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Marshal V. I. Chuikov
A Model of Authentic Leadership


Organizational Silos and the Civil Defense
Pictured: (Stalingrad soldiers and relatives) A. Ya. Ochkin, A. M. Davydova, Marshal of the Soviet Union V. I. Chuikov, N. I. Smorodin. In the second row: Raya Davydova (daughter of A. M. Davydova), V. V. Filimonov, V. V. Gusev, Kolya Smorodin (son of N. I. Smorodin), 1965. Management and leadership professionals often encounter resistance from other department heads with sharing of resources and collaboration. Within an organization, holding departments, specializations, or

Maria A. Kithcart, MMin, MAML, MBA
Feb 102 min read


Chuikov and Khrushchev: An Uneasy Relationship
Pictured: Commander of the 62nd Army of the Stalingrad Front, Lieutenant-General V. I. Chuikov; Commander of the 64th Army, Lieutenant-General M. S. Shumilov (center); and member of the Military Council of the Southern Front, Lieutenant-General N. S. Khrushchev on the podium during a rally in the liberated Stalingrad, 4 February 1943. In his book titled The Battle for Stalingrad , Marshal Chuikov recalled his time before taking command of the 62nd Army. He received formal hig

Maria A. Kithcart, MMin, MAML, MBA
Feb 73 min read


The Alignment of Service and Personal Values
Pictured: Article from The New York Times , 23 February 1967; Marshal of the Soviet Union V. I. Chuikov, undated. Authenticity requires leaders to align with their personal core values —the things that matter the most—such as integrity, loyalty, honor, and love of one's family and homeland. It is important to live out these core values not only at work and within a family, but in every sphere of life. In the same way that a person’s purpose guides them back into alignment wit

Maria A. Kithcart, MMin, MAML, MBA
Jan 313 min read


Bigger Is Better: The 115mm Tank Gun
Pictured: Lieutenant-General V. I. Chuikov and Major-General K. A. Gurov, Stalingrad. There are times when leaders must face precarious circumstances with direct, decisive leadership. The directing leadership style was first described by Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard in the late 1960s. A directing leader supplies specific instructions to team members, ensuring roles and tasks are clearly defined while providing close supervision. It is largely a one-way communication sty

Maria A. Kithcart, MMin, MAML, MBA
Jan 294 min read


A Proposal and a Succession Plan
Pictured: a plaque commemorating Marshal Chuikov, General Altunin, and General Govorov as leaders of the Civil Defense of the Soviet Union. Another blog entry explores Marshal Chuikov’s role as the Chief of the Civil Defense of the USSR. Beginning in 1961, Vasily Ivanovich devoted himself to the protection of his homeland by developing a comprehensive plan for millions of citizens during the Cold War. He wrote at least two training manuals on the subject— Civil Defense in

Maria A. Kithcart, MMin, MAML, MBA
Jan 263 min read


Leadership in Developing a Civil Defense
Pictured: Marshal V. I. Chuikov’s article, “Population Protection—The Main Task of Civil Defense” published in Voennye Znaniya ( Military Knowledge ), No. 1, January 1964, p. 3. As Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces and Chief of the Civil Defense, Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov was entrusted with the leadership of the country's civil defense system . Planned and implemented throughout the country, all civil defense measures concerned every citizen.

Maria A. Kithcart, MMin, MAML, MBA
Jan 255 min read
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