| compare and contrast with Murtha. |
John Whyte commanded three companies, including a rifle company in Iraq. John was killed in an accident after returning from combat, when a car struck him while he was standing on the side of a Kansas City highway.
There is a proverb that reads, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Those who knew John might change it to read, "As iron sharpens iron, so John Whyte sharpens those around him." He was on a self-imposed mission to be the most effective leader that he could be, and even better, he was on a self- imposed mission to help other people do the same. He was driven to make a difference for his family, Soldiers, and the larger profession like no other person we have encountered. One of the many ways that he made a difference was by participating in the Platoon Leader and Company- Command professional forums. His contribution in these forums was, quite simply, remarkable. In tribute to John, we have captured a few of his words in this article.
Leadership Responsibility
The toughest leadership challenge I had was bearing the personal responsibility for my Soldiers throughout operations. I really took it to heart. I guess I probably wouldn't do it differently, but it was a personal challenge in that it was harder than I had expected. My Soldiers were actually able (and very willing) to do a lot more than I was ready to ask them to do at first. Later, when Soldiers got hurt, I second-guessed myself a lot and that slowed me down. It snuck up on me, but I realized later that it really took its toll over several months. My first sergeant and I became very close and we got through it together. I learned from him to give the platoons some guidance and let them execute. He taught me the difference between company leader and company commander.
| More at the link. Just one way in which (internal to the Army) blogs/discussion sites are passing lessons-learned to young commanders. |
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