“Just as the diamond requires three properties for its formation – carbon, heat, and pressure – successful leaders require the interaction of three properties – character, knowledge, and application. Like carbon to the diamond, character is the basic quality of the leader. But as carbon alone does not create a diamond, neither can character alone create a leader. The diamond needs heat. Man needs knowledge, study, and preparation. The third property, pressure – acting in conjunction with carbon and heat – forms the diamond. Similarly, one’s character, attended by knowledge, blooms through application to produce a leader.”

General Edward C. Meyer (1928 to Present)

29th Chief of Staff of the US Army

“He was bound to be the Chief of Staff one day,” a two‐star general said. Another colleague said: “More than most soldiers, he’s had the perfect combination of the Army — he’s had command and staff jobs, he’s been in Europe, Korea and Vietnam, he’s worked at the Pentagon, he knows Capitol Hill. He’s had a perfectly balanced career.” If there was any griping today among officers who outranked General Meyer, it was surprisingly muted. Army generals described him as “cool,” “very smart,” “a thinker,” “aggressive” and “extremely articulate.”

Weinraub, B. (1979) Army Chief With ‘Perfect’ Career. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.nytimes.com/1979/05/03/archives/army-chief-with-perfect-career-edward-charles-meyer.html. [Accessed: 25 march, 2020].