My company is blessed to have four Second Lieutenants, each responsible
for their own section and eager to accomplish the mission! But it's a
blessing and a curse, as it falls upon me to teach and mentor these new
officers the ways of the Army. So we meet once a week on my porch after
lunch to discuss a broad range of topics, everything from how to handle
problem Soldiers to the leadership theory. On Saturday I facilitated a
discussion on an article which garnered much disagreement. In essence,
is a leader most effective from his desk, as a behind-the-scenes
executive planning future operations or is it more advantageous to lead
from the front of the formation, earning respect by getting dirty with
your Soldiers and thus making better decisions? Of course there is no
right answer, and I think a good Commander can balance both aspects
depending on the situation. However, I had fun letting the Lieutenants
argue for about 15 minutes as they are still formulating their own
leadership style. One of my first acts as a Commander was to define my
leadership philosophy, which I explained to the top 12 key leaders in
the company and also posted in a memorandum.
This is it:
1. Values: Trust is earned through competence. Respect is essential
between Soldiers and leaders. Integrity is the only non-negotiable. I
will set the moral and ethical standards within the company to exemplify
and reinforce the Army values. Be professional at all times and take
responsibility for your actions. Take pride in our company and your
profession.
2. Leadership: Leaders at the lowest levels are empowered and
encouraged to take the initiative to improve our unit. Each and every
Soldier should seek an informal mentor in addition to a counselor.
Communicate concerns positively through the chain of command and always
suggest a solution to the problem identified. Impart the commander's
intent to all Soldiers and provide the tools, time, and training to
accomplish the mission.
3. Training: Approach every event as a training mission, an opportunity
to excel and develop Soldier skills and leadership abilities. Training
must be task-focused yet always adaptable and as realistic as possible.
Regardless of when and where we deploy, the fundamentals of our
profession will provide the foundation from which we can accomplish any
mission. Be technically and tactically proficient in your MOS while
performing any additional duties to standard. Seek out ways to
contribute to the company with your skills and knowledge.
4. Soldiers and Families: Soldier care is the cornerstone of an
effective company. Quality of life is enhanced through adequate family
time and an involved FRG. Know your Soldiers and their families on a
personal level. Work when we are at work, and play in a responsible way
at home.
5. Lastly, humor helps maintain a positive command climate and minimizes
a zero-defect mentality. We will face many trying times together and
must fight and win as a team. Admit your mistakes and allow others to
learn from them. We are the Headhunters!!
So, may be a bit simple but I think it does the trick. Soldiers only
really remember something if it's extremely short or is encapsulated in
an acronym. The purpose of this Officer Professional Development (OPD)
is to prepare these Lieutenants for their own Company Command in a few
years, after I'm long gone. What's funny is 3 out of the 4 of them are
actually older than I am and have prior military service as Enlisted
members. So, they probably have plenty to teach me too from that
perspective. Yet I am in charge, and they all recognize and respect
that. In future weeks I may profile a few of them with their permission,
as they really are remarkable people. For now, I'll leave you with the
assigned reading for our next OPD session. This is part of a
presentation on Counterinsurgency Operations. If only every Soldier in our Army could read and comprehend this chart the war would be done, right? I think the
President and Secretary of Defense themselves would be hard pressed to
explain this monstrosity.
