What makes someone a leader? Is it the rank on their collar? The size of their office? The number of people beneath them on an organisation chart? None of these.
One of my greatest takeaways from serving my National Service in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) was learning the difference between rank and leadership.
In the SAF, commanders are designated as leaders by virtue of their rank. Specialists and officers go through command school, graduate, and are placed in charge of sections or platoons. A junior specialist leads seven to sixteen men in a section, while a junior officer leads three to four sections. On paper, these commanders are leaders. But in practice, it tells you little about how good of a leader they are.
It is not uncommon for many of us to mistake rank for leadership. After all, we would expect that the higher the rank, the more of a leader they are, right? In truth, leadership has little to do with rank, position, or authority. True leadership requires only one thing: followers who choose to follow because they trust the one they follow has their best interests at heart.
A true leader does not need a rank or position of authority to be one. I’ve met great “men” (non-commanders) who are absolutely leaders because they have shown deep care for the people around them. They are leaders I would trust and follow because I believe they have my best interests at heart.
On the other hand, I’ve also met pompous, arrogant commanders who demanded respect by virtue of their rank. While they had authority and responsibilities associated with their position of leadership, they are absolutely not leaders. We do not trust they have our best interests at heart, nor are we willing to follow them out of our own volition. We follow out of a fear of being scolded, punished or fired. Now, is that really a sign of good leadership?
Of course, this is not to insinuate that all commanders are cut from the same mold. I've met excellent commanders too, ones whom people choose to follow without question because they would willingly put the needs of those in their charge above their own. The point is: we simply cannot conflate someone's rank with their leadership ability. Great leaders exist across all levels in a hierarchy, but they are incredibly difficult to come by. Great leaders are precious.
In a military setting, trust in your commanders is a matter of life and death, especially in times of war. There is no time to question your commander’s decision seconds before an airstrike hits. You’ll have to trust that their decision was made with your best interests at heart.
The challenge with trust is that it cannot be bought or demanded. You will not trust someone simply because they asked you to. Trust has to be earned. It is earned when a leader puts your needs before their own. It is earned when a leader takes all the blame and gives away all the credit. It is earned when a leader does all this consistently, not only when their promotion is on the line.
But trust is like a porcelain plate. Once it is handled carelessly and shatters, it is impossibly difficult to restore. It is broken when a “leader” abuses their rank and authority. It is broken when a “leader” sacrifices those in their charge to achieve their own ends (like a promotion). It is broken when a “leader” fails to follow through on promises.
We can all do our part to become better leaders by caring deeply for those around us. We strive to earn the trust of those whom we lead, so that in times of war, they’ll trust us when the airstrike hits. This is the standard we should all hold ourselves to.