by Aaron Childers
The military places a large amount of responsibility on young leaders from the moment they assume their positions. This can be overwhelming at times, but it isn’t a modern problem. In fact, some of the struggles that junior leaders face today plagued new Lieutenants, Captains, and Majors a century ago. Leaders like George Marshall thought about, wrote about, and provided guidelines on how to navigate being a young leader.
George Marshall, the Army Chief of Staff during World War II, was the country’s first five-star general, a Secretary of State, the second Secretary of Defense, and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient for his plan to rebuild Europe after the war. He is credited with building the modern Army, which required molding an unready force of several hundred thousand into a combat-ready Army of 11 million people. He cleared out the aging, post-World War I officers to make way for upcoming leaders like Bradley, Eisenhower, and Patton. He desegregated the Army, revolutionized Army education, and oversaw the military transition from a depression-era, territorial Army into the Army that won WWII. However, before he did all of this….he was a second lieutenant. So, what advice would George Marshall give to young leaders? Based on his interviews and personal papers, we have an idea of what this great leader might say to us today.
Know the Basics
George Marshall believed that leaders needed to be good at the basic requirements of their profession. In a letter to the Commandant of the Virginia Military Institute, GEN Marshall’s Alma Mater, he answered the question,“What does a new officer need to know?” Marshall replied that young leaders need “good common sense, that you have studied your profession, and are physically strong.” Marshall, a major who had just returned from World War I, had seen how young leaders performed, or failed to perform. He would later call upon these experiences when he reformed the Infantry School as the Deputy Infantry Commandant. One hundred years later, this advice remains solid. Even if you lack experience, “common sense” goes a long way in the Army. Pay attention to the courses in the Army’s officer education system–you will be surprised how many complex problems can be distilled down to concepts that were introduced in the Captains Career Course or the schooling you receive as a major. The qualities listed by Marshall are still expected of all leaders.
Positivity Matters
In the same letter, Marshall specifically called out positivity as an enduring characteristic: “When conditions are difficult, the command is depressed and everyone seems critical and pessimistic, you must be especially cheerful and optimistic.” World War I was not easy on an unprepared American Army, and Marshall was pulled as a major to serve on a Division Staff. Though not what he wanted, he did these jobs cheerfully and with devotion to his commanders. As a young leader, you must understand that things will not always go your way. Sometimes, the way you react is more important than the event that occurs. You must stay away from blaming the echelons above you and understand why decisions are made. If you feed negativity at your level, it will run rampant through your formation. I have found that this is particularly hard for some leaders who fall into the trap of complaining about a situation to peers or even worse, to subordinates. You must fight the tendency to have an “us vs. them” attitude with your higher headquarters. Even if you don’t agree with your boss’s decision, take the time to understand “why” decisions were made rather than complain about them.
Take Criticism
In interviews late in Marshall’s life, he was asked about his time as General Pershing’s aide and what he admired about him. “I’ve never seen a man who could take such criticism, as long as it was constructive criticism… You could talk to him [GEN Pershing] as if you were talking about someone in the next county… You could say what you pleased, as long as it was straight constructive criticism… I never saw another commander that I could do that with.” Sometimes feedback hurts, but it’s what you do with it that matters as a leader. If you overreact, take criticism personally, or don’t learn from your experiences, you and your organization will suffer. You must take criticism to better yourself and your unit the same way GEN Pershing did–assume those who are providing feedback want you to succeed. The important thing is that you grow from this feedback. The military conducts After Action Reviews (AARs) following major events so the unit can grow, learn from their mistakes, and codify the lessons of what went well.
Some Leaders Deserve a Second Chance
George Marshall was hard, but fair. He often removed leaders all the way up to division commanders. This was not a “fire and forget” moment. When Marshall saw potential in someone, he would rotate them back into command. Marshall relieved Major General Terry Allen, commander of the Big Red One, Brigadier General Ted Roosevelt, an assistant Division Commander, and others. However, Marshall believed that quality leaders, if deserving, should receive second chances. He rotated these leaders back into command units during World War II. Marshall saw their fighting spirit and thought that they deserved a second chance–they made mistakes, but the Army needed their leadership ability. Your first responsibility as a leader is to develop your subordinate leaders, rather than fire them. Ultimately, firing a subordinate should be done for the good of the unit, not for personal reasons. If you are replacing one of your leaders, know that you owe an explanation to that person so they can grow and lead in the future, just as Marshall did. If you are fired, know that the Army gives the opportunity to lead again. Whether you think the decision was fair or not, you should still learn something from it. Wouldn’t you want a second chance from your boss?
Politics and the Military Don’t Mix
Marshall was fiercely non-partisan and believed service members should never take sides in politics. Throughout his career, Marshall avoided political conversations, and this continued when he became the Secretary of State and Defense. For Marshall, questions always came down to how his decisions impacted the nation, not a political party. As Secretary of State, he once had a heated argument with President Truman, who he believed was making a decision for votes rather than the good of the country. Marshall also famously–and controversially–never voted. It was his conviction that the military and politics never mixed. In recent years, keeping out of political discussions and commentary has become difficult. Soldiers are entitled to their opinions, and staying apolitical can be a challenge. I’m not saying that Soldiers shouldn’t vote, but political opinions must be kept out of the workplace. Not only is it Army policy, but publicly taking sides on political issues divides teams and alienates those who don’t have the same political view. Even worse, the perception that the U.S. military has a particular party erodes the trust that the U.S. population has in our Army. As a member of the Armed forces, your loyalty lies in The Constitution and the nation, not a sect or party.
Good Leaders Take Action
When Marshall was the Army Chief of Staff, then Brigadier General and later five-star General Eisenhower worked for him. Eisenhower recalled a time Marshall gently lectured him saying, “Ike, the department is filled with able men who analyze their problems well but feel compelled always to bring them to me for the final solution. I must have assistants who will solve their own problems and tell me later what they have done.” Marshall is suggesting that junior leaders should not only have a proposed solution, but also take initiative to start working towards that solution. There are two important caveats to Marshall’s advice: First, the subordinate needs to keep their boss informed when they take action, making sure they are within the boss’s intent. Second, a good boss allows their subordinates to help solve their problems and makes sure they are empowered to put the solution in motion. Clearly, Marshall saw this in the future President and expected him to act.
Stand up for what you believe is right
Marshall was in no way, shape, or form a “yes man.” In fact, he made his career by being quite the opposite. Before the war, President Roosevelt invited up and coming officers from all services to the White House. In a small setting, Roosevelt outlined a plan to modernize the Navy and build the US Army Air Corps without providing a much-needed budget to the traditional Army. In a room full of ambitious general officers, everyone agreed with the President, except Marshall. Alone in his views, he outlined how essential it was to transform the Army, even though it was contrary to what the President described. The President dismissed all the other officers and shortly thereafter asked Marshall to become the Chief of Staff of the Army. The takeaway is simple to say but hard to act on: always stand up for what you believe in. This doesn’t just apply to doing what is legally, morally, and ethically right. It applies to providing your opinion to your boss as well. Good leaders don’t support their teams by agreeing unconditionally with their bosses.. Most superiors will appreciate having someone who can professionally articulate another point of view.
Be Loyal
Young leaders struggle with esprit de corps. However, having faith in your unit and trust in your command is an important aspect of leadership. When Marshall was on the 1ID staff in WW I, GEN Pershing came down to reprimand the Division for not meeting his expectations. At the end of Pershing’s visit, Marshall talked to Pershing privately, explaining that the issues encountered were due to errors made by Pershing’s staff, not 1ID. In subsequent visits, GEN Pershing started visiting Marshall to hear the “ground truth,” and eventually pulled Marshall up to his own staff. Marshall had pride in his unit and his staff, and so should every leader in an organization. Marshall had so much pride in his staff, that he went to confront the highest-ranking person in the U.S. Army when their standards were questioned. Ask yourself, does your unit have this amount of pride in everything they do?
Foster Innovation
While serving as the Chief of Staff, Marshall approved some of the greatest innovations of the war. As an example, he accepted a radical design for a low cost vehicle, later known as the Jeep. He also approved a proposal from the leader of the National Ski Patrol to create an Alpine Division, giving birth to the 10th Mountain Division. Accepting these ideas changed history. Marshall didn’t develop any of these ideas, but he saw the genius in them and supported them. As a leader, be open to new ideas and foster innovation below you. Never discredit someone who has the courage to bring forward a new idea. If an idea is truly innovative and in line with the commander’s priorities, you must support the idea with resources and attention. The easiest way to handicap morale in your unit is to discredit a subordinate’s good idea.
Find a Mentor
Marshall did not have anyone guiding his career when he joined the Army. That all changed when a Division Staff Officer named Fox Connor noticed Marshall and started to invest in him. Connor would force Marshall to conduct self-development and gave him career advice. Everyone needs a mentor to help guide them through tough circumstances. Sometimes these mentors are even more beneficial when they are in your chain-of-command, as they can be counted on to provide unfiltered and unbiased feedback. Find someone you trust and respect; you will undoubtedly need them in the difficult times of your career. Connor provided this for Marshall, as well as his other mentees, Eisenhower, and Patton. Long after Connor retired, he would receive requests from these leaders on difficult matters.
Many of the suggestions above are as true now as they were 100 years ago. Marshall may not have had a catch phrase, like “hunt the good,” but he knew how negativity could impact a unit. No one told Marshall to find a mentor, but his experience should make us ask ourselves, “Who is my Fox Connor?” Marshall’s experiences should provide a blueprint for our own actions as leaders. If you would like to learn more about George Marshall, I highly suggest visiting the George Marshall Foundation, where you can read his correspondence and even listen to him tell some of the stories mentioned above at: Home – The George C. Marshall Foundation
LTC Aaron Childers, is currently the G-3 for the 10th Mountain Division. He previously commanded the 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Johnson, LA. His previous assignments include serving with the 82nd Airborne Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), the Joint Staff, and the Army Staff. He is also a member of the Military Writers Guild. Connect with him on X @childersaw or via Linkedin.
