Comments on Men Who Lead Well: What Forrest Guth Never Said from his Foxhole

Certainly, ours is a coddled generation. As much a...

2011-11-11T07:55:42.759-08:00

Certainly, ours is a coddled generation. As much as I like to think myself as different, I cannot escape that I have been raised in one of the weathiest and most comfortable societies in human history. Yet now it seems that great challenges are threatening the global social order, and great leaders are needed. Whether I am leading thousands or just those closest to me, will I be a leaders who is willing to sacrifice personal comfort for the good of those around me? Thanks for another challenging and thought-provoking post, Marcus.

thank you for answering my question Marcus. And th...

2011-11-09T23:35:20.961-08:00

thank you for answering my question Marcus. And thanks for the kind words Kaylee and Marcus.
You are right, besides the weather Normandy was the same hell as Bastogne was. Maybe my point of view is kind of narrowed because I just talk to vets when I'm in Bastogne and there they are all talking about that place. It's time for me to discover Normandy :-)
I can not imagine what it would be to know you can get killed any second you are on the front line. I don't know if I would get lunatic or if I would be able to swollow it down.

Looking forward to next wednesday!
T

Leadership is less about power and authority and m...

2011-11-09T15:38:48.752-08:00

Leadership is less about power and authority and much more about obligation. Even when the job is tough, fullfilling an oath or obligation becomes paramount in true leaders. Mr. Guth would have returned to his unit even if he had known how horrendous it would be. That's what true leaders do!

Thanks for your comment as well, Kaylee. I hadn&...

2011-11-09T10:39:49.306-08:00

Thanks for your comment as well, Kaylee.

I hadn't drawn an application to marriage, but now that you've said it, it makes a lot of sense. Yes, there are tons of "heart" moments in a marriage, but tons of "willing" moments too.

Thanks for your good input.

Good question, Tobias. I agree with Marcus. I th...

2011-11-09T10:32:46.666-08:00

Good question, Tobias. I agree with Marcus. I think Mr. Guth would do it all over again. He wanted to be there with the other men regardless of the circumstances. I think that's what is at the heart of curahee. We stand alone together no matter what.

Any analogies that come to mind definitely pale in comparison to Mr. Guth's harrowing experiences as Tobias points out. But, I'm familiar with the concept of continuing with something that's difficult. I think the drive to keep going stems from a combination of things. Doing the right thing regardless of the obstacles, determination to achieve a goal, the desire to support someone else physically or emotionally are some of the reasons that come to mind.

It reminds me in some ways of wedding vows. For better or worse, in sickness and in health...those promises are ripe with possibilities where it would be much easier to bail out. But, if you honor your vows you stay in there and face it all together.

Tobi, yours is a thoughtful comment, thank you. I ...

2011-11-09T09:52:34.146-08:00

Tobi, yours is a thoughtful comment, thank you. I appreciate your perspective as well--like, the things you have encountered do not compare to what Guth went through, so you're holding them back.

I wonder at the question you raise. Even though Guth basically missed all of Operation Market Garden, except the jump into Holland, he had already experienced all the horror of Normandy by the time he was wounded. So he knew what battle was all about.

Bastogne, in hindsight, might have been a more difficult battle than Normandy, simply from the perspective of the extreme weather. But Normandy certainly had its share of horrific killing and bloodshed.

So I think Guth knew exactly what he was doing when he walked out of the hospital. Or pretty close to it. He knew he could easily get killed again if he went back to battle, and/or that he would potentially experience much difficulty again.

Your question was a good one--thanks for making me think.

I really thought about what I should comment on th...

2011-11-09T00:35:52.909-08:00

I really thought about what I should comment on this again great blog entry. Thank you very much for it by the way Marcus.
There are several occasions I could name where things has to be done even I don't love them to do. But no one of them seem to be appropriate to post here. Cause they are nothing against the burden Goody had to take.

What my question is, if he would have known what going back to the line means, would he make the same choice again? Sure he knew what war and loosing friends was about, but the Battle of the Bulge was different as any other battle at the wester front of WWII. Seeing your buddies get blown to pieces by artillery is something you can not bear I guess.

yours
T