it may yet happen that you will meet a case of direct willful
disobedience in some certain matter. Some condition quite outside your
knowledge or control may have caused it. If you want to handle this
case wisely and save the man to the organization, you must realize
how his mind is working and act accordingly. He is concentrating his
faculties in opposition to this particular thing--forcing them from the
normal easier channels of obedience, he has to concentrate them to the
task of breaking out this new channel of disobedience. As the phrase
goes, he has "his mind set on it." To win him over to obedience you
must first divert his faculties from this concentration by requiring
him quietly to do some simple thing like handing you some article or
adjusting his clothing, anything that you are quite sure that he will
do for you. Then by easy stages you may develop a state of mind which
will make it possible to discuss the original trouble reasonably, thus
regaining your control and saving him from grave consequences. We have
a like case in horse training. Where the trainer persists in making him
do some one movement a horse often becomes stubborn and refuses to move
at all. The trainer then changes absolutely to some simple thing which
the horse will do at command--perhaps to walk and halt and walk again.
He thus re-establishes control, and then through steps that the horse
will perform returns gradually to the first test of obedience and finds
him tractable. It takes patience and a high order of leadership to save
a man in such serious cases as this, but you will joy in having done
it. "Any dub can fire a man"--you want to do better than that.
_Orders Rarely Necessary._--But after all the best thing about giving
orders is not to have to give them. In the general case, the better
the leadership the fewer the orders given. Teamwork, co-operation,
initiative and loyalty of subordinates, all these developments of
intelligent leadership make orders largely unnecessary--and things are
done in response to suggestions and in carrying out instructions as to
what is to be done. We may envy the leader whose men jump in response
to his quiet firm tone of command. But do not imagine that he picked
this ability ripe for the eating from any tree of knowledge or life. He
has developed a strong character and a knowledge of human nature in
some practical school, learned that self-control is the first step in
controlling others, and that men respond in kind to the treatment they
receive.
_The Tone of Voice._--Not only in giving orders but in all your verbal
intercourse, the tone of your voice plays a part quite worthy of your
consideration. It is a potent element of your personality in its effect
on others, and easily within your control. It may interest you to the
point of regarding your tones hereafter to realize the important part
that human speech has played in our development from pure animalism.
Centuries no doubt passed before primitive man learned the use of
language. It was the one big step by which he proved his superiority
over the other animals of creation and assured his progress. For
language is the foundation, as it is the agent, of all knowledge; and
alone made possible the mental processes necessary for our present
accomplishment. Yet we see men to-day so blind to this, so indifferent
to this fundamental difference between themselves and the beasts, that
they allow themselves to roar and growl and whine and chatter in close
similarity to certain well-known species. Others bungle the use of
their voice deplorably; so one may barely catch their fading tones,
or must shrink inwardly from their rasping one. Men actually attempt
to win the minds of others and yet speak in tones so repellent that
convention alone makes us stay to listen to them. It is a pity they do
not think to hear themselves as others hear them, and thus learn not to
sacrifice longer this natural asset. For half the power of speech is in
the tone.
We can all recall cases where it was the tone of voice that caused the
trouble. "It wasn't so much the thing he said, as the nasty way he
said it" has caused many a man to go to the mat. But it is not alone
in making trouble that the tone of voice can accomplish so much. We
have also seen the cool, quiet tone of a leader bringing order out of
chaos and re-establishing control and confidence among excited men;
the virile animated tone putting "pep" into men's work; and the firm,
confident tone winning obedient following through danger and hardship.
The power of speech is thus seen to be tremendous--let us use it to
advantage, and as becomes members of the human race.
_The Mob Spirit._--As any man may have occasion to deal with the
"crowd spirit" and even with the "mob spirit," it is well to have some
idea of how these things come about and are controlled. In normal
circumstances the members of a community as individuals are law-abiding
and self-restrained in deference to public opinion and their own sense
of responsibility. Some sense of common wrong may unite certain ones
into a group for the common purpose of obtaining redress or instituting
improvement. This group may start with no intention of committing any
overt act or even of actually doing any particular thing, and yet end
by being led into most unfortunate excesses.
_Individuals in Crowds._--The individuals who compose the group have to
a degree lost their identity and have passed much of their individual
responsibility to the shoulders of the group. They thus come to find
themselves feeling free to do things they would never consider doing
as individuals, and being controlled by statements and suggestions
which they would know to be absurd in ordinary circumstances. Thus they
approach a point where they do not respond to sound reason and logical
argument, but rather react to impulses which are aroused by passionate
appeals, daring suggestions, almost anything that has a catching sound
and is often enough repeated. And thus they may end by becoming a mob,
susceptible to blind impulses and ruled by unreason.
In its beginnings this group is easily amenable to control, for the
"mob will" has not yet taken form, and the individuals still retain
some sense of reason, personal responsibility and fear of consequences.
But the longer they remain together, the greater their numbers,
the more they are harangued as a body having a common purpose, the
more surely does this crowd-will take form and make possible their
transformation into a mob. Therefore by temporizing with the crowd
you strengthen its unity and encourage the growth of its concerted
will. Action to control the situation must be prompt and decisive, and
directed to an immediate dispersal of the crowd. Let the mob spirit
once get really under way, feel its unity and find its peerless leader,
and it may be controlled only by similar tactics to those of the
demagogue who now leads it, or by the use of the armed forces of the
law. These are points well worth the consideration of every citizen,
whether he contemplates joining a mob or trying to prevent one.
_Conclusion._--As you note that this discussion is ended, it is
possible that you are wondering how I could have failed to mention
so-and-so as one of the most important elements in leadership. I hope
you are, for in so doing you have taken a big step in leadership in
that you have yourself considered and weighed its requirements. I
repeat in closing that it is only by giving personal thought to these
questions and deciding upon your own personal methods and conduct
that you will acquire success in handling men. Let your purpose
be clear and worthy, and your policy based on square dealing; be
yourself genuine, unselfish and just; make your men partners with
you in the enterprise, and your personality such as to admit their
loyal co-operation and following; keep in mind that your object is to
increase their manpower through their developed individual manliness
and character; and then work out the details as your own experience and
judgment dictate.
* * * * * *
Transcriber's note:
Obvious printer's errors have been corrected.
Inconsistent spellings and inconsistent use of hyphens have been
preserved.