Pictured: Summer 1943, Commander of the 8th Guards Army, Lieutenant-General V. I. Chuikov sitting with Member of the Military Council F. F. Chernyshov. Standing, left to right: Chief of the Political Department, Major-General I. V. Vasilyev; Commander of the 28th Guards Rifle Corps Major-General S. S. Guriev; and Artillery Commander Major-General N. M. Pozharsky.
Marshal Chuikov knew that no one person or group could achieve a victory over the Germans during the Great Patriotic War—it was a mammoth undertaking requiring massive coordination, substantial manpower, and enormous amounts of materiel. Throughout his career, Vasily Ivanovich had the opportunity to work with other effective leaders who brought a diversity of knowledge, skills, and experience to the 8th Guards Army and beyond. He understood that leaders need to surround themselves with professionals who are internally motivated, who work together seamlessly to achieve success, and who possess complementary abilities and talents. Harvard Business Review authors Stephen A. Miles and Michael D. Watkins shared the following example from antiquity that reflects this concept:
“Senior leadership teams whose members play complementary roles have been chronicled as far back as Homer’s oral history of the Trojan War. Though the Greeks were led in their quest for retribution against Troy by the powerful King Agamemnon, their victory would not have been possible without Achilles, the mighty warrior; Odysseus, the wily tactician; and Nestor, the wise elder. Each had a crucial, distinct role to play in the Greek high command. Achilles rallied the troops in the heat of battle. Odysseus provided sound strategic advice during and between engagements. Nestor was a source of cool-headed counsel and diplomacy, mediating between the titanic egos of Agamemnon and Achilles. No one of them could have played all the varied roles necessary to guide the enterprise to victory; collectively they prevailed and won their place in history.”
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