In June of last year, I began working at an elementary school that sits on a military post. I am slowly learning about the needs of our military families. It is an honor to be closely connected to those who serve our country. The more I learn, the more I realize that there are significant connections between the beliefs of our greatest military leaders and effective educational leadership practices. Let’s look at how some of their individual philosophies lend themselves to school leadership.
“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.”
-General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Eisenhower understood that integrity is the defining characteristic of a leader. School leaders who seek to make a difference for all students must stand as an example of integrity to their communities. They must be seen as fair and consistent. The decisions they make should always be centered in what is best for children.
“The most important thing I learned is that soldiers watch what their leaders do. You can give them classes and lecture them forever, but it is your personal example that they’ll follow.”
-General Colin Powell
Colin Powell takes Eisenhower’s quote one step further by reminding us that leaders are constantly being watched. School leaders should be aware that while their words are important, what they DO is even more important. While that can cause great stress, it’s simply a matter of asking ourselves, “Is what I’m doing consistent with what I’m saying?”
“A competent leader can get efficient service from poor troops, while on the contrary, an incapable leader can demoralize the best of troops.”
-Gen. John J. Pershing
Pershing (originally a teacher of local African American children in Missouri) was a military genius who trained some of the greatest generals of the 20th century. His point here is that being competent matters. You can’t just show up. School leaders can build the capacity of their teachers through a strong, enduring commitment.
“If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.”
-George S. Patton
Patton (who incidentally served as Pershing’s aide) understood that “group think” can kill an organization. School leaders will benefit from listening to others even when their views differ. If school leaders foster distributed leadership, then everyone knows their opinions matter- that’s a good thing for schools.
“We need to learn to set our course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship.”
–General Omar Bradley
Omar Bradley (the son of a school teacher) reminds us that we need to “stay the course.” School leaders who are attempting to make significant changes must be vigilant in protecting the mission, vision, and goals of their schools. Once you decide on your course of action, make sure that everything you do aligns with and supports that plan.
“Neither a wise nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him.”
-General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Eisenhower (who marched behind Pershing’s coffin with Omar Bradley in 1948) learned that successful leaders plan for the future. They don’t wait around to find out what the future holds. They anticipate and plan for it. Effective school leaders do the same. The energy it takes to plan for the future is much less than the energy required to react to unknown or surprising turns in the road.
“The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.”
-General Norman Schwarzkopf
Schwarzkopf states a plain truth. Most of us know the right thing to do. School leaders who are reflective are able to put their egos aside when making important decisions. It’s part of the integrity piece that Eisenhower spoke of. Sometimes doing the right thing means more work for us. That’s okay. That’s probably what makes it the right thing to do.
“When things go wrong in your command, start wading for the reason in increasing larger concentric circles around your own desk.”
-General Bruce C. Clarke
Finally, Clark’s message is that we don’t have to look far to find out where things went wrong. Start with yourself. School leaders who seek to assign blame will make those around them miserable. Take responsibility, even when you don’t think it all rests with you. More importantly, get past the blame phase and start working on the solution.
So much wisdom from our military leadership. We can certainly learn from them and apply their knowledge to supporting our teachers, students, and communities.
Full Disclosure: I am a big fan of General Pershing’s and recommend you read Jim Lacey’s book, Pershing. Some of the background for this blog post came from the book.