Posted on Dec 21, 2016
What are some phrases/lines that brand new 2LTs should avoid when addressing their platoons upon arrival at their first duty station?
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Advice
2LT
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Take your responsibilities seriously, but not yourself. Be ready to ask more than tell. Rely on your NCOs and learn from them.
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"Because I said so..." If Senior NCOs or Warrant Officers are questioning your divinely appointed judgment, you should be prepared to have an explanation on your rationale. Treating your subordinate soldiers like they are your children or worse (your peers at officer band camp) will not inspire them. Ever. You may compel their compliance but at the expense of their respect for you.
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2LT (Join to see)
I can only admire your experience and knowledge base. It frustrates me sometimes that I that I did not enlist first. Now that the military is my life... I wish I was prior enlisted for the benefits of glory and experience. I can not look back but only go forward from here. What tips and recommendations can you give a fresh boot for standing out and doing a fantastic job? I know the men respect prior enlisted officers more... however there must be stories of fresh boot 2LTs truly leading from the front and doing a fantastic job.. looking to learn as much as possible and get my PL time down range
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CPT Nicholas D.
2LT (Join to see) -
In 2007, I was in the SF WO course. We had just knocked out our APFT and we were wrapping up in-processing. It was a lot of paperwork. One of the cadre, a CW3, walked down the aisle of the classroom and collected up our chevrons and passed out WOC brass. We got situated in our seats and the instructor walked up to the white-board, and wrote “How to be a GOOD Officer”.
He then asked us to start on one side of the room and go person by person and name one thing we HATE about officers. “They talk down to you; they think they’re the smartest guy in the room; know-it-alls; they are more worried about getting a salute in front of the PX than taking care of soldiers; they’re rude; they don’t consult their experience pool before making decisions; they are quick to depart the AO when the heavy lifting is being done; they are consumed with their career progression; they are obsessed with brown-nosing; they think being in a position to make decisions implies they have all the answers; Mission 1st, Soldiers never, etc, etc, etc…"
We went around the room almost 3 times.
At the end, we had filled the board. The CW3 capped his marker. Turned to the class and said: “Don’t be this guy and you will be a GOOD officer. The rest of this course can now focus on giving you tools to be successful… but all you need to know about officership is avoiding being the guy we just described on this board.”
It was an awesome exercise.
1. Treat people the way you want to be treated. This is huge. The military has changed a lot over the last few decades. Some changes for the better, some for the worse. One thing positive that has changed is the focus on toxic versus healthy command climates. Make sure you never treat your subordinates like they’re stupid (even if they are stupid). Treating all people with dignity and respect is not just an EO or a SHARP theme, it’s a Leadership imperative. Respect includes trying to maintain a sympathetic understanding to your soldiers’ situations. Your position and paygrade gives you “rank,” “authority” and “responsibility” but it doesn’t make you “better” or “superior”. Respect goes a lot further than having subordinates submit to your epaulettes.
2. Be approachable and friendly. I have seen colossal jerks ascend the ranks, but their friends are few, their allies are spread thin, and their retirement parties are often times sparsely populated. “It’s a technique…” There is no reason you can’t establish a reputation for being a great person, on and off duty. In your platoon, your enlisted soldiers shouldn’t be terrified of you or reluctant to engage you because they think you are a clown. Your brand new privates may be intimidated by your brass but your senior E-4’s and NCO’s (or God help you, Warrant Officers) will not be. Unfortunately, our peers and 2LT’s before us have not always set the bar of expectations uber high. Therefore, it is important to break the stereotype.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Day 1, it is well known that you don’t know everything. Don’t be afraid to ask for guidance. With that said, don’t be helpless. If you don’t know how to do something or where to get information, don’t always default to asking the same guy. Put a good faith effort into trying to educate yourself, but remember that the Army is a team-sport. But don’t be willing to fail because you are self-conscious about getting assistance (even from a subordinate). “If it looks like I haven’t done this before… it’s because I haven’t done this before.”
4. Listen to advice from your subordinates, but own the lane. You know it is your responsibility to “make the decision” but you shouldn’t do that in a vacuum. You also shouldn’t delegate you position’s authority to everyone else. It’s a balance. For major decisions, get input. Use your team’s experience to make solid courses of action. Think of your Platoon like a microcosm of the Presidency. If the President made decisions unilaterally without the input of his advisors, he would be routed. But if the President’s cabinet is running rough shot over the country, the president will still be held responsible for it. Take advice, own the lane.
5. The team comes first. Your Platoon’s wellbeing should be the top priority for you. Advocate with your leaders to take care of your troops. Your soldiers WILL notice if your priority is taking care of yourself, your career, or your self-interests. Endeavor to be self-less… not selfish.
It does not require decades of enlisted experience to be a good officer, but officership is more than being the guy in charge. Devote yourself to learning what your soldiers do, give them the respect they deserve, and don’t put yourself on an island all by yourself. Best of luck!!!!
In 2007, I was in the SF WO course. We had just knocked out our APFT and we were wrapping up in-processing. It was a lot of paperwork. One of the cadre, a CW3, walked down the aisle of the classroom and collected up our chevrons and passed out WOC brass. We got situated in our seats and the instructor walked up to the white-board, and wrote “How to be a GOOD Officer”.
He then asked us to start on one side of the room and go person by person and name one thing we HATE about officers. “They talk down to you; they think they’re the smartest guy in the room; know-it-alls; they are more worried about getting a salute in front of the PX than taking care of soldiers; they’re rude; they don’t consult their experience pool before making decisions; they are quick to depart the AO when the heavy lifting is being done; they are consumed with their career progression; they are obsessed with brown-nosing; they think being in a position to make decisions implies they have all the answers; Mission 1st, Soldiers never, etc, etc, etc…"
We went around the room almost 3 times.
At the end, we had filled the board. The CW3 capped his marker. Turned to the class and said: “Don’t be this guy and you will be a GOOD officer. The rest of this course can now focus on giving you tools to be successful… but all you need to know about officership is avoiding being the guy we just described on this board.”
It was an awesome exercise.
1. Treat people the way you want to be treated. This is huge. The military has changed a lot over the last few decades. Some changes for the better, some for the worse. One thing positive that has changed is the focus on toxic versus healthy command climates. Make sure you never treat your subordinates like they’re stupid (even if they are stupid). Treating all people with dignity and respect is not just an EO or a SHARP theme, it’s a Leadership imperative. Respect includes trying to maintain a sympathetic understanding to your soldiers’ situations. Your position and paygrade gives you “rank,” “authority” and “responsibility” but it doesn’t make you “better” or “superior”. Respect goes a lot further than having subordinates submit to your epaulettes.
2. Be approachable and friendly. I have seen colossal jerks ascend the ranks, but their friends are few, their allies are spread thin, and their retirement parties are often times sparsely populated. “It’s a technique…” There is no reason you can’t establish a reputation for being a great person, on and off duty. In your platoon, your enlisted soldiers shouldn’t be terrified of you or reluctant to engage you because they think you are a clown. Your brand new privates may be intimidated by your brass but your senior E-4’s and NCO’s (or God help you, Warrant Officers) will not be. Unfortunately, our peers and 2LT’s before us have not always set the bar of expectations uber high. Therefore, it is important to break the stereotype.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Day 1, it is well known that you don’t know everything. Don’t be afraid to ask for guidance. With that said, don’t be helpless. If you don’t know how to do something or where to get information, don’t always default to asking the same guy. Put a good faith effort into trying to educate yourself, but remember that the Army is a team-sport. But don’t be willing to fail because you are self-conscious about getting assistance (even from a subordinate). “If it looks like I haven’t done this before… it’s because I haven’t done this before.”
4. Listen to advice from your subordinates, but own the lane. You know it is your responsibility to “make the decision” but you shouldn’t do that in a vacuum. You also shouldn’t delegate you position’s authority to everyone else. It’s a balance. For major decisions, get input. Use your team’s experience to make solid courses of action. Think of your Platoon like a microcosm of the Presidency. If the President made decisions unilaterally without the input of his advisors, he would be routed. But if the President’s cabinet is running rough shot over the country, the president will still be held responsible for it. Take advice, own the lane.
5. The team comes first. Your Platoon’s wellbeing should be the top priority for you. Advocate with your leaders to take care of your troops. Your soldiers WILL notice if your priority is taking care of yourself, your career, or your self-interests. Endeavor to be self-less… not selfish.
It does not require decades of enlisted experience to be a good officer, but officership is more than being the guy in charge. Devote yourself to learning what your soldiers do, give them the respect they deserve, and don’t put yourself on an island all by yourself. Best of luck!!!!
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2LT (Join to see)
Thank you! I'm going to print this off and write these principles on my white board and also share them with my roommates. Thanks again brother. I'll make sure to ask for advice but own the lane.
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