Pictured: Colonel-General V. I. Chuikov hunting in Germany, accompanied by his daughter Irina and his sister-in-law Vera (wife of Fedor), 1947.
Authentic leadership is about establishing genuine connections with employees and colleagues throughout the organization and building relationships with them. Communication, sharing about themselves, and listening to others are qualities they possess. When employees believe their managers are truly concerned about them and remember personal details about them, they react more favorably. This type of leadership behavior engenders loyalty in their subordinates, and people are more likely to remain with the organization and maintain positive relationships with their managers if they know they are cared for outside the office. An authentic leader asks about the family of their employees, for instance. Authentic leaders will always listen to their employees as well as share details of their own lives. Leaders who can connect with their team members in a real way are more likely to be respected, liked, and remembered.
With Marshal Chuikov, strangers quickly became new friends as he had a special way of connecting with people from all walks of life. During his many travels throughout the Soviet Union, he often paid visits to hunting reserves and worked with local contacts to enjoy time in nature. One such contact, Vasily Pavlovich Ivanov, personally knew Marshal Chuikov for whom he organized duck hunting. In his description of his encounter with Vasily Ivanovich in 1969, he shared about how genuine and approachable the Marshal was:
“In the autumn of 1969, I was summoned to the Volgograd Military Hunting Society and told that Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov, who was on a business trip, expressed a desire to hunt wild duck in the Donskoye hunting estate after the end of his business. I was assigned to accompany him. […]
To say that I was worried is to say nothing, because for Stalingraders Chuikov was not just a Marshal, but a man whom everyone literally idolized, said Ivanov. He drove up in a GAZ-69 car and asked: ‘Have we arrived right? Is this the Donskoye hunting estate?’ I answered that it was correct. ‘Well, shall we hunt?’ ‘We will, Vasily Ivanovich, everything is ready for us.’ ‘Then let's go.’
While sailing to the opposite bank of the Don, he asked about family, children, whether there was an apartment... Chuikov turned out to be an experienced hunter, he shot professionally, and he had a unique gun. Got a few ducks. I will never forget how the Marshal turned to me: ‘Well, namesake, shall we wrap it up?’ […]
I have seen many different people in my lifetime, but Chuikov was so easy to communicate with, accessible, without a shadow of any glory, that I would never have thought that this was an outstanding commander who stood for Stalingrad to death.
With me, in fact, then the kid, he talked on an equal footing. But this man did not let the enemy go to the Volga, he did a lot for the revival of our city. Of course, his name will forever remain in the history of Stalingrad-Volgograd.”
During his brief duck hunting trip, Marshal Chuikov scored a number of kills, which he insisted were taken by Ivanov to provide food for his family and for local needy families. As Chuikov was closing his excursion, he shared his wishes with Ivanov:
“The Marshal called Vasily Pavlovich and told him: ‘I think that's enough. It's time for me to pack up. A military plane is waiting at the airfield, I will fly further to the East to check on military units.’ Vasily Ivanovich refused to take ducks with him. He asked to treat them to his family, to distribute to those in need. Then he thanked Ivanov for the excellently organized hunting, apologized that he could not stay for lunch, presented a bottle of Armenian cognac and left. And Vasily Pavlovich stood for a long time and looked at the trail of the dusting GAZ-69 and thought about what a simple, kind, decent and fair person his fate brought him together, that's why his soldiers—Stalingraders—love Chuikov...”
Comments