Moral Courage Needed To Win Wars

I am indeed shocked to read that an authentic report of a reliable survey of officers and sergeants found a large number of them TOXIC. Before proceeding further with the analysis, let us take a look at how the US Army defines the word toxic.

"The US Army defined Toxic Leaders as Commanders who put their own needs first, micro-managed subordinates, behaved in a mean spirited manner or displayed poor decision making." On top of this damaging finding was the observation that there were no signs of self-correction of this negative trend. Further, the subordinate GIs or plain soldiers who hold no promotional appointment, were of the opinion that even the Toxic leaders would get promotion to higher command positions.

In other words, these Toxic Commanders not only mange the system at their level but also at higher levels where the suitability or otherwise of commanders at various levels is discussed and decision to promote or not to promote taken. The moment this malady of managing the SYSTEM takes roots in an organisation, no remedy seems to be effective in eradicating it.

The morale of the corps of officers is bound to go down when the news of promotion system being managed by Toxic Commanders percolates to their level. By and by the rank and file gets affected because the intelligent and educated plain rank and file comprising GIs learn to their horror that they would be commanded by Toxic Commanders. If I were a plain soldier in a combat brigade and I learn that our commander was a Toxic one who had managed his promotion, I would be reluctant to go into battle against a determined enemy.

In nine cases out of ten, such Toxic Commanders leading their combat brigade into battle would suffer casualties, both killed and wounded that would be disproportionately high. A soldier or a sergeant or an officer is selected, trained, maintained by a nation so that he is always fighting fit and is prepared physically, mentally and morally to annihilate the enemy. If the Officer or the sergeant or the GI fails in his duty to defend the country and is defeated, the entire exercise of raising and maintaining a standing army is defeated.

MORAL COURAGE

To win a battle or win a war, all ranks need a high degree of moral courage. Moral is to physical as ten to one. So, one's own character and righteous living go a long way in buttressing his moral courage. A man may be physically fit and look like Hercules or Achilles but he will not last long in a battle, where no quarters are asked for and none given, unless he has a high degree of moral courage. Moral courage is not acquired in a day or two but over a period of time through Righteous conduct in day to day life. No wonder, an officer is trained to be morally correct and abjure temptation to steal, cheat or short circuit an order or the chain of command to get quicker promotion. Remember, a Toxic Commander loses always and every time, be it a battle field or a sand model discussion or just a TEWT, that stands for a Tactical Exercise Without Troops.

To win a war or a to sound convincing in a group discussion or in planning to acquire a family or have a college going son or daughter look for a suitable job in this competitive world, it is the leader who has to be non-toxic. In other words, when the commander puts the Service before Self, the battle of any life-like situation would begin well. Well begun is half done, so goes the old proverb. The other half will be done by dint of merit and leadership of the commander. One may summaries by saying that it is the positive attitude of the leader that will keep both the leader and the led on the track and the track would lead to the goal.

MORAL COURAGE FOR ARMY LEADERS

By

Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM