Posted on Dec 9, 2018
What are the best ways/resources to develop personal leadership?
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I’m a recent graduate of my state’s OCS program and I have moved into a platoon leader position. Prior to this, I was an E-4, enlisted for three years. I’ve spent a few months with my unit before heading out for BOLC and I feel like I’m unsure of what to do.
Firstly, I’m trying to readjust back to attending normal drill periods. Secondly, I frequently ask the NCOs in the platoon what I can do to assist the platoon in completing their current tasks and planning future training. However, they appear to have a good handle on things and there isn’t much for me left to do (from my understanding, prior to my arrival the platoon functioned without a PL for quite some time). Thirdly, I’m trying to figure out how to properly engage with the soldiers. I don’t want to appear like I’m power tripping, or I’m trying to be everyone’s buddy, etc.
My question is what are some effective ways and/or resources to develop myself as a better leader and learn my role in the platoon? Before this, I never had an official leadership role. Student leadership in OCS felt very fast-paced and responsibilities came and went quickly. My goal is to learn how to effectively execute my position as PL and how to interact with NCOs and soldiers. I want to be able to complete the mission and care for soldiers, ideally without giving anyone a reason to doubt their trust in me. Any feedback is welcome.
Firstly, I’m trying to readjust back to attending normal drill periods. Secondly, I frequently ask the NCOs in the platoon what I can do to assist the platoon in completing their current tasks and planning future training. However, they appear to have a good handle on things and there isn’t much for me left to do (from my understanding, prior to my arrival the platoon functioned without a PL for quite some time). Thirdly, I’m trying to figure out how to properly engage with the soldiers. I don’t want to appear like I’m power tripping, or I’m trying to be everyone’s buddy, etc.
My question is what are some effective ways and/or resources to develop myself as a better leader and learn my role in the platoon? Before this, I never had an official leadership role. Student leadership in OCS felt very fast-paced and responsibilities came and went quickly. My goal is to learn how to effectively execute my position as PL and how to interact with NCOs and soldiers. I want to be able to complete the mission and care for soldiers, ideally without giving anyone a reason to doubt their trust in me. Any feedback is welcome.
Posted in these groups: 
Platoon Leader
Platoon Leader
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 6
2LT (Join to see) Great post Lieutenant. Welcome to RallyPoint. If you enter "Leadership" in the Search bar above, hit enter, and then click on "Answers," you will find other Posts that deal with Leadership. I have included a link to an excellent Post by Lt Col Mark W. Burns, that provides excellent suggestions.
COL Mikel J. Burroughs, Col (Join to see), Lt Col Charlie Brown, LTC (Join to see)
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/what-s-your-personal-leadership-philosophy
COL Mikel J. Burroughs, Col (Join to see), Lt Col Charlie Brown, LTC (Join to see)
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/what-s-your-personal-leadership-philosophy
What's your personal "leadership philosophy?" | RallyPoint
The 'personal leadership philosophy' exercise or journal, many of us have completed this formally, or as part of our own continuing education & development. So, here's the opportunity to refine, reflect, and share those nuggets of wisdom with the RP network, and the next generation of military leaders and thinkers. If you haven't thought about your leadership philosophy or committed it to writing, this is your chance to complete it, while...
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1) People. Leadership is relationships, specifically good relationships. KNOW your people. As it stands, it sounds like you know your folks have things under control operationally. But what do they need "professionally?" Although there is a divide on the officer/enlisted side, YOU are still a first line MENTOR. One of your primary leadership duties is setting up your folks for succession career wise. Do you know who is ready to promote? Who should have already been promoted? Who needs time before promotion (and in what areas)?
2) Systems. The Army (the entire military) is a SYSTEM which you were previously only dealing with a very small part of. You are now dealing with a much larger part of it, and how it interacts with the whole. Learn that system as best you can. By learning the system you are able to navigate it better, and more importantly help your people (#1) navigate it better.
3) Mission. What is your unit/branch mission? Know your job. The better you know your job, the more you are able to work within the system (#2) which in turn helps your people (#1). Be the LT that can can anticipate coming demands, and have your people already working on them or better yet have them completed.
2) Systems. The Army (the entire military) is a SYSTEM which you were previously only dealing with a very small part of. You are now dealing with a much larger part of it, and how it interacts with the whole. Learn that system as best you can. By learning the system you are able to navigate it better, and more importantly help your people (#1) navigate it better.
3) Mission. What is your unit/branch mission? Know your job. The better you know your job, the more you are able to work within the system (#2) which in turn helps your people (#1). Be the LT that can can anticipate coming demands, and have your people already working on them or better yet have them completed.
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MAJ Grant Gutkowski
Very nicely articulated reply. There are steep learning curves for new LTs, and most of it revolves around the brain learning to change from being focused on tasks, to viewing people and agendas as tasks.
The only thing I would add is that personal development shouldn’t be neglected either. Read books, have conversations, seek out a good mentor. A good mentor doesn’t necessarily have to be an officer...my first and best mentor was my first platoon sergeant. To this day, I STILL call him up when
I need a sounding board.
Two books I could probably recommend which would give a good start is “Crucial Conversations”, and “Extreme Ownership”.
The only thing I would add is that personal development shouldn’t be neglected either. Read books, have conversations, seek out a good mentor. A good mentor doesn’t necessarily have to be an officer...my first and best mentor was my first platoon sergeant. To this day, I STILL call him up when
I need a sounding board.
Two books I could probably recommend which would give a good start is “Crucial Conversations”, and “Extreme Ownership”.
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Be a sponge. Find someone in a leadership role, talk to them and if applicable, make them a mentor and/or advisor. Use your peers. Observe. Sometimes the best lesson is “what not to do”.
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2LT (Join to see)
Thank you! I'm definitely trying to apply that strategy. My only concern is asking so many to the point of making it blatantly clear that I'm a bit out of the loop. I'm obviously new to being an officer, but I don't want to be a clueless, untrustworthy leader to other soldiers.
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COL David Turk
2LT (Join to see) - to be blunt, we all started out like this. Just because you’re starting out doesn’t make you clueless or untrustworthy. It’s how you progress. Work hard at it and it will be recognized. In fact, NCO’s like molding their future leaders. Just make sure you pick up only the good stuff.
If you’re concerned about asking too many, then pick out a select two or three. See how that works out. Expand if necessary.
Be the person you would like leading you.
If you’re concerned about asking too many, then pick out a select two or three. See how that works out. Expand if necessary.
Be the person you would like leading you.
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MAJ Grant Gutkowski
In all honesty, the lesson of what NOT to do has served me far better than any other lesson I learned from the jokers who were my first command team experience as an officer.
Being a sponge is necessary....and horribly cliched. It's still true though. Just make sure you're an active sponge, an not a passive one.
Being a sponge is necessary....and horribly cliched. It's still true though. Just make sure you're an active sponge, an not a passive one.
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