The average family raise their children to set goals and strive to achieve them. Joining the Army as a young adult is a milestone that has been reached by many, including myself. When I joined the Army in October 2000, I never imagined the many different leadership issues I would have to face. Over the years, when faced with different leadership issues, I’ve been challenged to bring out my very own leadership techniques while having to accept others’ techniques as well.
The very first leadership issue that comes to mind is the communication flow or lack of communication. No matter the effort set forth to ensure information is communicated, there’s always a small (but important) piece of information that is often left out. This can cause an interruption in the mission or can prevent a Soldier from being at their place of duty at the right time. One technique that I use along with many other leaders is to always give the 5 W’s. It is always good to add pertinent information to the 5 W’s such as the type of uniform to be worn. Not providing key information can result in a myriad of mishaps. One must ensure when they are developing Soldiers to leaders, just as they were taught, teach them to always give the 5 W’s and strive to not leave out critical information.
Developing Leaders
“The Army must develop leaders comfortable with making decisions with available information and prepared to underwrite the honest mistakes subordinates make when learning (ADP 6-22)”. “These same leaders must also be capable of developing others to be adaptive, creative, professional, and disciplined to execute any mission (ADP 6-22)”. There’s a current and ongoing problem when it comes to developing leaders in today’s Army. One may be equipped with the necessary skills and talents to shape the Soldiers of the future; however, the majority of leaders are stripped from power and are no longer empowered. In the past, leaders were able to discipline subordinates/Soldiers or correct deficiencies without receiving backlash from the senior enlisted advisor of the unit or even more so without facing an investigation from Inspector General or Equal Opportunity.
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Soldiers are now turning to someone in a more increasing authority position to complain of the way their leader has disciplined or corrected them. In most cases, the end result is the Soldier getting their way and the leader being ridiculed. On the other hand, there are leaders who are lazy and have no intention on growing or developing their Soldiers, resulting in a lack of respect for the leader. Leaders have given up on their #1 priority which is to take care of Soldiers. There are many underlying reasons for why this has happened, ranging from personality disorders, laziness, befriending the Soldiers, mental issues, and many other reasons. When leaders do try to step up and develop their subordinates into leaders, it often gets overlooked and the Soldier doesn’t comply with what their leader is enforcing. There could also be a lack of knowledge or professional growth through education being the reasons why leaders have strayed away from their priorities.
Lack of Military Education
“Successful leaders realize that they must continually develop their subordinates by maximizing opportunities in the institutional, operational, and self -development domains (ADP 6-22).” Self-development requires attending NCOES and Profession of Military Education. It takes a knowledgeable leader to be able to provide guidance to subordinates and peers alike. There is a trend of leaders with the lack of education needed to be successful in all areas of their military career. When there is a lack of education, others will not seek your advice or thoughts in areas where one should be able to provide sound advice based on what they have learned.
Most leaders serve in positons where they are the subject matter expert and are often sought after for their knowledge and expertise. If at any given time, they are not able to assist, their credibility is lost. It is also imperative that leaders are educated in their career trade in order to instill the knowledge they possess into their subordinates. But there are some leaders who just choose to slide by without getting the proper tools needed to be successful.
In an article written by Pauline Shanks Kaurin on Professional Military Education (2017), she stated that “General Dempsey argues the purpose of PME is to develop leaders by conveying a broad body of professional knowledge and developing the habits of mind central to the profession (Kaurin, 2017).” “In addition to critical thinking, he lists the ability to understand the security environment, respond to uncertainty, anticipate and lead transitions through change, and operate with trust, understanding, and empathy as important skills for future military leaders (Kaurin, 2017).”
I believe that there is a difference in opinions from leaders in which some may appreciate the break from duties or deployments while focusing on PME or NCOES and then there’s some that may feel that the education was not rigorous enough to prepare them for the next stage of their military career. Either way, it is one leadership issue the Army faces in nearly every organization or unit.
Toxic Leadership
Many organizations have toxic leaders that thrive on hazing or bullying subordinates in which it becomes their primary focus for personal pleasure. Toxicity exists when the easiest thing to do is to treat others as you would like to be treated. According to an article 2015), common courtesy – the use of “please and “thank you” in emails or when speaking to a subordinate goes a long way to demonstrating care and concern. It is a known fact that the way a Soldier performs is a direct reflection on how they are treated. When a Soldier is treated with dignity and respect they often perform better.
Conclusion
Over the years and throughout my military career, I’ve been subjected to many different leadership techniques and styles in which I have learned from, whether good or bad. Although many are faced with different techniques, it is what you do or how you deal with those techniques that will either make you a better leader or corrupt you as a leader. There’s really no way around the contemporary issues in the Army. But it is your valuable input or opinions (when given the opportunity) that will possibly have an effect on how those issues can be corrected, resulting in a more effective and successful operational environment.
References
- Kaurin, P. S. (2017) Professional Military Education: What Is It Good For? Retrieved on 27 December 2018 from https://www.realcleardefense.com.
- Odierno, R. T. (2015) FM 6-22. Leader Development Retrieved from https://www.apd.army.mil.
- Young, B. (2015) Task & Purpose: 8 Symptoms Of A Toxic Command Climate. Retrieved from https://taskandpurpose.com.
