News : THE HUMAN SIDE OF LEADERSHIP
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THE HUMAN SIDE OF LEADERSHIP
One of the best films about the Vietnam war came out in 2002, "We Were Soldiers", starring Mel Gibson. The technical director who counseled the portrayal of leadership was spot on.
A good leader is someone who takes care of his people, who looks out for the best interests not only of his people, but their families as well. Gibson played the role of LTC Hal Moore, commanding an Infantry battalion of the 1st Cavalry Division. LTC Moore’s battalion fought in the Battle of the Ia Drang, one of the most violent battles in American military annals. Moore looked out for both his men and their families.
I was reminded of Mel Gibson’s portrayal of leadership qualities when I received a newsletter produced by an old acquaintance, Chaplain (COL) Jim Ammerman.
The following story illustrates a very human and compassionate side of President George W. Bush. He has taken a lot of bum raps and is not the idiot the mainstream media portrays him to be. President Bush has but a few months left in office. Until then he is still Commander-in-Chief of America’s Armed Forces. This story was related to Chaplain Ammerman by Chaplain Phillip Missick.
Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, hosted President Bush August 4 on a refueling stop en route to Asia. Soldiers and Airmen in formation greeted the Commander-in-Chief in a hanger with hopes of shaking his hand. Much effort goes in to planning presidential travel considering all the logistics, security and protocol that must be arranged. Accordingly, the president’s schedule is tightly choreographed. In this case he arrived exactly on time, but was 15 minutes behind schedule when he left. Few people would know why if my chaplain friend had not recounted the story.
In December 2006 the son of LTC Mark Murphy, PFC Shawn Murphy, deployed to Iraq as a paratrooper serving in and around Baghdad. Sadly, Shawn’s convoy was hit with an improvised explosive device. Shawn was manning the most exposed position as turret gunner in the lead HUMVEE and was killed instantly along with two other soldiers.
As President Bush spoke LTC Murphy and his wife could not help but reflect on their loss. Following the speech, while the president was working the rope line, LTC Murphy felt a tap on his shoulder. A White House staffer requested Mark and his wife to follow her. President Bush wanted to meet them. Shocked, they moved from a noisy hanger to a quiet conference room. A few minutes later a member of the Secret Service opened the door and President Bush walked in.
With arms wide open, the president hugged Mark’s wife and said with moist eyes, “I wish I could heal the hole in your heart.” Then he hugged Mark and each of their two sons. The next words the president spoke was, “Everybody out.” A moment later the family was completely alone with the President of the United States without a Secret Service Agent in sight.
“Come, let’s sit and talk,” he said. According to the second hand account of my chaplain friend the president looked tired. He slumped down in his chair, relaxed and smiled. He no longer looked like the President, but just a guy with a job to do. He spoke with the Murphys as family.
For the next 15 to 20 minutes he shared many things. He spoke of their son, Iraq, his own family, faith, convictions and his thoughts about nearing the end of his presidency. He counseled the Murphy sons to set goals, embrace their convictions and not to worry. He related how he had taken a lot of heat during his time in office and was under pressure to do what was politically expedient, but he was proud that he never sold his soul. Of the roles he fulfilled, the one he would miss most was Commander-in-Chief.
At times he teared up. He thanked the Murphys for the opportunity to meet because he felt a heavy responsibility that their son died because of a decision he made. He was humble, warm and without pretense.
In the end he thanked the Murphys again for the visit and the opportunity to get off his feet. Then he said, "Let’s get some pictures." The doors flew open and he was the President again. A few more thank you’s, a few more hugs and he was gone.
According to Chaplain Ammerman’s recounting, the remarkable thing is that the President took so much time from a busy schedule to give time to the family. He could have offered a quick handshake and said "Thanks for your sacrifice." Instead, he put everyone and everything in his life on hold to meet privately with a family whose son gave his life for his country.
Mark and his family found this to be an incredible lesson in service. If the President of the United States could drop everything to visit with his family, surely the rest of us can serve one another. No one is so exalted that they cannot serve another with dignity and respect.
One of the important aspects of leadership is serving the people you rely on every day. There is an old adage: Take care of your people and they’ll take care of you.