Balancing Respect and Integrity in Leadership: Following Orders vs. Upholding What’s Right
Does being in a semi-regimental environment affect how you respond to your superior?
The weather was humid: dry and hot, with an atmosphere that prickles and can make you feel grainy to the touch. I sighed as I entered my air-conditioned classroom, getting ready for the next class. As the last of my classmates filed into the (Antarctic-level of cold) classroom, our instructor, fresh from the crisp London air, strolled in, carrying his afternoon baon, his trusty green water bottle, and his messenger bag.
To our surprise (and very mild relief), he didn’t begin with a lecture. Instead, he kicked off the afternoon with a brief anecdote about his week: a (charming and playful) argument with his wife before heading off to a conference in London, how he drove to the airport with a bloody toenail, and how you should never convert any currency into pesos when purchasing something tasteful in another country (blissful ignorance, if you will). We shared a few laughs with him, and shortly after, he told us about an interview he had earlier before our class.
He was interviewed by a representative from an international university. The representative, knowing that my instructor is an alumnus, asked him a question relevant to where he works (i.e., my academy): Does being in a semi-regimental environment affect how you respond to your superior?
“This is a good topic,” our instructor said. According to him, he answered that “yes, of course, it does”. However, he saw it as more of an advantage than a hindrance or a problem. During his time here, he fully grasped the meaning of discipline and adapted it to his daily life. He was exposed to various leadership styles, which led him to learn how to deal with different people from different cultural backgrounds, behaviors, and attitudes. He learned to cope and easily blend in with his peers. While what he said stands true, the question sparked a different answer in my mind.
Frankly, it is hard to pick a side, especially when the dilemma makes you choose between what’s instilled in you and what’s lawfully right. It is considered a moral dilemma, according to my Ethics instructor. With the nature of our work being to learn to deal with and interact with diverse groups of people, and the overwhelming, drowning feeling of inclusivity and exclusivity, it is indeed hard to adapt.
In the academy I’m currently in, we are constantly taught to respect our superiors and to do what they say, as long as it is morally right, safe, and lawful. In turn, according to the cadet system, we are taught to follow orders from our superiors. However, due to a culture of intimidation and fear (which is silently passed from one class to another), we are coerced into following questionable orders, as long as we aren’t caught. That kind of mentality was passed on (albeit subtly) as quietly as the morning breeze. Many years later, it is not surprising if a dilemma presents itself at work that is quite similar to what every cadet at this academy experiences during their formative years:
Should I follow my superior’s command because they were once my upperclassman, or should I question it because they are an officer now and I am their subordinate? Is it safe to talk, speak up, and question authority?
Personally, to answer the root question, being in a semi-regimental environment does affect how someone responds to leadership. As someone who’s three years into this system, the actions, responses, and behaviors I learned during my plebe year haven’t disappeared; they’ve only been buried beneath the new lessons and experiences I’ve gained over time. Even though I am months away from finishing my final year, my ears still instinctively tingle at the sound of shouting or bouts of anger. My posture immediately stiffens, my heels align, and my arms automatically snap to my sides whenever I know I need to stand at attention. Subtle changes here and there, but the subconscious actions have never gone away.
In turn, the way I respond to my superiors has also never changed. I still speak fluent English first, before testing the waters to see if I can speak slang with someone higher in rank. If I were to encounter a deck officer onboard who’s my upperclassman here in the academy, I might be swayed a little by the moral decision-making, seeing as I was raised to be a people-pleaser (a trait I’ve since realized isn’t always helpful). However, my perspective on people-pleasing has slowly changed through my formative years here. During my second year, or “yearling”, as they call it, I learned that people-pleasing isn’t always good, especially when your well-being is on the line. A foot fracture from an accident taught me that blindly following orders isn’t always the right choice. Someone great taught me that before you risk doing something for someone, you have to put yourself first, on the safe side.
So yes, it does affect someone’s response to orders from someone of a higher rank. However, it does not have to be negative. We must all know how to differentiate and weigh factors such as safety and respect. There is nothing wrong with following orders from someone who used to be above you, but if those orders compromise your personal and professional well-being — especially in an unstable environment such as the middle of the sea — then you must learn to put your foot down and stand up for what is lawfully right and just. No one can or should use their rank for selfish reasons. If they truly think they deserve their rank and stripes on their shoulder boards, they should act like responsible superiors and leaders.
All things considered, being in a semi-regimental environment definitely shapes how we respond to leadership, and those lessons stick with us in ways we don’t always expect. The discipline, respect, and obedience we’re taught don’t just fade away — they become part of us, even if we’re not always conscious of it. But true leadership isn’t about blindly following orders — it’s about knowing when to challenge something that doesn’t sit right, when to speak up, and when to put your foot down. Over the years, I’ve learned that respect isn’t about rank, but about the actions and integrity behind it. As I continue moving forward, I’ve come to realize that being a real leader isn’t just about being in charge — it’s about earning respect through your character and knowing when it’s time to stand up for what’s right. It’s all about finding that balance, and in doing so, becoming the kind of leader who inspires others to do the same.
