7. The Army
The Lines
Bottom. [9] From the very beginning of a joint effort, right
and justice must prevail, and the enterprise must be conducted in an organized
fashion. The aim and purpose of the joint effort must be meaningful and made
clear to all participants if their loyalty and enthusiasm is expected. Without
this element of genuineness, the enterprise is sure to fail. The good leader,
therefore, is careful to make clear to all members of the group the purpose of
the enterprise and as much about how it will be conducted as is reasonable.
2. [6] He who fills the role of leadership must consider
himself a part of the group he expects to lead. His fortunes are tied together
with theirs and theirs with his, and he accepts responsibility for all. Only
someone who can accept this great responsibility is worthy to be a leader.
Whatever honors or recognition he receives is not his alone; it is bestowed
upon him as the representative of the group, and each member should look upon
such honors as being given to him also.
3. [6] If the leader lacks a clear vision of the group's
purpose, if the members of the group are left to their own devices and have no
clear understanding of where they are going or what they should be doing,
misfortune is bound to result. If there is no proper leadership, if every
member of the group is left to rely on his own inept or inadequate vision of
the goals of the enterprise, how can it succeed? Without a unifying vision and
a clear definition of means, how can a difficult objective be achieved?
Uncertainty leads to wasted effort and time lost, and is a sure way for a
concerted effort to become unraveled.
4. [6] Retreat is not a disgrace when one is up against
impossible odds or an unbeatable foe. Rather, to continue to struggle against
such insurmountable difficulties suggests a stubbornness or a failure to
carefully calculate the chances for success, and this could only lead to a
great catastrophe. But a carefully planned retreat saves the enterprise, avoids
catastrophe, and opens the possibility for a renewed struggle at a later time
when a more favorable outcome may be expected. A leader who continues in the face
of certain defeat just to avoid the appearance of cowardice is not strong but
is weak, because he is being guided by fear and a misplaced sense of honor,
rather than an intelligent and responsible assessment of the situation. The
important thing is the goal of the enterprise, not a mere appearance.
5. [9] The leader of a group should be a man of thorough
experience and vision. If a younger man with little experience who lacks a
clear understanding of the problems that lie ahead is put in charge, all of the
effort, which should be carefully directed, will lead to misfortune. Without a
unifying vision and a central command, the element of danger which is inherent
in any mass of people can easily surface, allowing the enterprise to get out of
hand and people to indulge in destructive behavior. If uncontrolled, the
struggle becomes a mob action and the purpose of the struggle degenerates into
whatever each member thinks it may be. This is a prescription for chaos and
disintegration.
Top. [6] When the end has been achieved, when the struggle
is finally over, all those who aided the effort should be rewarded generously.
But it is important that even faithful helpers not be given rewards and
responsibilities of which they are not worthy. Let inferior helpers be rewarded
with material gifts, but not with positions in which they may do harm and
undermine the whole purpose of the struggle.
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