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DESTROYERS FOOTBALL "Just as fire tempers iron into fine steel so does adversity temper one's Character into firmness, tolerance, and determination..." This manual is a replication of the U.S. Army's Leadership Manual. It establishes leadership doctrine and fundamental principles for the Dunellen Destroyer football team. Leadership begins with what the leader must BE- the values and attributes that shape character. It may be helpful to think of these as internal and defining qualities possessed all the time. As defining qualities, they make up the identity of the leader. The knowledge that leaders should use in leadership is what we KNOW. Knowledge shapes a leader's identity and is reinforced by a leader's actions. While character and knowledge are necessary, by themselves they are not enough. Leaders cannot be effective until they apply what they know. What leaders DO, or leader actions, is directly related to the influence they have on others and what is done. We recognize seven values that must be developed in all Destroyer football players. It is not a coincidence that when reading the first letters of the Destroyers Values in sequence they form the acronym Loyaty LOYALTY: Bear true faith and allegiance to Dunellen High School, your teammates, the Destroyer football program and all those connected with it. "Loyalty is the big thing, the greatest battle asset of all. But no man ever wins the loyalty of troops by preaching loyalty. It is given him by them as he proves his possession of the other virtues." "There is a great deal of talk about loyalty from the bottom to the top. Loyalty from the top down is even more necessary and much less prevalent." DUTY: Fulfill your obligations. "I go anywhere in the world they tell me to go, any time they tell me to, to fight anybody they want me to fight. I move my family anywhere they tell me to move, on a day's notice, and live in whatever quarters they assign me. I work whenever they tell me to work?.And I like it." RESPECT: Treat people as they should be treated. Respect for the individual is the basis for the rule of law, the very essence of what our football program stands for. As a Destroyer, respect means treating others as they should be treated. This value reiterates that people are the most precious resource and that one is bound to treat others with dignity and respect. We will consistently foster a climate in which everyone is treated with dignity and respect, regardless of race, gender, creed, or religious belief. Fostering a balanced and dignified work climate begins with a leaders personal example. How a leader lives the Destroyers' Code shows teammates how they should behave. Teaching values is one of a leaders most important responsibilities. It helps create a common under- standing of the Destroyers' Code and expected standards. SELFLESS SERVICE: Put the welfare of the Program, the Team and your Teammates before your own. ...[A]sk not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. A team leader knows that the Destroyers cannot function except as a team. For a team to excel, the individual must give up self-interest for the good of the whole. HONOR: Live up to the Destroyers' Values. "War must be carried on systematically, and to do it you must have men of character activated by principles of honor." Honor belongs to those living by words and actions consistent with high ideals. The expression "honorable person" refers to the character traits an individual possesses that the community recognizes and respects. Honor is the glue that holds the Destroyers' Values together. Honor requires a person to demonstrate continuously an understanding of what is right. It implies taking pride in the community's acknowledgment of that reputation. Football award ceremonies recognizing individual and team achievements demonstrate and reinforce the importance the program places on honor. Honor demands putting the Team above self-interest and above career and personal comfort. INTEGRITY: Do what's right, legally and morally. "No nation can safely trust its martial honor to leaders who do not maintain the universal code which distinguishes between those things that are right and those things that are wrong Leaders of integrity consistently act according to clear principles, not just what works now. The Army relies on leaders of integrity who possess high moral standards and who are honest in word and deed. Leaders are honest to others by not presenting themselves or their actions as anything other than what they are, remaining committed to the truth. Leaders of integrity do the right thing not because it is convenient or because they have no other choice. They choose the path of truth because their character permits nothing less. Serving with integrity encompasses more than one component. However, these components are dependant on whether the leader inherently understands right versus wrong. Assuming the leader can make the distinction, a leader should always be able to separate right from wrong in every situation. Just as important, that leader should do what is right, even at personal cost. PERSONAL COURAGE: Face fear, danger, or adversity (physical and moral). "Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared." Personal courage is not the absence of fear. It is the ability to put fear aside and do what is necessary. Personal courage takes two forms: physical and moral. Good leaders demonstrate both. Physical courage requires overcoming fears of bodily injury and doing one's duty. It triggers bravery that allows a Destroyer to play with reckless abandon in spite of the fear of pain and or injury. Moral courage is the willingness to stand firm on values, principles, and convictions. It enables all leaders to stand up for what they believe is right, regardless of the consequences. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was a leader of great moral courage during his service as the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces Europe. He displayed this moral courage in a handwritten note he prepared for public release, in case the Normandy landings failed. Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air, and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it ismine alone-June 5. Moral courage also expresses itself as candor. Candor means being frank, honest, and sincere with others. It requires steering clear of bias, prejudice, or malice even when it is uncomfortable or may seem better to keep quiet. "The concept of professional courage does not always mean being as tough as nails, either. It also suggests a willingness to listen to the soldier's problems, to go to bat for them in a tough situation and it means knowing just how far they can go. It also means being willing to tell the boss when he is wrong." THE COURAGE TO LEAD Excellence can be attained if you... "Only those willing to risk going to far can possibly find out how far one can go."  |
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