[June 13, 2023] I was one of those army officers who somehow managed to get plenty of medals during my 40 years. These medals were for various military campaigns, for bravery in combat, or for doing a good job. I might be unusual, but I never wanted to get a “medal” for doing something good. What I really worked for was to give others the medals they deserved and for the brotherhood of other Soldiers.
Formally recognizing exceptional performance or courage is the right thing to do and motivates the average Soldier. Not for me. And that is okay. My greatest motivation was ensuring others got their rewards; medals, better service locations, top-notch assignments, and the best educational opportunities.
“Give me enough ribbons to place on the tunics of my soldiers, and I can conquer the world.” – Napoléon Bonaparte
Napoléon Bonaparte knew this as well. I’m not the same caliber as Bonaparte, but I also recognize that formal rewards are among the most effective leadership tools. As I advanced in rank, I was also given greater authority to approve higher-precedence awards. For example, when I made the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Army Engineers, I could approve (as opposed to recommending) the awarding of the Bronze de Fleury Medal.
Higher-precedence awards meant the soldiers who received them would also get more opportunities to excel. Furthermore, I had high standards for giving the medals. My reputation as an officer with high standards meant that other officers saw those who got rewards from me as high achievers, expressed excellence in their work, and cared for their Soldiers.
I’m pleased that medals never motivated me. And I’m happy that I could help other Soldiers obtain the opportunities they deserved and that contributed to the betterment of the U.S. Army.
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Excellent article, Gen. Satterfield. Good to learn more about how you think, what your wants and desires are, and your ability to get things done.
Gen. Satterfield, another helpful article that lets us know more about you.
Yepper. Tess Smith, welcome to Gen. Satterfield’s leadership forum. You can freely push out ideas with criticism but can get some positive feedback. As for that feedback and many will be happy to test out your thougts for you without acrimony.
Great article, thank you Gen. Satterfield. I’m happy there are some leaders out there who care more about the people than themselves.
Gen. Satterfield, I can only hope that more leaders are like you in this way of thinking. Cheers from down under.
Thank you, Aussie and all those who gave me feedback on this article. I found this to be one of my more popular recent blog posts.
Good article. Highly recommended.
There is no wonder why Gen. Satterfield is so impressive (no he didn’t pay me to write that, ha). We need more leaders like him instead of the narcisistic, egotistic, and self-centered we have today from POTUS on down to the average senior officer … and in any of the services. Those so-called leaders are a bane on our nation and military. I’ve seen this developing for a long time but it really exploded two years ago once SECDEF Austin got into his position.
Excellent personal philosophy. I would not have expected this from an ordinary leader, but from Gen. Satterfield it makes perfect sense.
Yep. Thanks Raw Hide for writing what I was thinking.
Well said. Real American here and i appreciate Gen. Satterfield. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
God bless you General Satterfield.
Gen. Satterfield is da man. That is why so many loved him and respected him, not for his medals or rank but because he was a leader (still is a leader not just in the army) in the real sense that leaders know what needs doing and gets to it. He is able to communicate a vision, round up the resources to get it done, and motivate everyone toward that goal. Remember how he defines leadership. “Good leadership is the ability to get something done that people might not want to do. Great leadership is to get them to do it because they want to.” Gen. Satterfield at his greatest.
Pow. Nailed it, Winston. Even a toad knows this.
Yep!
God will not look you over for medals degrees or diplomas, but for scars. Elbert Hubbard
Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/medals-quotes
Well said.
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It’s not the military medal that makes a soldier but that soldier’s character.
“Give me enough ribbons to place on the tunics of my soldiers, and I can conquer the world.” – Napoléon Bonaparte, amazing quote. Powerful and short. 😁
… and that is why I read Gen. Satterfield’s blog daily. It gives me something to use at work, and time to think about it and how his thoughts can make my life better.
Thanks to you sir.
Wow, as an Army Vet, this is refreshing to hear from a senior officer. Too many of them only care about their careers.
Thank you Army Vet. I had other atypical thoughts on leadership too. That is a common theme in my blog. I’ll try to write about these later, perhaps in “Letters to my Granddaughter.”
Sir, thank you for the comment.
Great to hear from you General Satterfield and responding to us. Makes us happy that you read the comments section.
We all do.
This is just another example of why everyone should buy a copy of Gen. Satterfield’s two books (links at the end of his article), read them, and give him a review at Amazon. Support Gen. S. and make yourself a better person at the same time. Easy. It works.
Got my copies and I am actually reading his “Our Longest Year in Iraq” for the third time. I can’t believe how much I enjoy it. Every page is a story. Every chapter is full of lessons learned that we should know and use daily. The books give you an opportunity to do better for yourself, others, your family, and community. Get your copy now. Don’t make the mistake of putting this decision off. Do it now………
As did I. Thanks The O and Joe O.
Yepper, get his books now and they are CHEAP and easy to get them. Do it today. And no need to thank me.
That is why I’m a huge huge huge fan. Did I say HUGE FAN?
Humble man, that General Satterfield.