Numerous are the books and articles on leadership and executive qualities. Sublime indeed must be the hopes of those who write them, inasmuch as practical methods for acquiring the shining virtues which we may lack are nonexistent. In fact, there are not even any reliable means by which we may so much as realize our own deficiencies, a truth expressed poetically by Robert Bums in his plea for power to see ourselves, and prosaically by certain advertisements which remind us that we cannot expect much assistance of such a nature from even our best friends.
Although there may be a few men who are able to view themselves objectively enough to recognize their own shortcomings, it is improbable that even such an unusual man can say to himself: “Beginning today I must be more cool-headed, or decisive, or imaginative,” and attain immediate results, for it is a painful truth that, within certain limits, we are what we are, and unfortunately we can’t help it. Everyone knows that New Year’s Day with its good intentions, pseudo or sincere, is only less ludicrous than the first day of April with its mischievous motivations. More than that, we find that even the Scriptures ask whether a man is able, by taking thought, to add a cubit to his stature. Nevertheless, if we are to progress, we must be adding constantly to our “stature,” and if we do not take thought, it is obviously impossible to develop ourselves beyond that basic mold in which an often seemingly careless Nature has cast us. Just how much that casting is malleable to self-directed alteration is open to question, but without a definite realization of the qualities we should like to have, and ought to have, we can certainly never acquire them to the slightest degree.
In spite of the fact that great leaders themselves may be but dimly aware of the innate qualities which have brought them success, psychologists have disregarded the scoffing of those with less inquiring minds, and have made a conscientious study of actual leaders and executives, not to mention theoretical leadership and executive traits. The two classifications do not always include similar traits; that is, a man may have certain leadership qualities, but have executive shortcomings, or he may be an excellent executive hampered by leadership deficiencies. However, inasmuch as both leadership and executive qualities are equally essential in the naval profession, no attempt will be made herein to differentiate between them.
Many years ago, a speaker at the Naval Academy mentioned that in his youth he made a practice of recording, for his own reflective enlightenment and improvement, his personal observations concerning others. To use his own words, he kept what he termed a “Do and Don’t Book.” Whenever he noticed a quality or a reaction which he believed to be a point of merit in a fellow naval officer’s personal or professional character, he made an appropriate entry in the “Do” column of his book, and whenever he saw something of an opposite nature, he made a note in the “Don’t” column. Psychologists also, with a wider but no less laudable purpose, have given us somewhat similar lists of abstract leadership virtues and vices. However, the value of such lists can be increased considerably, by relative arrangement, if it is realized that nearly every quality in one list bears a relation to some quality in the other. Thus, for a proper consciousness of their implications, these related qualities should be co-ordinated by placing them opposite each other in the “Do” and “Don’t” columns for simultaneous consideration, rather than allowing the columns to be disassociated entities. Usually any specific positive quality may be paired with a negative quality which is its direct opposite, but we may be surprised to find that in a number of pairs, the virtue, exaggerated or warped, actually becomes the vice.
Someone has made the remark that “Psychology is the discovery by the professors of what the rest of us have known all the time.” However, bearing that statement in mind, together with the foregoing recognition of the general permanence of basic character, I believe that the following academic (and admittedly incomplete) list of paired qualities can be examined with more than academic interest and value.
It should be explained that many of those purely personal qualities which make us liked or disliked as individuals are not included here. They do, of course, have a bearing upon the success of a leader; however, they apply universally to all our associates, and are not in themselves distinctly leadership or executive qualities as such, which are to be considered in this paper. Inasmuch as everyone is constantly arousing either positive or negative responses in those about him, the following scheme has been used in this arrangement. The first quality of each pair is one which helps the leader who possesses it because it arouses positive responses in others; the second quality hinders its possessor because it arouses negative responses.
First of all, for the sake of typographical convenience, is a group of qualities consisting of those which are simple opposites. No attempt has been made to arrange them in any order of relative importance, as their importance is so nearly equal.
Vitality—Feebleness
Forcefulness—Supineness
Positiveness—Timidity
Friendliness—Austerity
Interest—Indifference
Enthusiasm—Boredom
Decision—Vacillation
Sympathy—Coldness
Trustworthiness—Undependability
Perseverance—Irresoluteness
Determination—Weak-willedness
Ambition—Self-satisfaction
Courage—Cowardice
Industry—Laziness
Tactfulness—Tactlessness
Sincerity—Affectation
Honesty—Dishonesty
Fairness—Injustice
Self-control—Unrestraint
Progressiveness—Static-mindedness
Imagination—Unimaginativeness
Reasonableness—Stubbornness
Tolerance—Intolerance
Cool-headedness—Excitability
Cheerfulness—Grouchiness
Open-mindedness—Narrow-mindedness
Simplicity—Grandiosity
Respect (up and down)—Disrespect
Loyalty (up and down)—Disloyalty
Technical preparation—Technical ignorance
Willingness to take initiative—Unwillingness to take initiative
Willingness to assume responsibility—Alibi artistry
Social sensitiveness—Obtuseness to the feelings of others
Foresight—Inability to look ahead
Common sense—Theoretical mindedness
The next group of qualities consists of those which have a unique characteristic. A moment’s thought will suffice to show that the very virtue may, by being overdone, defeat its own purpose, or even become a definitely negative quality. At what point the change becomes effective would be difficult to determine.
Man-to-man attitude—Familiarity
Dignity—Aloofness
Tenacity—Pig-headedness
Sense of humor—Silliness
Verbal economy—Taciturnity
Self-respect—Vanity
Self-confidence—Egotism
Last is a group of qualities and characteristics which can be expressed neither in one or two words, nor in consistent grammatical parallels.
Able to organize—Scatterbrained
Able to analyze—Unable to draw conclusions
Able to co-operate—Unable or unwilling to cooperate
Able to inspire confidence—Creates doubt as to his ability
Able to judge others, and thus assigns them to tasks in which their particular temperaments and talents are required—Unable to judge others, and thus assigns them to tasks indiscriminately, without regard to their natural capabilities
Able to express himself clearly and concisely— Unable to express himself
Notes and comments upon work efficiently done, as well as on work poorly done—Notes and comments only on work poorly done
Gives praise in public and criticism in private— Gives criticism in public, and never sees fit to praise
Generous in giving credit where it is due— Minimizes credit to others, or even attempts to appropriate to himself credit that belongs to others
Never “passes the buck”—Fears to stand or fall on his own actions
Upon encountering a situation in which he realizes that “somebody better do something,” he does not hestitate to give the wheels a spin even though his own thumb may be pinched in so doing—Hangs back in critical situations and lets other take action because he fears he may involve himself
Realizes that innate character cannot be changed appreciably, and therefore that real leadership is the ability to recognize and bring out the best that is already in others—Arouses antagonism or fear in others so that they are neither willing nor able to give their best
Takes his work more seriously than he does himself—Takes himself more seriously than he does his work
Probably the paragon who exemplifies all of the “Do” column virtues herein listed has never existed in the flesh, and we should fervently hope, never will; for those who have made the attempt say that consorting with a saint is devilish uncomfortable business. However, let us hope, quite as fervently, that we may have the privilege of serving with those who were endowed at birth with a liberal leaven of what many psychologically uninformed but discerning minds consider the three most exceptional qualities: common sense, imagination, and a saving sense of humor.
Finally, we may profitably meditate upon the Chinese proverb:
“A great man never feels great, and a small man never feels small.”
A great Captain ought to say to himself several times a day: “If the enemy appears in front, on my right, or on my left, how shall I act?” If he finds himself in want of an answer he is ill- prepared.—Napoleon, Military Maxims.