Military Review English Edition November-December 2013 | Page 77

THE ELECTRON THEORY
OF LEADERSHIP
Enabling Senior Leaders to Really See Their Organizations
Maj. Gen. Richard Longo, U.S. Army, and Lt. Col. Joe Doty, Ph.D., U.S. Army, Retired
It is the vicinity of Bayji, Iraq, and the company charged with defending the forward operationing base (FOB)
is staging a mounted combat patrol to conduct a counter-reconnaissance mission. The brigade commander, a
colonel, has decided to participate in the patrol to assess the overall security of the FOB and to see first-hand
whether subordinate commanders have adhered to his guidance and intent regarding standards and troop leading
procedures. Though the company commander and platoon leader are in the patrol, a young staff sergeant leads
the patrol and executes the mission superbly, expertly meeting all standards with a by-the-book application of
troop leading procedures.
The colonel walks away impressed with the quality of the mission, but unsure of whether the mission was an
anomaly. Troubled, he returns to the tactical operations center. As he reflects on the success of the mission, the
professionalism and discipline of the junior leaders, and how well planned the missions was, he is still bothered
knowing he did not have the time to go on every patrol.

Maj. Gen. Richard Longo is the deputy
commander of U.S. &?WW&?R??P?&Wf??W6?6W'fVB2F?R6????FW ??bR?2?6V?G&?6????N( ?26??&??V@?????B??FW&vV?7?F6?f?&6R?fv???7F???R???G2?7FW'2FVw&VR???V6????72g&????????V??fW'6?G????B?6?????RF?G????B??R?2?&???&WF?&VB?v?&?2???VFW"FWfV???V?@?f?"F?R66?????b?VF?6??RBGV?P?V??fW'6?G???R?2w&GVFR?bvW7@????B?6????FVBBF?R&GF?????WfV???B&Wf??W6?6W'fVB2F?P?FWWG?F?&V7F?"?bF?R6V?FW"f?"F?P?&?&?fW76????BWF??2????D??6????B6wB????&?&W'@?7vVV?W???7B'&?vFR6??&BFV???v6???wF??&??F????wV&B??7V?2F?'&?vFR6??F?W'2GW&??p?G&????rB6??F??vV?7??W&F??p?&6R?vW7B??&?bfV''V'?#??R?2?&??????D%?$Ud?Up??@???R( ?T?T5E$??D?T?%??b?VFW'6??( ??26??WF???r?b???`?V?V?V?F'???6?72?B?W76??2?V&?VB2?VFW'27&?72F?R&??fP?&?w&W76VBF?&?Vv???7&V6??r?WfV?2?bWF??&?G??&W7??6?&??G???B66?V?F&??G??2??FVB??&?F?7G&??RV&?6F???b?#"?&??VFW'6??????R?bF?R?W?&W7??6?&??F?W2?b?VFW"?2F??fRG'W7B?B'V??BG'W7B??F?v?&?Rv?F?F?F??2?2F??fRG'VRV?FW'7F?F??r?bv?B?2?V???p?BF?R??vW7B?&v?F?????WfV?( GF?RF??bF?R7V"?F?RVFvR??"v?W&RF?P?'V&&W"?VWG2F?R&?B?F??F?R??7B&?????v?W2?V?V7G&??2?B?VFW'6????v?BF?W2F??2?fRF?v?F?V?V7G&??3?V?V7G&??2&RF?R'V??F??r&??6?2?`?F??2?27V&?&F??FRV??G2&RF?R'V??F??r&??6?2?bF?R??F'????vV?W&????6?726?W'6R?F?R??7G'V7F?"??f?&?2F?R7GVFV?G2F?B66?V?6RF?W2??B???p?W2F?6VR?V?V7G&?????G2?GW&?7FFS??B?2??f?6?&?RF?W2?F?R???v?vP?6?6VR?B?2F?6???R?v?B???B?V?f?'GV?FV??F?R?6F????b?v?BF???V?V7G&???FW'2?G27FFR?6???&??v?V?6V???"6????FW"f?6?G27V&?&F??FRV??B???2?"?W"fW'?&W6V?6R??V6???RF?R?v?BF?F?RV?V7G&????FW'0?F?RV??Bg&???G2?GW&?7FFR?6????FW'2?W7BV?FW'7F?B?B?F?vFRF??0??V???V???F?6VRF?&?Vv??FV?F??( ?F?r?B???( ?6??r?B7F???vWB??67W&FR76W76?V?B?w&?V?BG'WF???bF?RV??B?(
"??fV?&W"?FV6V?&W"#0??sP???