PLSO The Oregon Surveyor Sept/Oct 2020

Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon |  www.plso.org 3 From the PLSO Chairman failing to prepare for future successors and not having a realistic vision for the future (Finzel, 1994). Advancing Toward Leadership Leaders make mistakes; however, good leaders learn frommistakes by overcom- ing the barriers to fulfill the organization’s mission. Leaders make things happen, and good leaders influence others to do things they would never have done on their own. Lewis “Chesty” Puller was the most decorated Marine in history, serv- ing as both enlisted and commissioned. He had common sense, looked after the welfare of his men, was known for his acts of valor and courage, and believed in leading by example from the front. He earned the loyalty and respect from the enlisted by sharing in their common life and by inspiring those in his com- mand to be their best, even during the “fighting retreat” of the Chosin Reservoir. Chesty never asked his men to do any- thing he wouldn’t do himself, if he could. Leaders look after the welfare of their subordinates, are courageous, and lead by example from the front (USMC, 1979) (Brown, 2020). Leaders are not only examples, but they are also committed to the vision, mission, and plans of the organization. Leaders have a sense of moral duty that brings people together to complete a mission; in the military it is called “Esprit de Corps.” An example of Esprit de Corps is the Ma- rine Corps color policy: “There is only one color —Marine Corps Green.” While on a West Pac, two dark green Marines and I sought to show our Esprit de Corps by forming a trio we called “The Oreos.” We had one song, “My Girl” from the Temptations. Esprit de Corps in the Ma- rine Corps is concerned with developing leaders, completing the mission, and our duty and less concerned with skin color. Leaders lead by example from the front and have a sense of duty toward the or- ganization’s mission that inspires Esprit de Corps. (USMC, 1979) A Path to Leadership When Col. Puller commanded the 1st Marine Regiment during the evacuation mission of Chosin Reservoir, he was quot- ed as saying, “We’ve been looking for the enemy for some time now. We’ve final - ly found him. We’re surrounded. That simplifies things.” Similarly, PLSO has found itself surrounded by new technolo- gies, “encroachments” by other professions, the “greying” of our profession, and re- cently, COVID-19. Sometimes it is easy to see ourselves trapped and surrounded by the new reality of physical distancing, masking, and teleconferencing. Just as those who fought against the People’s Army, our problem is simplified. The path goes two ways, toward the enemy or toward the harbor. The path toward the enemy leads us to the same place we started, while the path toward leadership moves us through unfriendly territory. We know the problem; the solution is preparing a leadership path for the ris- ing generation. We are an organization that cares about its members, the future of our profession and those desiring to become a surveyor. As UN and X Corps were being evacuat- ed, Oliver P. Smith, Commanding General of the 1st Marines Division, didn’t see it as a retreat when he said “Retreat, hell. We’re not retreating. We’re just advanc- ing in another direction.” Unless we leave it to the next generation, advancing in another direction is not retreat. We are surrounded, that simplifies things. Over the next few months and into the next year, the Steering Committee will con- tinue efforts to advance the Professional Practices Committee charter toward a program that will educate current and potential leaders. The price of leadership is high and there are barriers to over- come, but the alternative is retreating into irrelevance and obsolescence. This is our opportunity to advance toward leadership. “Goodnight Chesty, wherev- er you are.”  x Lewis “Chesty” Puller, public domain photo from the National Archive.