LEAD NOT DRIVE

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 105, 28 January 1943, Page 4

LEAD NOT DRIVE

Brigadier Conway Advises Officer Cadets IMPORTANCE OF INTEREST IN THEIR MEN “We believe, and the opinion is held by others outside this country who are in a position to judge, that the New Zealand soldiers are second to none and you should be proud to bo appointed to command such men,” said the Adjutant-General of the New Zealand Forces, Brigadier A. E. Conway, 0.8. E., N.Z.S.C., when he addressed 206 officer cadets at their passing-ovt ceremony at the Army School of Instruction yesterday.

Brigadier Conway continued that New Zealand soldiers were discerning and critical men. It did not take them long to- weigh up their leaders and decide whether they were “the goods” or not. Therefore, it was all the more important for those he was addressing to learn, their job more thoroughly in order to win the confidence of their men. Without this, they would be hopeless as leaders. How well they would succeed depended entirely on themselves.

They had learnt only the elementary side of their new responsibility and still had a long way to go. That essential part of their work —experience—had still to come. When they were posted out to units their real work would begin.

In civil life every man was striving for himself and often thought little of others. In the Army they had to get that idea out of their heads. Here they had to function as small cogs in a very large machine and’ subordinate their own ideas to those of the Army as a whole. They could not be selfish. They must think of others and most of all of their men. The most common complaints about some young officers—not necessarily young in years but youn™ in rank —were that they’were not always as interested in their men as they should be it they were going 1 to do their job properly and expect those under them to respect their command. The time might come when their own lives would depend on the actions of their men. That alone should be suflicient incentive to them to realize their responsibilities. . “The men cannot kick or object but have got to do as they are told and your job is to make their lives as comfortable and happy as possible under whatever circumstances you are in and no more irksome than is necessary, continued Brigadier Conway. Leading, not driving, should be their aim. It was no use bullying men, no matter who they were, sarcasm was quite out of place in dealing with them. The men had to serve.under the officers placed over them and it was as important to give praise when it was deserved as it was to blame, lhe average man liked to be well managed. He could not stand unfair treatment or better treatment for some than for others. . There was no place in the Army for a man who would not get on with his job. There had been too many disasters through commanders not grasping the nettle and getting on with the job. The man who “knew his stuff” was confident in himself and this confidence inspired that of others in him. Personal example was most important.