April 25; Follow Me;
MANAGEMENT BY THE BOOK:
365 Daily Bible Verse &
One-Minute Management Lessons For The Busy Faithful

Chapter Four: Relationships; 25 April

As Jesus went on from there,

he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.

“Follow me,” he told him,

and Matthew got up and followed him.

Matthew 9:9

Example

“Follow Me!” is the cry of the Infantry. Your Business Professor once did Temporary Duty in Fort Benning, Georgia, home of the Army Infantry School. I was an Armor Officer, which means I rode high and dry and my tank commanders followed me (usually out of idle curiosity).

Tanks are large at some 50 tons and hard to lose.

The Infantry has a mission a little closer to the earth with leadership that is practiced with direct contact with direct reports.

The motto of the Infantry is, “Follow Me!” The late Major General Aubrey “Red” Newman is credited with the phrase during WWII when his unit was pinned down by enemy fire on an island in the Pacific.

He did not hold a debate or committee meeting or take a vote, he simply stood up and said, “Follow Me!” and moved in the direction that would take his men to victory. He told them to follow; he led by example.

There was not much persuading or drama, just as when Jesus was recruiting disciples. As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. Matthew 9:9.

This is the ‘lead’ part of management. Saint Matthew overcame the inertia of his work and followed his new Rabbi. His new teacher and Savior.

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In the 1928 Olympics, then Army Lieutenant Aubrey Newman competed in the pentathlon and finished a disappointing 16^th—he won no medal.

In the 1944 action on Leyte, Philippine Islands, Colonel Newman was a Regimental Commander—he was awarded The Distinguished Service Cross. The medal is awarded for extraordinary heroism in combat. The citation reads in part,

As a direct result of his energy, leadership and example the attack was pushed to a successful conclusion, and our troops drove the enemy from the position and continued their advance. Colonel Newman’s outstanding leadership and heroic devotion to duty were an inspiration to all members of his command…

Colonel, and later General, Newman led by example.

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