A Five-Star Lesson in Leadership

When I was a young officer in the United States Army, I had a number of unforgettable experiences. Perhaps none made more of an impression than my encounter with the legendary General of the Army Omar Bradley, one of the truly towering military figures of the 20th Century.

Gen. Bradley commanded troops in North Africa and Western Europe during World War II, and after the war headed the Veterans Administration, became Army Chief of Staff, and later was appointed the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Harry Truman. He is one of only nine people to have held the rank of five-star general.

1st Lt. Jim Ondrus (L) meets Gen. Omar Bradley

So you can imagine my excitement when he visited Schofield Barracks, where I was stationed in Hawaii in 1976. I had the opportunity to meet this remarkable leader and have my photo taken with him. I was a 1st Lt. and Executive Officer of the Headquarters Company of the 2nd Bridage, 25th Infantry Division, and one of my responsibilities was the Dining Hall in Quad C. General Bradley was adamant that he wanted to see the troops. As he put it, all he wanted to do was spend time with the soldiers, to greet them, encourage them and see how they were doing. As luck would have it, the "Soldiers General" met with about 50 of our great soldiers in "my" Dining Hall that day in 1976.

I’ve shared that story many times over the years as an example of true leadership. Despite having risen to the highest rank possible in the U.S. Army, and to the highest military position under the Commander-in-Chief, General of the Army Omar Bradley knew the importance of building confidence and trust with the people who were on the front lines—the troops who had to get the job done and perhaps even make the ultimate sacrifice if necessary.

It’s a great reminder to executives, managers, supervisors and anyone else in a position of responsibility in a company or organization. People matter. Relationships are the key. And nothing good happens when morale is low.

Take stock of your organization by examining the relationships you have with your staff. See where there’s room for improvement, and commit yourself to doing something about it. When you do, you’ll see a change in their performance—and yours—and in the overall effectiveness of the organization as a whole.

Jim Ondrus pioneered the management concept of Leadership Transitioning™. He is president of JA Ondrus, LLC, a Canton, Ohio executive coaching firm.