EDUCATION and OLQ (Officer Like Qualities)

HUMOR IN UNIFORM

EDUCATION and OLQ (Officer Like Qualities)

Is “Military Logic” an Oxymoron?

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Is “MILITARY LOGIC” an OXYMORON ?

Life is funny.

Life is full of contradictions.  

For example, in the 1970’s, when I joined the Navy, I realized that your career prospects are inversely proportional to your education. 

Yes, believe it or not, it was strange but true:

The higher your qualifications, the lower your status in the hierarchy. 

When I joined the navy, I found that at the bottom of the heap were the most highly qualified Post Graduates who land up as Education Officers - landlubbers who end up teaching the basics of algebra and geometry to sailors. 

In the middle rung we had the Technical Officers, who were Engineering Graduates. 

And lording over everyone were the matric-pass (or interscience-pass) Executive Officers who were the prima donnas and had superior status vis-à-vis their more educated counterparts. 

In the Army, the situation was even worse.

Lesser qualified infantrymen and cavalrymen of the arms enjoyed much better career prospects as compared to their more highly qualified technical counterparts of the services. 

In fact, you will be amazed to learn what a grand old Admiral, a distinguished veteran who had served with distinction both in war and peace, used to always say to us. 

He actually felt that too much education destroyed natural leadership qualities.

His view was that too much education hampered the inculcation and development of Officer Like Qualities (OLQ) which was the sine qua non of military leadership.

Education is not conducive to OLQ, he would say, adding that education makes officers think and analyse too much.

This paradox exists in the civilian world too. 

Everywhere in administration, generalists prevail over specialists. 

Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers are at the helm of affairs in all types of organizations ranging from Airlines to Electricity Boards to Public Sector Units to Port Trusts to Financial Institutions.

Yes, you will see generalists lord over specialists and head technical and operational entities even if they have no expertise. 

Some IAS officers are even appointed as Vice Chancellors of Universities. 

Yes, it seems that IAS Officers are truly the “jack of all trades” - you name any type of government organization and you will find an IAS Officer heading it.

In many places where anti-intellectualism prevails, like in the military and civil services, if you are highly educated and specialized, you are considered a boffin, an egghead, a geek or a nerd who is unfit for leadership roles.

Do you agree with what the grand old Admiral used to say? 

Does Education really destroy natural Leadership Qualities? 

Does Education hamper the inculcation and development of Officer Like Qualities (OLQ)?

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. 

© vikram karve., all rights reserved. 

Disclaimer:

1. These are my personal views, muddled ramblings of a “retired” mind, to be taken lightly, with a pinch of salt. 

2. All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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