This excerpt from Building Leaders The West Point Way by Major General Joseph P. Franklin complements nicely a previous post on changing organizational culture by surrounding yourself with the right people:
I learned a real lesson in corporate leadership, which boils down to this simple piece of advice: you have to surround yourself with good people who know what they’re doing and feel comfortable being totally honest with you.
I highly recommend reading the entire book because it debunks the widely held belief that military school leaders advise or condone hazing and other forms of arbitrary discipline as a way to “build brotherhood” and genuine relationships.
The discipline which makes the soldiers of a free country reliable in battle is not to be gained by harsh or tyrannical treatment. On the contrary, such treatment is far more likely to destroy than to make an army.
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The one mode or the other of dealing with subordinates springs from a corresponding spirit in the breast of the commander. He who feels the respect which is due to others cannot fail to inspire in them respect for himself, while he who feels, and hence manifests, disrespect towards others, especially his inferiors, cannot fail to inspire hatred against himself.
The brother who spends the most time bossing around new members is almost always the least-respected brother in the chapter. If you want to earn the respect of younger members, show them how an exemplary brother acts.
Serve in the Light of Truth 