Leaders for Leaders, Lt.gen. Charles Costanza
Lieutenant General Charles Costanza, commander of the U.S. Army V Corps, who visited Sibiu on the 18th of June 2025, accepted the invitation of Lieutenant General Ciprian Marin, Chief of the Romanian Land Forces Staff, to deliver a lecture to the students of the “Nicolae Bălcescu” Land Forces Academy, as part of the Leaders for Leaders project.
An exceptional officer with an impressive military career, the American general initiated an open and sincere talk on leadership, during which he emphasized the role and importance of small unit commanders in combat. He illustrated his point by stating: “In the Battle of Normandy, where plans, bombings, and artillery strikes failed, success was ensured by the leaders of small units.” He also underlined the importance of cohesion within small units, describing it as “crucial in achieving success in training and combat.”Moreover, Lieutenant General Costanza kindly answered all the questions from the audience, which were mainly focused on the role and qualities of young leaders in today’s security context.
During his speech, Lieutenant General Ciprian Marin reiterated the importance of both academic and military training for cadets at this formative stage of their professional development. He emphasized that caring for subordinates and maintaining proper relationships with them are the key to a successful military career.
Thus, the students who attended the event had the opportunity to gain valuable leadership lessons, which, once internalized, will help them to become capable and valuable future small unit commanders, ready to successfully fulfill their assigned missions.
SEMPER UNA!
