“All right.” The captain smiled. “Then consider this … By the book, is it better or order soldiers to shape up or to lead by example?”
“Lead by example, sir,” Armstrong replied briskly, back on familiar ground.
“Then why don’t you?”
The lieutenant under fire frowned, his eyes wandering from their straight-ahead stare to look directly at the commander for the first time since the interview began.
“I … I don’t understand, sir,” he said. “I try to conduct myself in an exemplary manner. I thought I was … I try to be the best Legionnaire in the company.”
“You have that potential,” Phule acknowledged easily, “but I think you’re overlooking one vital element. Most people don’t want to be seen as a tight-assed, overbearing prig … which is what you tend to show them. If anything, your manner is driving them away from proper military behavior because no one wants to be like you.”
Armstrong opened his mouth to reply, but the commander cut him off with a gesture.
“I don’t want to talk about it, Armstrong. I want you to think about it. Then maybe we’ll talk about specifics. If you can temper your rigid manner with a little compassion, show that someone can be a bandbox soldier and still be human, then the troops will follow you anywhere because they want to, not because they’re ordered to.”
The lieutenant wrenched his gaze back to its original distant stare and nodded once, curtly, as his only acknowledgment of having heard Phule’s words.
“As for you, Lieutenant Rembrandt,” the commander said, swiveling his chair to face the second of his sub-chieftains, “it appears you don’t expect, or want, anyone to look to you for an example. “