No Substitute for Victory: Lessons in Strategy and Leadership from General Douglas Macarthur

Chapter 35. Avoid Human Losses

No matter what type of results that an organization pursues—profits, battlefield victories, or charitable good works—people are the one indispensable factor in their attainment. Thus, every organizational goal exacts a human cost, and every great leader considers and (whenever possible) minimizes that cost.

MacArthur clearly understood that wars could not be won without troops. He was also well aware that the human cost of war was tallied in casualties—dead and wounded men and women. Hints of the depth of his concern over this cost can be seen in the fact that during WWII, MacArthur started work each day by examining the casualty reports. General Kenney said, “MacArthur would get the casualty list at the end of ...