Posted on Mar 28, 2018
Does being an NCO automatically make you a leader?
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My opinion is a resounding NO. I think the Army's position on this matter is flawed and counter productive. Leaders are either born from birth, people who you don't need to be told is in charge, you just know they are. Think Chesty Pulled type.
Then there are those that might not be ready to lead at that particular moment due to lack of knowledge and confidence, but are willing studies, vigilant pupils, voraciously consuming information and knowledge, modeling their movements and actions after their leaders. They eventually become some of the best leaders, as they are not only leaders, but knowledgeable leaders.
This has NOTHING to do with a promotion. Sure, in a perfect world, the natural order of things would suggest after a certain rank, one would have acquired the skills and confidence to lead, but unfortunately that is not always the case. Basing your(their) ability to lead should not be based rank, but based on a combination of knowledge and senior reviews, with input from their peers and subordinates. This might not be the "catch all" answer to the problem, like the Army's ACU pattern was(sarcasm) but it's better then just slapping rank on someone because they passed some board where they read off a creed and spewed random articles that were memorized for the sole purpose of being promoted. Your input and opinions please
Then there are those that might not be ready to lead at that particular moment due to lack of knowledge and confidence, but are willing studies, vigilant pupils, voraciously consuming information and knowledge, modeling their movements and actions after their leaders. They eventually become some of the best leaders, as they are not only leaders, but knowledgeable leaders.
This has NOTHING to do with a promotion. Sure, in a perfect world, the natural order of things would suggest after a certain rank, one would have acquired the skills and confidence to lead, but unfortunately that is not always the case. Basing your(their) ability to lead should not be based rank, but based on a combination of knowledge and senior reviews, with input from their peers and subordinates. This might not be the "catch all" answer to the problem, like the Army's ACU pattern was(sarcasm) but it's better then just slapping rank on someone because they passed some board where they read off a creed and spewed random articles that were memorized for the sole purpose of being promoted. Your input and opinions please
Posted in these groups: 
Leadership
Leadership Development
Leadership Leadership Development
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 27
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I joined the military as an E-1 and have had many Sergeants that were both on either extreme...either “fantastic” and I would follow them anywhere OR were so “disjointed” they couldn’t lace up their own boots. My biggest fear was being the latter. I loved being a Specialist because I was never on the “blame” line for anything, until I became a Sergeant myself. I have learned over the years, no matter how much Leadership Training you get, some people just don’t have natural leadership ability. And as we know, yelling and screaming at the troops, just shows “you have lost control.” Today’s Sergeants are Managers. They manage personnel and materials, which are excellent skills that Civilian employers look for, when and if you can master them. Even in the civilian world, not all former military make good supervisors or managers. Veterans need to remember “civilians” are NOT troops!
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While being an NCO does not automatically make a Soldier a leader, it does automatically demonstrate that the Army expects them to be a leader. I have had several Junior NCOs who needed extra leadership opportunities to deal with in order to become leaders, and I've had a few that could lead as soon as they were pinned.
I believe that with the right mentorship, anyone can be a leader. I might not be the NCO who can provide that mentorship, but I'm not going to be the leader who doesn't do what I can to help a Soldier and the Army accomplish their mission
I believe that with the right mentorship, anyone can be a leader. I might not be the NCO who can provide that mentorship, but I'm not going to be the leader who doesn't do what I can to help a Soldier and the Army accomplish their mission
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SFC (Join to see)
While I agree with you that once a certain rank is attained, I have to disagree with everyone can be taught to be a leader. I think a quality that every leader has throughout history is initiative and adaptability. Brother I'm sure you have been in long enough to know that some people will only be motivated not by fear of not living up to their own lofty expectation, but the fear of getting shit canned. Those people, no matter how much molding will never be more then "do'ers" by force. They may learn a particular "rhythm of battle" and may execute a "process" but lead? You either have it, or want it
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SFC (Join to see) Absolutely not. I knew NCOs that did not want to lead, but they liked the ran, and others who were piss poor leaders. In the civilian world, there are managers that should not be managing.
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