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On Leadership
April 2 2013
On April 2nd, Mr Russ Keller – local businessman, retired Navy Captain, and former USNA Brigade
Commander (class of 1979) – spent time with SGMs and 1SGs as part of the junior mentor forum.
His remarks helped smooth the transition for these junior leaders as they prepare for command
responsibilities next year.
While the audience was the formal leadership of the Corps, his practical message was applicable to
all of us. We’ll all lead in some capacity after graduation and, as those leaders, our perspective will
necessarily shift. At times, the new perspective might seem to create dilemmas for us. Mr Keller
offered some sound advice for how to successfully wrestle with those inevitable challenges.
Specifically:
1. A leader has a stake in preserving the institution’s legacy. The tough part for a leader is that not
all stuff touted as legacy is actually worthwhile legacy. Some bad traditions & processes often
masquerade as good legacy.
 PRACTICAL ADVICE: Ask why do we do this? If the answer is “that’s the way we’ve
always done it”—stop & challenge our assumptions
2. A leader straps on the responsibility to be loyal to the institution. Loyalty to the institution
might sometimes be in conflict with loyalty to peers. The dilemma can seem challenging.
 PRACTICAL ADVICE: If a peer has placed us in a dilemma where we can’t be loyal to
both the institution and the peer, consider whose fault it is that we are faced with the
dilemma
3. A leader will be asked to accomplish way more than can be accomplished by one person.
 PRACTICAL ADVICE: Prioritize and delegate, sure, but also recognize we might have
to consider not doing it all (not stated, but a good idea to tell the boss what we can’t get
done)
4. A leader is visible all of the time, living in a glass house. Keep in mind the audience is a big
one and ever present.
 PRACTICAL ADVICE: Don’t look at the glass house as something negative; the glass
house effect is actually a huge advantage that gives us the opportunity to reinforce the
good stuff all the time
5. A leader might need to implement a policy from above that is unpopular. It can seem a
challenge to “own” the decision.
 PRACTICAL ADVICE: If this seems hard, consider how we would want our
subordinates to act on our decisions
Mr Keller added a bit of humor to reinforce item 3 – “not doing it all.” He read from the
apocryphal letter from the Duke of Wellington as his forces fought the French forces of Napoleon.
It’s worth a read, so it’s included on the next page.
Mr Keller, Sir, we’re grateful for the wisdom. We’re prepared to take on that new perspective now.
Summary provided by Col Christopher “Mort” Bowman, Col, USAF (Ret)
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A BIT OF HUMOR ON “NOT DOING IT ALL” (note: this letter might not
be genuine; even if apocryphal, though, it makes a good point and
is funny.)
MESSAGE FROM THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON TO THE BRITISH FOREIGN OFFICE
IN LONDON -- written from Central Spain, August 1812
Gentlemen,
Whilst marching from Portugal to a position which commands the
approach to Madrid and the French forces, my officers have been
diligently complying with your requests which have been sent by
H.M. ship from London to Lisbon and thence by dispatch to our
headquarters.
We have enumerated our saddles, bridles, tents and tent poles, and
all manner of sundry items for which His Majesty's Government
holds me accountable. I have dispatched reports on the character,
wit, and spleen of every officer. Each item and every farthing
has been accounted for, with two regrettable exceptions for which
I beg your indulgence.
Unfortunately the sum of one shilling and nine pence remains
unaccounted for in one infantry battalion's petty cash and there
has been a hideous confusion as the number of jars of raspberry
jam issued to one cavalry regiment during a sandstorm in western
Spain. This reprehensible carelessness may be related to the
pressure of circumstance, since we are at war with France, a fact
which may come as a bit of a surprise to you gentlemen in
Whitehall.
This brings me to my present purpose, which is to request
elucidation of my instructions from His Majesty's Government so
that I may better understand why I am dragging an army over these
barren plains. I construe that perforce it must be one of two
alternative duties, as given below. I shall pursue either one
with the best of my ability, but I cannot do both:
1. To train an army of uniformed British clerks in Spain for the
benefit of the accountants and copy-boys in London or perchance,
2. To see to it that the forces of Napoleon are driven out of
Spain.
Your most obedient servant
Wellington
Summary provided by Col Christopher “Mort” Bowman, Col, USAF (Ret)