OPEN RANKS - I was at a military leadership school years ago, in which daily "open ranks" inspections occurred.  My group never could seem to get through their inspections without incurring a number of demerits from the inspecting sergeants.

The third week of the school, I was selected as the chief for the group, and I made it my personal goal to get my team through an inspection clean (no demerits).  I instituted a new approach, in which each team member would inspect their adjacent team member's front side, then they'd all turn and inspect the back.  The idea seemed perfect, with each member of the "rank" being viewed by two sets of eyes, before the official inspection began.

But there was one flaw in the plan.  As the inspecting sergeant stepped from teammate to teammate during the inspection, my pride grew and grew, as I heard him pass.  Each time when he would have announced the demerit, there was silence.  Step, pause, silence,  Step, pause, silence.  The entire group made it through the inspection without a single demerit.  Until my turn arrived.  As the inspecting sergeant left the ranks and stepped to my position, he looked down and remarked loudly:

"Sergeant Ward, your shoes are filthy!"

As the group leader, I was specifically placed in front of the group for the inspection, and in that position had no one to inspect ME.

THEY had no demerits, but WE had one (mine).  As a leader, I had failed by not enacting my own team plan on MYSELF.