Manpower

by Lincoln C. Andrews

Where Leadership Really Shows.—As we watch a skillful boss directing his men through a job, tools and material all at hand, every man moving efficiently, all the parts working smoothly toward the result, how natural it is to exclaim, "What teamwork!" and "What a leader!" But out of years of experience I tell you that this leader seems so good, not because God especially endowed him with skill, but because he has previously sat down and planned out how he was going to handle this especial job, and because he took pains to see to it ahead of time that everything was prepared for the work. His superior leadership shows not in the work he is here doing, but in the work he did beforehand in building up the discipline and teamwork of his men and in making preparation for handling this especial job efficiently. That is why he may now appear so quietly sure of himself and his men, and that is the real task for leadership—fitting self, men, and team ahead of time so they may work smoothly to the best advantage without waste or friction.

Assuring the Confidence of the Men.—It is a common fault of leaders to take too much for granted and assume that men understand conditions without bothering to explain them. Remember that a man cannot give good work if his mind is harboring fear, distrust, or even questionings as to his rights, his duties or his assurance of receiving impartial justice and fair dealing. Confidence and a knowledge of the conditions under which he works will keep his mind free from these disturbing invaders. Instead of assuring this mental freedom, many leaders are so poor as positively to inject fear and anxiety. Perhaps nothing can do more to free his mind at once for useful impulses than to provide him with printed rules and regulations which clearly define the policy of the undertaking as regards administration and control; the rights, duties and mutual relations of its members; and particularly the method by which each may secure immediate consideration by superior authority in case of real or fancied invasion of his right to justice and impartial treatment. We all know that in industry the man's distrust of the impartiality and honesty of his boss is often justified, and we can see the advantages of letting the man know his rights and giving him easy sure access to higher authority. The vastness of modern organizations has too often made management forget its responsibility in the matter of discipline and fair treatment among its employees. These laborers find themselves to-day in a case not unlike that of our forefathers who had to force from their tyrant king a written acknowledgement of their rights—yet rights so simple and fundamental as would seem to go without saying, and to require safeguarding only from a selfish, unfeeling brute. To none will we sell, to none will we deny or delay, right or justice may well be borrowed from Magna Charta and published as a fundamental rule for the interior administration of many modern enterprises.

Assuring Justice.—The possession of authority makes a wise man consider the rights of others, lest he do a grave injustice. It is likely to have a far different effect on a man of narrow soul and intellect. He often becomes selfish, mean and arrogant, indifferent to the feelings and rights of others, partial to favorites whom he chooses for selfish reasons. He thus denies justice and forfeits his right to leadership. Such men as bosses in industry are often the cause of serious labor troubles, and are always the cause of reduced production. By deceit and duplicity they may long conceal these qualities from higher authority, while they continue to negative the most humane policies of management. For this reason, when troubles show in any group of men, first seek the source in the defective leadership of their boss. It is for this same reason that successful management finds means to check up the methods of its subordinates, and has it clearly understood by all that every man has ready access to higher authority for the presentation of any grievance.

Joy of Doing Work Well.—A man naturally takes real delight in doing a piece of work well, in the successful play of his constructive instincts. He gets an actual pleasure from doing well whatever he puts his hand to. This was another of Nature's wise endowments when she determined that man should be her main instrument for progress in the world. Whatever a man is doing in an agreeable frame of mind, he finds himself naturally striving for perfection—the farmer looks back with pleasurable reward to see that he has turned a clean, straight furrow, the carpenter and mechanic get an inward glow from the perfect fitting of a joint, and it was not poetic fancy which made David Grey take such delight in digging that drainage ditch under a hot summer sun. These joys from fine execution of work are the result of a natural instinct, and form one of the best means for getting results if the leader knows how to use them.

When you see a man taking no interest in his work and not trying to get good results, perhaps even purposely doing poor work, you may be sure that something is fundamentally wrong. Some stronger instinct has been aroused whose force forbids the operation of this happy one for construction. Our strongest instincts are those which regard our self-protection, and one of these may be causing the trouble. If conditions are such as to make the man fearful of his welfare, of his livelihood or of injustice, contrary instincts are likely to overcome or at least confuse the instinct to do well. So we may expect superior results only under a system which assures fairness and justice, and under a leader who honestly practices them.

The Curse of Conscious Deadbeating.—A common complaint of labor is that the end of work finds the man too tired to do anything else that day. This is true, however, not because of the amount of work he has done but because of the small amount of interest and ambition which he has been allowed to put into it. Man is so designed that he is happiest in doing hard work and good work if he may but take the right spirit to it. This is the curse of the lack of trust between employer and employees, and the consequent labor union policies which deny to their members the privilege of giving full play to their constructive instincts. These policies establish a standard of mediocrity, and thus do daily violence to the character of those capable ambitious men who, instead of being free to give their best, are thus forced to work consciously as "deadbeats." No wonder that these men are tired at night and that they have no heart for outside interests. They are working in a spirit which saps their manhood and injures their self-respect as members of the community. You may see this evidenced in their hang-dog faces as they "soldier" on their jobs. Nothing but honest belief in the necessity for this policy of loafing could hold them loyal to it. Even this will not always do it; for men often become more interested in the success of "their business," their undertaking, than they are for the time being in the observance of union regulations. When no particular danger threatens or issue is at stake, a clever boss may so appeal to the constructive instincts as to make them dominate the self-protective ones.

Public opinion is likely to play an important part in the above question. The community is interested in anything which so materially affects the character of its citizens and the output of its industries. It may come to a decision; and demand certain action which it believes will correct a situation it finds so injurious. And it may do this without a true conception of the facts, so that its dictum is as likely to offend the best interests of the laborer as of the employer. Far better that the leaders of both should themselves solve their common problem for their own common interest—and many have done this.

This question must be a serious consideration for leaders of labor. For only that leadership can last which makes for progress. Its purpose must be clear and honest, and must satisfy the constructive instincts. Otherwise its following will fall away, to seek some other which offers this satisfaction. Appeals to passion and prejudice will carry men a long way in a short time, but sooner or later comes the time for serious thinking. Then these men must be convinced that their course makes for progress and greater ultimate good. And unless the leadership has had a broad vision based on realities, they will discover its fallacy or selfishness, and so abandon it.

Depending on a Man.—You can make a man feel so strongly that you are trusting him to play fair in a certain matter, "put it up to him" in such a way, that his sense of manhood and good sportsmanship will make him feel that he owes it to you to make good. This is a strong influence on conduct—too strong to be used constantly. It may easily become burdensome to ordinary mortals, who generally want more freedom from the promptings of conscience. The point is to use it only in special cases, and thus get its good effect both in results obtained and on the man's character. When you do use it, do so quite naturally and easily without too much fuss or talking, and certainly without formally "putting him on his honor." There should be no apparent question of your confidence being justified—it is so sure that you do not have to talk about it. Here is an illustration: I found in my command at Camp Grant a husky soldier who was a prisoner serving a three months sentence, and considered a surly, insubordinate brute who would never be disciplined. Soon thereafter his major brought him to me with a most unusual request for authority to let the man go to Chicago to be with his wife during a serious operation. The man stated his case—too proud and obstinate to ask any favors. I discovered that he felt that his first punishment had been a rank injustice, and that he had thereafter been so sore as willfully to defy authority. I asked how long he would need to be in Chicago—he did not know. I took the chance and authorized the major to let him go in perfect freedom and stay as long as the man found necessary. He was back long before we expected him and in an entirely new frame of mind. He soon had the remainder of his sentence remitted for good behavior, and before we left for France he had become a non-commissioned officer and one of the best subordinate leaders for arousing loyal service. Another good citizen made—or at least saved from the hell he was driving into. If he survived the war he is to-day proud of the service he once hated for its injustice—and some day no doubt he will be championing his major for mayor of the city.