11/16 – Leadership Ruck
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How (Not) To Lead: Leadership Ruck 11/16
Today we are going to be looking at examples in How Not to Lead. Let’s start by thinking of a bad leader you have experienced in your life. Talk with your partner about what made them a bad leader.
Question 1: What made that person a bad leader?
Quintus Servilius Caepio (k-eye-pee-oh) was a Roman statesman and general in 106 B.C. Operating in Gaul (present day France) he made a couple of costly decisions. First, he captured a town where the enemy had a treasure of 50,000 bars of gold and 10,000 bars of silver, which were stolen from the Empire. He sent this treasure back to Rome, but only the silver made it back. A band of marauders (hired by General Caepio himself) captured the 50,000 bars of gold, which were never recovered.
Question 2: In what ways does a bad leader take advantage of their position of authority? Any examples?
General Caepio’s second mistake was in dealing with the nomadic and dangerous Cimbri (Kim-bree) tribe. Two Roman armies were sent to deal with this threat, Caepio’s, and the army of Mallius Maximus. General Maximus outranked Caepio and should have been in charge. Caepio was worried that Maximus would successfully negotiate with the Cimbri and take all the credit, so Caepio launched a hasty assault…and his army was annihilated. The Cimbri, emboldened by their victory, then attacked the unprepared forces of Maximus and destroyed them as well. 80,000 Roman soldiers died.
Question 3: How should Caepio have handled the situation? Have you ever struggled with shared leadership?
Upon returning to Rome, Caepio was stripped of his authority and tried for the theft of the gold, but acquitted. He was then tried for the loss of his army…and convicted. The harsh sentence included being stripped of his citizenship, exiled, and fined 15,000 talents (or 825,000 lbs.) of gold!
Question 4: Caepio was selfish, and paid the price. How does a leader do the opposite? How do you become a servant-leader?
Unfortunately, the answer isn’t always “be nice.” Union General George McClellan was a superb organizer and well-loved by all. His military leadership was cautious and apprehensive. After being fired and re-hired, he was pitted against Robert E. Lee at Antietam. McClellan failed to take action when he had numerous advantages, including 20,000 more soldiers, a home field advantage, and even a copy of Robert E. Lee’s secret battle plans. This led to the ‘bloodiest day in American history’ and the war dragging on for 3 more years.
Question 5: As a leader, how do you know when you are being too cautious? How do you get over that?
Bonus Question 6: What was a failed leadership moment in your life that you learned from?