Measure Twice, Cut Once and Quickly

Prof. Huggy Rao

Looking good on television or streaming video is a key component of leadership in the modern age. Unfortunately, some people may make the mistake of ignoring other qualities.

Knowledge of specific details and the ability to listen, communicate clearly, work tirelessly, and set a good example are still equally, perhaps more important.

Stanford Business School professor Hayagreeva “Huggy” Rao cites the example of a military leader not well-known to the younger generation:

(Arlington Cemetery website)

I think the best military leader America ever had was Matthew Ridgway. Ridgway was a brigadier general during World War II.

He replaced Douglas MacArthur on the Korean operation. He’d never fought in Asia, never led a land battle. He had no idea about Korea.

As soon as he took charge, he spent the first couple of days flying around Korea. He took the navigator’s seat. They flew all over, noting rivers, lakes, mountains.

Once he understood the geography and topography of Korea, he met regimental commanders and would ask them a series of questions to assess their leadership readiness. Often, his first questions had to do with geography. Where’s the nearest river? How deep is it? If the commander wasn’t able to answer, he was fired instantly because he was going to endanger their troops. That is wartime leadership.

Despite the pressure, Matthew Ridgway took some time figuring out what to do. Once he knew, he didn't hesitate to act.