#13: Colonel Glover S. Johns on Leadership
Colonel Johns' battlegroup farewell address on January 5, 1962.
If you've listened to the Jocko Podcast, you've likely heard him discuss the book About Face. The book is written by Colonel David Hackworth, one of the most legendary soldier's of the 20th century. While it isn't written as a leadership book, the book is littered with leadership lessons throughout which is why Jocko references this book as one of the primary sources of many of the leadership lessons he's learned over the years.
In the dedication of the book About Face, Hackworth writes:
To Steve Prazenka, who showed us how to solider;
To Henry Deboer, who showed us how to die;
To Glover Johns, who showed us how to lead;
And to all the doughboys, the groudpounders, the grunts–
the American infantry men
–past, present, and, especially, future,
to them this book is dedicated.
Today I want to cover Colonel Glover Johns' (who taught us how to lead) farewell address to his battlegroup on January 15, 1962. In a way, since Jocko labels Hackworth his leadership mentor and Hackworth labels Glover Johns as his, I view Johns as a grandfather of many of the lessons Jocko teaches in a way.
A quick legendary story about Colonel Johns
Before sharing the farewell address, it's worth sharing a legendary story about the man to add some context.
In 1960, Johns took command of the 1st Battle Group, 18th Infantry, 8th Infantry Division in Germany. This was a brigade-sized command. Barely had he taken command when the Russians and East Germans started sealing off West Berlin. Too many East Germans were fleeing west, so barbed-wire barriers were set up, and later the Berlin Wall. This violated the Potsdam Agreement following World War II. President Kennedy needed to show the Russians U.S. resolve, and Johns was tasked to lead his Battle Group’s 1,500 men past Russian forces through East Germany to Berlin. This was a tense time. National Guard and reserve units had been mobilized, and the entire U.S. military was on alert. Johns could become the catalyst for the start of World War III. Instead, he led his soldiers successfully, never hesitating, at times having tense standoffs with the Russians. When he arrived at the Russian/East German checkpoint outside Berlin, Johns spoke in fluent German to the guard and ordered the gate to be opened. The guard replied in German, saying, “What if I don’t?” Johns pulled out his .45 caliber pistol and replied, “Then you will be the first casualty of World War III.” The guard opened the gate, and Johns was soon swarmed and welcomed by thousands of West Berliners. Johns called the White House when he arrived in West Berlin, and he was met by Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. Years later, his cousin, Coleman, asked Johns what would have happened had the border guards refused to admit the Americans into Berlin? Johns replied confidentially, “We would have given them a hell of a show.”
Source: Virginia Military Institute
The book About Face is littered with many more fantastic stories about the man.
Farewell Address
Now, diving into the farewell address from Colonel Johns to his battlegroup:
Johns was a leader who taught by example, so most of the points he made weren't exactly new to us. But to hear in a single speech this great man's philosophy of soldiering was like being let in on the secret ingredients of some magical formula. To wit:
Strive to do small things well.
Be a doer and a self-starter–aggressiveness and initiative are two most admired qualities in a leader–but you must also put your feet up and think.
Strive for self-improvement through constant self-evaluation.
Never be satisfied. Ask of any project, *How can it be done better*?
Don't overinspect or oversupervise. Allow your leaders to make mistakes in training, so they can profit from the errors and not make them in combat.
Keep the troops informed; telling them "what, how, and why" build their confidence.
The harder the training, the more troops will brag.
Enthusiasm, fairness, and moral and physical courage four of the most important aspects of leadership.
Showmanship a vital technique of leadership.
The ability to speak and write well–two essential tools of leadership.
There is a salient difference between profanity and obscenity; while a leader employs profanity (tempered with discretion), he never uses obscenities.
Have consideration for others.
Yelling detracts from your dignity; take men aside to counsel them.
Understand and use judgment; know when to stop fighting for something you believe is right. Discuss and argue your point of view until a decision is made, and then support the decision wholeheartedly.
Stay ahead of your boss.
Each point listed here is worthy a whole discussion of it's own. But, for now, I'll point out the two that stand out to me today.
The first one that stands out is the second to last bullet: "discuss and argue your point of view until a decision is made, and then support the decision wholeheartedly." This is the same principle that we discussed last week regarding Jeff Bezos' "disagree and commit" philosophy, which is vital to building and maintaining a high velocity organization.
Another point that stood out to me and has echoed in my mind for the last few months is that "Showmanship is a vital technique of leadership." I think the initial reaction to a statement like this is that it should not be the case. However, About Face, and history, is littered with examples of the truth behind this statement. I'll cover some of Hackworth's legendary stories in the weeks to come that display his showmanship and how that in turn built the cultures within the organizations he was leading.
Conclusion
This farewell address rivals Jocko's letters that I reviewed several weeks ago in it's ability to condense the art and science of leadership. I think I might print this out and put it on my wall. I've attached the PDF.
Get after it.
