At a very early age, Alexander Haig set his sights on becoming a soldier. According to a story told by his older sister, Regina, the four-year-old Alexander paraded through the house with his little cap and toy bugle, playing soldier games for hours on end. Little did he know that he would later rise from the rank of colonel to four-star general in only four years – a feat accomplished only by one other person in American military history: Dwight D. Eisenhower.

At age 10, Haig lost his father to cancer, and his mother raised her three children alone. In 1947, Alexander Haig graduated from the U.S. Military Academy with unspectacular grades (214th in his class of 310). With his eyes on mischief (and pretty girls) Cadet Haig’s conduct amassed a remarkable number of hours of punishment.

During General Haig’s highly decorated military career that culminated as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, he worked for an elite group of world leaders – MacArthur, Henry Kissinger, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.

The big headline about General Alexander M. Haig, Jr., of course, was that during a brief moment, after President Reagan was shot in 1981, he tried to calm an agitated group of White House reporters with the now famous words, "As of now, I am in control here pending the return of the Vice President." A closer look behind the headline shows, however, that it was really the media that was in control here -pushing the rewind button to distort Haig’s ambition beyond the limits of his loyalty to the President.

During a two-hour conversation with PSP, General Haig thoughtfully answered questions about the stepping stones to success while identifying the land mines on the way. He offered the keys to leadership and revealed his secrets to managing one’s boss. He spoke out forcefully on professionalism, the constructive use of power and on what managers most overlook in creating a solid team.

Loyalty: The Misunderstood Success Secret

Throughout his career, his superiors have put General Haig into a number of hot seats that thoroughly tested his loyalties. Each time he emerged stronger and, as a result, he moved up to a higher level of responsibility. For example, during the last months of the Nixon administration, General Haig virtually ran the White House and managed a smooth transition for President Ford. His loyalties were rewarded by promotion to the coveted job of Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.

General Haig: "One very important principle that is in extremely short supply in business is loyalty. But usually people look at it in the reverse way. They tend to look up when they should be looking down. I know a number of very successful chief executives of companies and presidents of the United States who have defined loyalty with the question, `What have you done for me today?’ If you want to achieve consistent success, you must be loyal to the people who work for you.

"For example, sales managers should never forget that the loyalty to their salespeople is the best way of insuring customer loyalty. Take the time and trouble to communicate with them. If they make a mistake, they need to know that you are going to take care of them. They deserve to be treated well if you want them to treat your customers well. When things get tough, your people down the line will be loyal to you and say, `My boss has got my full support and I am going to knock myself out to go the extra mile for him.’ "

The Challenges of a Soldier

When civilians think of a soldier’s job, they often see it as dangerous and life threatening. General Haig views the soldier’s job as a challenge to win and an opportunity to do what’s right for the country.

One day during the Vietnam war, Haig flew in a helicopter to pick up a wounded enemy prisoner. As the helicopter landed, he started to lean out of the helicopter to pick up the enemy. At that very moment, the prisoner blew himself up with a hand grenade. A fragment went right under the corner of Haig’s right eye. For a moment Haig thought that he’d lost his eye, but the doctor in the field hospital reassured him that his eyesight was safe although the fragment narrowly missed the optic nerve.

General Haig: "Although most young people wanted to become firemen, my dream was to become a soldier. As I got a little older, I believed that the role of the military was extremely important for our country. I also developed a keen interest in foreign affairs and was especially concerned about the problems of Marxism and Communism. My father died when I was only 10 years old and I concluded that the military would be a very good vehicle for progressing with many opportunities for growing.

"I always had a very strong urge to compete. There is a great deal of satisfaction when you compete successfully in war or in sports. Of course, what you face in a war is much more extreme. It was General MacArthur who convinced me that the tensions on the athletic field were the only peacetime activities that compared to the kinds of tensions which you face on the battlefield. That’s why he was a great advocate of athletics in the training of professional soldiers. Fighting in sports, in war or in business, challenges your ability to integrate human efforts under tension."

Attention To Detail: The Key to Professionalism

While amateurs meet with success on rare occasions, professionals are trained to achieve predictable, successful outcomes over and over. General Haig’s extensive postgraduate studies included seven military and civilian graduate schools and war colleges.

General Haig: "A professional is someone who has spent more than a modest degree of time in learning the arts of his trade. That involves study, observation and a systematic accumulation of experience. Not all of which has to be successful. As a matter of fact, we all learn more from failures than we learn from successes.

"An important quality of being a professional is the ability to pay attention to details. When you’re weary on the battlefield, some leaders might rush to grab a few hours of sleep rather than check the important details. I remember one night in Vietnam before a huge battle, I visited every single foxhole in my battalion to make sure that every soldier’s position had overhead cover. When the enemy attacked with two regiments at four in the morning, we were able to withstand massive firepower. The overhead cover had saved my battalion. I know how people sometimes get frustrated with details and stop paying attention. You can’t get to the top if you can’t stay on top of the details in your business.

"People sometimes overlook that appearance is very important for your success as a professional. It is extremely important in selling. I remember my first boss telling me his secrets about appearance: ‘Al, I never go out in front of my troops without a very distinct and unique piece of uniform. So wherever I am, whether there are 50 generals or only a few, my people will instantly recognize me.’

"Salespeople need to be careful with the choice of their clothing. You shouldn’t go out and spend $1,500 on a new wardrobe if it does not fit your character and your demeanor. Your wardrobe should become an extension of you."

The Six Key Qualities that Lead to Success

General Haig had the opportunity to observe many brilliant military and civilian leaders at close range. He carefully studied the unique characteristics of these superachievers and emulated some of their traits. As a lecturer at the Military Academy, he often referred to these qualities while teaching young cadets.

General Haig: "One of the most important qualities is work. There is no substitute for it. I think of work primarily as a way of mastering your problems. When I worked for Henry Kissinger, I would be in the office at seven in the morning and I’d be lucky to be home by midnight. Seven days a week. I did that for four years.

"The second quality is to develop a sense of responsibility that goes beyond your immediate job. Many people tend to confine themselves to their jobs in a very narrow way. A successful person is someone who has the willingness to take on challenges that will stretch his abilities.

"The third quality would be the inner certainty that comes from your convictions. One of General MacArthur’s greatest strengths was his supreme confidence that he derived from the depth of his convictions.

"The fourth quality would be to become mission-oriented. That is a very important aspect of military service, but it applies equally to business. When people concentrate on their mission, they are able to suspend their own sensibilities and get the job done, no matter what.

"The fifth quality is integrity. It is so obvious that it tends to get overlooked. It means that you do what you say and that you mean what you say. That’s especially critical in selling. Your customers need to know that you can be relied upon and that you are true to your words.

"The sixth quality is to associate with winners. There is a lot of truth to the saying that nothing succeeds like success. This principle is harder to measure, yet it is very important."

How to Avoid the Land Mines on the Way to Success

In his book, Caveat, General Haig wrote that the higher we move up in a position, the greater the tendency to become paranoid. Paranoia is just one of the many psychological traps ambitious people tend to fall into as they stumble in their blind quest for power. Power tends to intoxicate people to the point that they forget where they came from or refuse to remember who they really are.

"When a Roman emperor or general returned to the city after a great victory," writes Haig in Caveat, "he passed among the populace wearing a hero’s chaplet, followed by his soldiers, his booty, and his captives. Lest he be made drunk by glory and the cheers of the citizens, he was provided with a dwarf who rode beside him in his chariot and whispered into his ear, `Remember, you are mortal.’ "

General Haig: "I think it is important not to take yourself or your position too seriously. I worked in the White House for many years. I have never seen anybody go into a cabinet position who was not well-motivated, extremely talented and successful in his field. Over a short period of time they begin to believe that because of the power and influence that comes with their offices, they’ve been endowed with some unique and special capabilities. Sure, they love their jobs, but soon they fall in love with the image that is reflected by the power of their offices. Every time they pick up a newspaper and see something unflattering, they get outraged.

"Some get so paranoid about their images that the first thing they do every day is go through the leading newspapers in the morning – just like people go through the index of a book looking for their names – they want to see what other people said about them.

"When you enter the upper echelons in government or in business, you want to make sure that you don’t get intoxicated by the proximity to power."

How to Manage Your Boss

Although there are thousands of books written on the art of management, most of them deal with the management of time, people and resources. Very few deal with the art of managing the boss. During many years of service to power bosses, General Haig learned how to respond to the inconsistent demands of leadership, by carefully organizing the flow of information. He exercised great skills in introducing sensitive ideas and diplomatically supported his boss during times of high stress.

General Haig: "Managing your boss is a very delicate and very important job. Many people don’t succeed in their career simply because they don’t learn more about this business.

"The first thing you have to know is your leader’s decision-making style. You must know his idiosyncrasies – when he is most comfortable about making decisions. Sometimes it is better to say, `Let’s sleep on this.’ It’s your job to create the circumstances that make him be at his best.

"Every manager has ups and downs. We all go through mood changes, we all have different energy levels and you have to consider all these things. When your boss is not feeling too well, it means that you have to take on some of his responsibilities and be very delicate about it. You have to be aware of your leader’s sense of mission and always act in accordance with that mission."

The Art Of Decision Making

Good leaders and managers are judged by the quality of their decisions. Every single decision involves a number of predictable risks. The three most important risks in decision making are: to make the wrong decision, to make the decision too late or to fail in communicating the decision to the right people. The most challenging part about decision making is to deal with the uncertainty inherent in the situation.

General Haig: "A manager has to develop a strong sense of what is important and resist getting caught up with the less important tasks. A good manager will harness his level of energy according to the demands of the job. Sometimes a good night’s sleep is more important than two more hours of work. In the White House, where you are running on a 24-hour clock, it tends to be more difficult since unpredictable events often demand quick decisions.

"Major failures are usually the result of the inability to study the problem in timely fashion and because of the many ambiguities. For example, the crisis with Iraq was a reflection of hundreds of ambiguous misjudgments.

"Fear often plays an important role in decision making. A certain amount of fear will lead you to study the issues more carefully.

"You have to use other people as sounding boards. The best way to evaluate the quality of your decision is to ask a twofold question, `Was it a good decision and was it made in time?’ I’ve worked for some leaders who found it impossible to make a decision because of excess caution and fear. Leaders who procrastinate in making decisions, will inevitably see the window of opportunity close on them."

The Real Meaning of Power

General Haig is currently president of his own private advisory firm, Worldwide Associates, Inc., based in Washington, DC. His company assists public and private corporations to develop and implement marketing and acquisition strategies. An unsuspecting visitor entering the reception area of Worldwide, can easily overhear "power-talk" on the telephone like, "Messenger, please bring this to the Kuwaiti Embassy," or "No, I am sorry, the General can’t appear on Nightline today," or "No, General Haig won’t be able to speak at your convention this year, please try again next year." Power, according to the dictionary, is "the capacity to have impact." General Haig’s chief concern is not with increased power but increased meaning.

General Haig: "Power is of value because it can be translated into effective action. Power for power’s sake is not only meaningless, but it assures that you won’t have it very long. Power is only meaningful to the degree that it is used for a positive end.

"Power increases with ideas and vision. But vision without discipline is only a daydream. Many people have bright ideas, creativity, flair or a deep understanding of certain issues. The only problem is that they just talk about it and then walk away from it. If you want to succeed, you have to develop the discipline and roll up your sleeves, sit down and work at turning these ideas into reality. It’s not the quality of our vision that makes us successful, but the degree of determination and discipline we put behind our vision. That combination adds up to real power. What I like the most about power is getting something done.

"The power in government is sometimes different from power in business. In government we frequently can find rogues who enjoy four years and even eight years without ever having done anything but accumulate power. Some people survive and thrive not because they have done anything, but precisely because they didn’t. It’s an art not to leave footprints. This sounds like slander, perhaps, towards George Bush, but until he became President, I mistakenly tended to view him that way. The remarkable thing was that once he became President, all that changed. I’ve just been delighted and I support him 100 percent. He has been more gutsy than most Presidents. Bush was dominated by an ambition to be President and now he is determined to be a good President – and he is."

Selling The World on Peace

Listening to General Haig speak about his global mission, one realizes that the role of a true military leader does not end in military strategy or foreign policy, but in a practical philosophy that leads to worldwide stability and peace.

General Haig: "It is very important to remember why we have the military. It’s not to force change, but to prevent forced change. It is really there to deter outrageous and dangerous actions. In that sense, the military is an investment in peace. When it comes to a more idealistic aspect of peace keeping, you can’t lose sight of the diversity of mankind and the enormous diplomatic challenges. Why do some world leaders want nuclear weapons? It usually is because their neighbor has one and they are paranoid about it. So the best way to get countries not to get nuclear weapons is to relieve the paranoia and the insecurity.

"Those are complex issues. We have to be careful of dictatorial, totalitarian and extremist regimes. How do you stop that? You get them better education. Education helps by relieving the paranoia that prevents people from taking risks and taking their lives in their own hands. So spending money to enhance the prospect of peace is a great idea. I’d be a great advocate for a multinational peace university that’s government financed."

General Haig Continues to Speak Out

In 1950, during his service in Japan, General Haig fell in love and married Patricia Fox, the daughter of an Army general. During their happy marriage they had three children, five grandchildren and they lived in some 30 different homes around the world. Today, General Haig’s goals are an expression of his concerns for his family, his close associates and his country.

General Haig: "I think that any time you succeed at something you consider to be important, you derive meaning. That has happened a number of different times in my life, such as my time as NATO commander, or my involvement with United Technologies Corporation, especially when the Corporation’s sales are going up. I also felt a great deal of satisfaction after the Watergate crisis. As for my current goals, I feel an obligation to set up a business structure that those who follow me will find rewarding and successful. I intend to keep my voice active in the issues of the day like foreign policy, economic and other domestic issues. Besides writing my autobiography, I enjoy public speaking because I like people and I like ideas. That’s why I never give the same speech twice.

"I also plan some day to adjust to a less arduous lifestyle. That reminds me of General MacArthur. One of his generals came to him saying, `My doctors tell me I have to go home and I have to stop working so hard, or I’ll be dead.’ MacArthur looked down at him and said, `I can’t think of anything better than dying at your desk with your boots on!’"

We Can Control Our Character But Not Our Image

On a bright Monday morning in the summer of 1979, just a few days before his retirement as the supreme NATO commander, General Haig’s chauffeur-driven Mercedes crossed a small bridge on his way to his office in Brussels. A split second later, a land mine exploded behind his car, leaving a ten-foot wide crater in the road. According to news reports, terrorists had packed about 100 pounds of explosives under the bridge. The impact of the blast lifted Haig’s car up and sideways but caused only minor damage. Three bodyguards following Haig in a chase car were slightly injured when baseball size chunks of the pavement hurtled through the windshield of their Mercedes. At the news conference after the terrorist attack General Haig was quoted as saying, "They say if you can get through Monday, the rest of the week is easy."

General Haig: "My image up until the Reagan administration was Mr. Cool. Overnight, my image became highly emotional. The press chose to paint that portrait of me and the public started to look for that. A public image is a very fragile commodity, it manipulates expectation. People want to look for the same characteristics over and over. Looking back I realize that we can only control our character, we can’t control our image."