Leadership Means Being Present

By | September 27, 2020

[September 27, 2020]  U.S. Army General Order #1 reads, “I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved.”  The military recognizes that a leader’s mission is most at risk of failure when that soldier or leader is not present.  One of the most valuable lessons from World War I is that leaders must be present to ensure victory on the battlefield.

Yesterday, my attention was drawn to a New York Post front-page cover story about Presidential candidate Joe Biden.  Titled, “Where’s Joe?” it mocks the absence of Joe Biden from the campaign trail.  Love Joe or not, the Where’s-Waldo moment the Post alludes to is biting and cannot be denied.  In the study of leadership, one thing we do know, and that is a leader makes themselves seen and heard.  According to the Post, Joe Biden has been conspicuously absent.

During WWI, it was commonplace for Army Generals to fight from the rear.  Their headquarters were often in large, luxurious mansions and filled with valets serving sumptuous meals with wine and other expensive foods.  The Generals’ taste for the finer things in life were well-known.  Combat on the front lines was another life away, and a place a “cultured gentleman” would not go.

Carnage on the front was horrific, and a key lesson for all military leaders since has been to ensure that leader was at the point of any critical activity.  If there is an attack on an enemy’s position, leaders were there overseeing the action.  If a CEO wanted to invent a new product, the CEO would be there, ensuring the resources were present, and everyone understood the challenge.  Leaders make sure things work.  Leaders fight from the front.

“You don’t build a bond without being present.” – James Earl Jones, American actor

Being present is about building social bonds.  James Earl Jones knew of what he talked about.  Humans are social creatures, and they require the presence of others.  The best leaders are those that leverage this need into something that benefits everyone.  Social bonds are crucial to the success of any human enterprise.  Take it from James Earl Jones, it works.

Yet, being present means more than physically being at a given location at the right time, although that is very important.  Being present means dispensing with unnecessary distractions (like our phone or television); it means being mentally focused.  Anyone who has the requisite experience and authority of a leader can only exercise that leadership in person.

Author: Douglas R. Satterfield

Hello. I provide one article every day. My writings are influenced by great thinkers such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Jung, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Jean Piaget, Erich Neumann, and Jordan Peterson, whose insight and brilliance have gotten millions worldwide to think about improving ourselves. Thank you for reading my blog.

16 thoughts on “Leadership Means Being Present

  1. Scotty Bush

    Excellent comments today in the forums section. Another reason I also read what is here. You can gain a little better understand in a short amount of time. Like, for example, the ace commented about how something needs to be done about the Clintons and their so-called charity. Shameful the way these people acted and gain so much money. Folks will say they really did help folks and that is true but nothing compared to the amount of cash they raked in. Most of the money went to their “expenses.” What a great gig?

    Reply
  2. Kenny Foster

    Hey guys and gals (long time readers of Gen Satterfield’s blog), please be careful not to drive those of us away that may not be conservative minded by trashing certain politicians. That is not a good way to get your message across because some will read your comments as vigilantism.

    Reply
    1. old warrior

      “Lock her up.”
      “Lock her up.”
      “Lock her up.”
      You know the chant. And I for one will forever continue to remind others about the dual system of justice in America and Hillary is the prime example.

      Reply
    2. Janna Faulkner

      I disagree Kenny, the whole idea of leadership is bringing up both the good and the bad. If I have an opinion on it, I want you and others to give me feedback (both good if it works and bad if it doesn’t work and why). Why else would I take the time to comment here if it just falls into an echo chamber? Thanks for your analysis however, best of luck.

      Reply
  3. JT Patterson

    Thanks Gen. Satterfield for another spot-on article. I find that most junior leaders don’t have a full grasp of this “being there” requirement and are quick to leave and relax and hope everything comes together. Remember that leadership is about getting people to do things they would not ordinarily do. You can’t get them to do anything if you are not present.

    Reply
  4. Harry Donner

    Love the article. I particularly liked the part about not being distracted. I remember many photos of Hillary Clinton reading her BlackBerry comm device while she was being Sec of State. She was always distracted by emailing etc. Oh, where did those 35,000 supenoned emails go?

    Reply
      1. Tom Bushmaster

        Yeah, I’ve been hearing Trump at his campaign rallies talking about it too. Sadly, there is a two-tiered justice system in the USA; rich and politically powerful don’t’ get prosecuted any more.

        Reply
      2. the ace

        I thought it was funny too. But in all seriousness, something should be done about the illegal behavior of the Clintons and that means also looking into their “charity” that funneled tens of millions into their “pockets” thru paying for their staff, trips, personal donations to Democrat Party campaigns, etc.

        Reply
  5. Army Captain

    Excellent blog post today, Gen. Satterfield. Of course, leaders must be physically present when possible or as a last resort use some form of electronic means to be there in real time.

    Reply
    1. Max Foster

      … but too often hard to do. Why? Because those who lead have folks spread out across the world potentially and reaching them is not easy. That is why platforms like YouTube have expanded so much.

      Reply

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