George Marshall offered a lot of leadership lessons during his eventful life.
A significant example came as the United States was gearing up for World War II. The former Vancouver soldier offered to quit his job.
His legacy was honored when Kate Benson received the 2011 Gen. George C. Marshall Public Leadership Award last week. The annual award, presented by the Fort Vancouver National Trust, recognizes Marshall’s example of public service.
Marshall commanded Vancouver Barracks’ 5th Infantry Brigade from 1936 to 1938, living in the home on Officers Row that now bears his name.
During World War II, Marshall served as U.S. Army chief of staff. He set an uncompromising standard, said Gerald M. Pops, author of “Ethical Leadership in Turbulent Times: Modeling the Public Career of George C. Marshall.”
After the book came out, Pops discussed some of Marshall’s leadership characteristics during a visit to Vancouver. Marshall served in World War I, and as he moved up the ranks, he saw that military leaders based their war plans on their previous conflicts.
Marshall concluded that, “We need to plan for the next war, not the last war,” Pops said.
Pops said that Marshall demanded vigorous, dynamic leadership, and figured he wouldn’t get it from old-timers. As the officer corps expanded to keep pace with overall Army growth, Marshall established an age cutoff of 50 for combat command positions.
He stipulated that an officer’s record would not be a consideration in allowing someone 50 or older to keep his command, let alone get a promotion.
“He had to say no to all his World War I friends,” said Pops, a former professor of public administration at West Virginia University.
While there were rare exceptions, “He got a lot of criticism.”
FDR says N-O
Marshall turned it into an example of leadership, Pops said, when he went to President Franklin D. Roosevelt with another recommendation.
Acknowledging that he was 59 years old and didn’t meet his own criteria for leadership, Marshall went to the president.
Marshall wrote a letter of resignation, Pops said, and “Roosevelt threw it away.”
— Tom Vogt
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