Posted on Jun 13, 2017
What is your definition of Leadership? Does the NCO creed mean anything to you?
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I am asking this due to the fact that I see more & more"leadership" only care about themselves& how they make themselves look instead of actually leading from the front, how do we expect our new soldiers to perform the way we did for our Senior NCOS acting the way some do now? "All soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership, I will provide that leadership" what happened to that?
Posted in these groups: 
Leadership
NCOs
Leadership NCOs
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 22
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I believe that true leadership can only be obtained through sacrifice. Sacrifice of one's time, strength, patience. I was always a firm believer in the fact that when one puts on their first set of chevron that their role does a complete 180. When you are a lower enlisted soldier you work for your superiors; you are the work horses that get the job done and complete the mission. However, when you become an NCO you work for your subordinates. It is no longer specifically my job to make sure that the vehicle gets maintained or that a connex gets packed; no, it is my job to ensure that my soldiers are taken care of. Whatever they need I must be ready to make sure gets done. I used to like to tell my guys that I was promoted to SGT E5 a week before my 22nd birthday and that if I did my job right they would get promoted a week before their 21st. If I did my job best than I would one day have to stand at parade rest for them. I think that it goes directly alongside the idea that you should always leave something better than you found it. A leader does that for their soldiers, their unit, the army as a whole. CPL Sean "Chuck" Manczuk,SPC (Join to see)
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MAJ (Join to see)
correction - Junior enlisted not lower. Leadership has left the stage for many. I have seen the "all for me" in all ranks including stars. Then you see people like Mattis and wonder why aren't more like him. My Marine Corps enlisted days taught me plenty, on the flip side the Army reserve side has shown me that online training and metrics are the main factors. When I was a commander I took my company to the field to avoid computers and last minute to do's for some reserve weekends and the Soldiers enjoyed actual training. And proper training in turn creates leadership opportunities and learning moments.
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SPC (Join to see)
Hands down that is by far it's true. When you get put in charge of soldiers whether cpl or sgt even a spc you can no longer be buddy buddy you have to assume that new role that they have tasks that need to be carried out you have to assume he task to lead them and teach them as you go. It's your job to also ensure they're taken care of in terms of appointments, school, family, general health and welfare in the bs by ensuring they take care of themselves. And once you establish with your Joes and they're mature enough to seperate work and pleasure you can go out with them to build your section or squad moral and espirit dicor.
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You bring up a valid point, that it seems quite a lot of leaders are focused on themselves instead of providing quality leadership. I think the root of the issue is training and the actions of leadership at the top. When leadership training is cut, deferred or waived, it becomes a self inflicted wound (self inflicted in that it is an Army internally inflicted wound). It's like building a house with half a foundation. Eventually as you build up there are going to be problems. We need to fix the foundation.
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SFC (Join to see)
But how do we fix it, when there is only a handful that see a problem and want to fix it.
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SSG Robert Webster
CSM (Join to see) While I agree with first part of your statement, I highly disagree with the part about 'leadership training' cuts, etc.. "Be, Know, Do" is not reliant upon schoolhouse training or education; it is all about setting the example.
When CSMs are consistently setting poor examples and other CSMs continue to allow this to happen, yes, they are practicing "Be, Know, Do" but in the wrong vein.
What saddens me the most is the perversion of the lessons that should have been learned from organizations such as the Sergeant Morales Club. The current proliferation of NCOs having been inducted into the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club (SAMC) truly shows how setting the proper example has been perverted.
One place to start would be to fully and properly enforce AR 670-1, para. 22-12d AND rescind the following part of the paragraph - "...or on occasions of ceremony." (added) - You could check what CSM(R) Elder had to say about this abuse of AR 670-1.
When CSMs are consistently setting poor examples and other CSMs continue to allow this to happen, yes, they are practicing "Be, Know, Do" but in the wrong vein.
What saddens me the most is the perversion of the lessons that should have been learned from organizations such as the Sergeant Morales Club. The current proliferation of NCOs having been inducted into the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club (SAMC) truly shows how setting the proper example has been perverted.
One place to start would be to fully and properly enforce AR 670-1, para. 22-12d AND rescind the following part of the paragraph - "...or on occasions of ceremony." (added) - You could check what CSM(R) Elder had to say about this abuse of AR 670-1.
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CSM (Join to see)
When the Army reduces structured training time it erodes the foundation. That's a basic issue that speaks to the question. And structured training is an integral part of Be Know Do. But the character of the individual and moral compass also play a critical part in being selfless instead of selfish interests.
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SSG Robert Webster
CSM (Join to see) - Structured training time - yes. But most use the excuse of "school house structured training time." There is a major and defining difference between the two. What your statement tells me is that too many are using the excuse of not being able to provide or send people to the school house, that means that they are abrogating the basic responsibilities of their job.
Using the examples that I have already given, I would lay better than even odds that I could approach many or the self promoters and they would complain about not getting enough school slots for their soldiers, I could then ask them for their leaders notebook and they will not have it or even have one, that is a clear and distinct indicator that they are failing to live up to what should be second nature, but the problem is that their NCO leadership failed them and therefor failed those future NCOs.
It does not take going to the school house to "Be, Know, Do" it takes dedicated leaders that are not making excuses and they themselves train the next generation.
It does not take structured training time to teach the mythos of the Sergeant Morales story and the lessons that can be learned from it.
Using the examples that I have already given, I would lay better than even odds that I could approach many or the self promoters and they would complain about not getting enough school slots for their soldiers, I could then ask them for their leaders notebook and they will not have it or even have one, that is a clear and distinct indicator that they are failing to live up to what should be second nature, but the problem is that their NCO leadership failed them and therefor failed those future NCOs.
It does not take going to the school house to "Be, Know, Do" it takes dedicated leaders that are not making excuses and they themselves train the next generation.
It does not take structured training time to teach the mythos of the Sergeant Morales story and the lessons that can be learned from it.
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What are you guys talking about? The Army had been cultivating a culture of selfish individuals for a while now. We don't get rid of shitbags because people are too lazy to do paperwork and instead we move them to other companies or positions. Then those guys get promoted because they get to go to schools while the performers bust their ass picking up the slack. Most of the best leaders I have had in my career are not even in the Army anymore because they got tired of the bullshit. The best thing I can tell you is always be loyal to those around you, specially your soldiers.
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SFC (Join to see)
Yes this is why I am counting down the days till I ETS. I will still do my best for my soldiers but I can't stand this bullshit anymore.
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