The Core of Leadership Has Always Been to Set an Example

From Leonidas to Alexander the Great to Wellington to Stonewall Jackson to Rommel, the very core of leadership has always been to set an example and let soldiers see that their leaders care about them, share the same risks and conditions. In the old [U.S.] Army horse [cavalry], the leader’s creed was: “Take care of the horses first, then your men, then yourself.” The best way to get this message across is by living as the troops do, leading them up front, and always, always setting the example: first up, last to eat and last to lie down.

— Steel My Soldiers’ Hearts, Chapter 5