You Can Be a Leader: Leadership Principles to Achieve Excellence

Chapter Thirteen What Is Your 25 Cent Reward?

As a Blackhawk Helicopter Flight Platoon Leader during the 1990s, I was near the end of a four-month long Peace Keeping deployment to Bosnia-Herzegovina, when a soldier came to my tent and told me the commander wanted to see me in his office. I rolled off of my too short and uncomfortable olive drab nylon cot, zipped up my flight suit, and put on my over-used boots.

I quickly strode to the commander's office, which was actually the front section of his tent and opened the flap. My commander waved me in, "Come on in Tim. I have a project for you."

I wasn't worried about being given any extra work and lightly answered, "Yes sir, what do you have for me?"

"I want you to submit everyone in your platoon for an achievement award."

I was slightly confused by this order, "Everyone?"

My commander raised his eyebrows, "You heard me, everyone...and I mean everyone. You will submit everyone in your platoon for an award for achievement."

My first thought was, Everyone doesn't deserve a reward. Sure most of my pilots and crew chiefs do, but if I give the award to everyone, won't it cheapen the award?

Seeing my indecision, he asked, "Any questions? Issues?"

"No sir."

"I want them on my desk by COB tomorrow."

I hesitantly answered, "Roger Sir."

On the way back to my tent, the thought of putting everyone in for an award was still bothering me.

My indecision was more difficult to think through because I greatly respected my commander for his leadership, decision-making skills, and judgment. I can't forget to mention, this guy had guts. He wasn't afraid of voicing his disagreement to anyone, no matter the rank. But at the moment, my thoughts were focused on the theory that everyone should not get a ribbon for just participating.

The next day, I voiced my concerns to him in his office. Smiling, he said, "Sit down Tim," reaching under his desk removed two sodas from a cooler and handed me one. "I understand your concerns, but let me show you something."

He opened one of the two drawers of his desk that one of our industrious soldiers had fabricated for him out of plywood. He withdrew an Army Achievement Ribbon and flipped it right side up on the desktop.

Slowly picking it up, he held the small cloth ribbon between his forefinger and thumb in front of my face and asked, "What does this ribbon cost?"

I answered, "Maybe twenty-five cents for the ribbon and an hour to write up the award?"

Setting the ribbon down he replied, "Exactly. It costs you almost nothing."

I was still confused. "Sir, but I don't want to water down the importance of the award."

He picked up the ribbon again, "Tim, this twenty-five cent ribbon is going to earn you a lifetime of loyalty from your soldiers."

"How so, sir?"

"Soldiers earn promotion points for this award, which will help them earn rank faster. When they wear it on their uniform, their parents, wife or kids will tell them how proud of them they are...then, they will think of you. They will be grateful and proud that you took the time to show how much you appreciated their hard work. In turn they will work their asses off for you."

I had to stew on this for a moment until I saw the pure genius of the gesture. I stood up, "You'll have the award requests on your desk by COB tomorrow sir."

My commander smiled broadly and shook my hand saying, "You won't regret this."

He was right. My officers and soldiers respected me for the gesture; I could see it in their faces and the faces of their families when I met them at a store or at work.