James Webb
U.S. Secretary of the Navy

Address at U.S. Naval Academy, September 30, 1987 

…So a number of questions naturally follow. What is it that a leader does, and what traits should he or she possess? Is the Naval Academy presently geared to producing that sort of behavior? What is the environment in which you will very shortly be leading sailors and marines? What sort of challenges will you be facing?  

First of all a leader is someone who sets the example, through the strength of his conviction and his personality. He makes decisions. He has a sense of mission, and can articulate it. He has the courage to do what is right, and to make sure that those who are under his authority do what is right. He creates the right tone, one of equity and goodwill, which allows creativity to flourish from below. He understands loyalty, and understands that loyalty sometimes calls for disagreement, even disagreement with your boss. He is a comrade, a judge, a tutor. He is a student of human motivation. He's a problem solver.  

And he is a person not merely of thought, but of action. General George Patton, when he was a Major, wrote about this distinction in 1931, in an article entitled "Success in War," where he pointed out that "high academic performance demands infinite intimate knowledge of details, and the qualities requisite to such attainments often inhabit bodies lacking in personality. Also, the striving for such knowledge often engenders the fallacious notion that capacity depends upon the power to acquire such details rather than upon the ability to apply them.... And yet volumes are devoted to armaments, and pages to inspiration." And always, every day, a leader and particularly a military leader must balance a sometimes volatile paradox: He must get the job done, and he must take care of his people. In this paradox reside the greatest rewards of leadership, and the most painful price, particularly if one must lead in combat. Throughout your life, you will judge yourself against two harsh and often painful standards: Did you get the job done? How many people did it cost?  

There are those who claim that leadership skills are situational, that no specific traits can be identified as common to most leaders. I disagree. I'd say that, first, a true leader must set the example. You cannot ask of your subordinates that which you do not demand of yourself. And one who does not set the example will never be respected. He might be obeyed, but he will not be followed. Think about it. There is a difference.

He must possess knowledge, in a variety of forms. He must understand first the intellectual framework in which his unit works: the technical aspects of the mission, the capabilities of the weapon systems and other machinery, the responsibilities of his subordinates. He must also understand human motivation in order to create the environment in which his people will want to succeed. He must understand the system, whether it is a rifle company or a Pentagon staff, in order to know how to get things done. As you can readily understand, knowledge is not simply book learning, it is people studying and strategic thinking as well.  

A leader must be a person of impeccable character. Honesty begets honesty. To the contrary, a person who will manipulate a superior invites his subordinates to manipulate ,him. A person who will manipulate or lie to a subordinate invites disloyalty and reciprocal lies. Courage, both moral and physical, is a character trait, and it is infectious. Humility before one's subordinates invites both loyalty and respect.

A leader must be true to himself, and be confident in his own personality. For lack of a better term we call this style. If your natural personality is quiet, develop firmness, rather than trying to convert yourself into an extrovert. If you are an insufferable loudmouth, learn to be positive, to be a motivator, rather than trying to become a stoic. Your troops can pick up false behavior in a heartbeat.  

And finally, a true leader must possess a sense of vision, an ability to communicate to his people what they are doing and why, and how it fits into the larger scheme of things. Part of this sense of vision requires an understanding of the traditions and heritage of the military and of our country. Part of it requires an understanding of events going on, as they say, above one's pay grade. Put together, a leader gives context to the activities of his people, and this itself gives a unit a sense of mission and momentum.  

The Naval Academy has traditionally produced leaders with these qualities.