Operator’s Manual
‘Man Up’ Is a Leadership Myth That Will Wipe You Out
Veterans understand what business leaders must realize: Being an authoritarian leader is the sure path to ruin
I smelled the stale cigarette smoke as soon as I walked into the meeting room, a small conference room in an American Legion post located in a strip mall. My hosts, a VA-sponsored center for veterans working with the consequences of post-traumatic stress disorder, had read my book and asked if I might come to speak to the vets. I was surprised by the request — it hadn’t occurred to me that my work, my message about leadership being the means by which we might grow up, would find resonance and be helpful to folks who fought our wars, let alone those who, in their weary hearts, continued to fight those battles. But when the request was made, I didn’t hesitate.
Instead, I thought of my father, a veteran of World War II who spent years of my childhood visiting his local VA hospital, sitting with older vets. I had to say yes.
Walking into the American Legion post, I was struck by how familiar it felt. There was, of course, the familiar smell of stale cigarettes, but there was also the black-and-white 8x10 photos of past post “commanders” in various poses: sitting for…
