Art, Craft, or Science: How We Think about Military Leadership
Therese Heltberg | December 29, 2016
Art, Craft, or Science: How We Think about Military Leadership
Just one final stronghold stands in the way of Roman victory and the promise of peace throughout the empire.
These words appear on-screen in the opening scene of the movie Gladiator. Soldiers are lining up for battle against the barbarian tribes in Germania. Russell Crowe’s character, Roman Gen. Maximus Decimus Meridius, walks along the ranks of the army. The soldiers rise as he approaches, looking at him with respect and admiration. Maximus seems calm and determined as he commands, “At my signal, unleash hell.”
At this critical moment, in this pivotal battle, Maximus moves on to lead the dangerous and decisive part of the tactical maneuver behind enemy lines. In the forest where the cavalry await him, he inspires courage in his men by validating the enduring legacy of their actions that day, linking past, present, and future. “Brothers, what we do in life echoes in eternity.”
http://mwi.usma.edu/art-craft-science-think-military-leadership/
