Winter 218 BC C., Aníbal Barca devastates with his army the Italian peninsula causing in Rome a terrible confusion and fear. (1)
Fabio Máximo, Roman consul, is in favor, knowing the experienced but small size of Hannibal's army, of avoiding a direct confrontation and, instead, helping the Roman allies and waiting for the Carthaginian to wear out.
This strategy does not convince the consul Flaminio who wants to prevent Hannibal from getting closer to the threatened Rome at all costs. The consul makes the decision to lead the army against Hannibal.
In Trebia, the Carthaginian inflicts a terrible defeat on him in which the consul, like a large part of his army, is killed.
Rome is terrified and decides to apply a measure intended only for extreme cases: the Republic condenses power into a single person: Fabio Máximo is appointed dictator, thus becoming, at 63, the absolute head of the Roman army.
Máximo appoints Marco Minucio as chief of the cavalry and implements the aforementioned strategy against Aníbal: wear him down without his army entering direct combat. However, his resignation to fight provokes criticism among his people who begin to consider him a coward. Only Hannibal, says Plutarch, seems to understand his ability.
Marco Minucio, Fabio Máximo's lieutenant, begins to criticize and campaign among the army against his boss. Others are in charge of doing it in Rome.
Eventually Fabio Máximo must march to Rome leaving the army in charge of Minucius. Fabio thinks he knows him, impulsive and proud, and warns him against the idea of rushing to battle Aníbal.
However, left alone, Minucius ignores the warnings and manages to win in some skirmishes that are interestedly exaggerated and praised in Rome. His pride flames.
Soon the critics of Fabio Máximo urge the Roman people to dismiss him and grant the supreme command to Minucius. Although they do not succeed, they achieve an exceptional equalization of the rank between the two: the Roman army now has two commanders in command.
Fabio Máximo returns to the camp to verify that Marco Minucio does not have him. They decide not to alternate command but to divide up the army and camp separately. Still, Máximo tries to warn him of the need to remain united since the enemy is not him but Aníbal. Marco Minucio ignores him.
The Phoenician general knows the situation of the Romans and, following an established plan, incites Marco Minucius to battle. This falls into the trap.
Fabio Máximo has news that his former cavalry chief is being irretrievably defeated by Aníbal.
Before continuing, I propose a question: What do you think Fabio Máximo did? Or better yet, what would you have done instead?
Imagine that your subordinate, after seeking your discredit and gaining power at your expense, after turning it aside, now confirming your warnings, shows everyone with your defeat that he was wrong and that you, unjustly vilified, were right.
Hannibal would have emerged victorious from the annihilation of Marco Minucio's army, but also Fabio Máximo as an individual, since his authority, power and prestige would have undoubtedly been restored throughout Rome.
However, would Maximus have emerged reinforced as the leader that Rome needed to defeat Hannibal?
How could the eventual winner of a personal dispute ignore his own immediate benefit and behave like a leader: regaining the cohesion of the group that needs and governs; recovering a good subordinate confused by his impulsiveness, while strengthening his authority, legitimacy and trust in front of Rome and the army.
Let's see what happened.
Fabio Máximo decides to go to help Marco Minucio and puts Aníbal's army to flight. After the battle, he leaves without making any insolent or offensive comments about his colleague.
Probably this is what stimulates in Minucio his subsequent behavior that leads him to….
… Gather your army to tell them: Soldiers, making no mistake is beyond human possibilities; But when we make mistakes, taking advantage of our failures as a lesson for the future is proper to noble and sensible men. Therefore, I confess that,…..I must bless fortune, then, what I did not realize for so long, I have learned in an instant. I just understood that I do not have the capacity to command others, but rather the need for someone else to command me. For you, from now on, your boss is Fabio Máximo.
After these words, to everyone's astonishment, he goes to Máximo's camp and says:
You have achieved two victories today: one with your courage over Hannibal; and another with your prudence and kindness on the colleague in command; with this you have instructed us, victims of a shameful defeat for him but noble and saving for you. Now, I greet you with the name of the good father.
And after saying this, he embraces Fabio Máximo, causing all the soldiers to do the same among themselves (Plutarco. Parallel Lives vol II. Editorial Gredos SA Madrid 2001)
In this story, Plutarco, others before him, and many others after, have singled out Fabio Máximo as the model character deserving of praise. Well, he deserves it. But for us, who want to point out behaviors that seem to describe what we understand by a leader, it is worth paying attention also to what Minucio did: in terms of leadership he is not lagging behind Máximo and he illustrates how to behave as a leader it is not necessary to be the supreme commander of the army. Rather, it seems to be within the reach of many, although, apparently, only a few are capable of transcending personal interest for the sake of the entrusted task and the general benefit.
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(1) Historical data according to Plutarch's account. Plutarch. Parallel Lives vol. II. (Ed. Gredos Basic Library. Editorial Gredos SA Madrid 2001). P. 339 et seq.
