DISCUSSION
On the Importance of Leadership
(See Page 335, Whole No. 205)
Rear Admiral Caspar F. Goodrich, U. S. Navy.—Owing to my absence in the Far East, the March number of the Institute's Proceedings has but recently come into my hands, hence this belated appreciation of a most admirable article by Captain Knox.
Supplementary to his remarks, which deal chiefly with instruction and study in the matter of leadership, I would like to suggest that something may be done in actual training for command. It is threshing out old straw, I admit, but I cannot lose so good an opportunity as this to deplore the denial to all, except a favored few in each class at the Naval Academy, of exercise in this art. Many graduates hear their voices in giving orders for the first time on going on board a ship. This is regrettable and avoidable. Is it fair? Upon what grounds can it be justified?
The cadet offices at Annapolis should not be permanent. They should be assigned absolutely by lot and transfers made once a month, or more or less often as may be necessary to give every man in the first class a trick as commissioned officer in the battalion. Luck alone will then determine whether he occupy for the nonce the exalted position of regimental commander. In this way all suspicion of favoritism will be eliminated and every member of the graduating class will make his own record in displaying officer-like qualities to which a proper multiple ought be given in fixing his final order of merit. The Academy teaches everything needed except this one thing, how to lead men. One would suppose it more important to young officers than any technical branch.
That the battalion's drills would suffer by not having permanent cadet officers is a mere supposition, a begging of the question. Personally I believe there is no chance whatever for such an outcome and I base my belief upon facts and experience, not upon theory. The plan suggested I tried in the Princeton Naval Unit. It worked to perfection and, in addition, every man in the unit was convinced that I had no favorites; that all stood on the same level and had equal opportunities for giving orders and seeing that they were obeyed. It is impossible to exaggerate the keenness with which these young men fitted themselves for their new duties as cadet officers or the thoroughness with which they lent all their energies, even when demoted, to maintaining the morale and smartness of drills of the corps. Under such a practice there could be and there was no dissatisfaction. Disappointment? Yes, but for that no one was to blame. The fickle goddess, Chance, alone was answerable.