Book Review · The Cost of Loyalty
A must-read for veterans. 288 pages. Military and leadership.
LOYALTY OVER INTEGRITY
America as a whole and both major political parties hold its military in high regard. Yet, we haven’t won a war since World War II, 75 years ago. Our military’s organization remains stuck in time two centuries ago, hierarchical and slow, in today’s fast and flat world. Consistent with the primary theme of this book, it values loyalty over integrity.
WHAT IF YOUR BOSS SAYS SOME REALLY DUMB SHIT?
I had a boss one time who argued that Rule #1 is to do what your boss says. Blind obedience, of course, begs the question of what one should do when the boss says something incredibly dumb, or even harmful. A sensible person would argue that one owes a higher loyalty to doing the right thing. But suppose one lived in a world in which his livelihood depended on loyalty. And what if that world also imposed civil and criminal action against speaking out? Might not the cost of integrity approach, or even exceed, that of loyalty?
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