Posted on Mar 5, 2015
Leadership and Corporate Culture. How can we improve ourselves?
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While the below article is the catalyst for this discussion, this is not meant to slag off the Airforce (for once, in a staggering change from SOP for a Marine), because I think the issues of careerism are evident, by and large across all services and at all ranks. This mindset or concept is also a common feature of the corporate world. That is not to say every facet of the military, or every corporation has this poisonous culture, but the infestation is out there.
So the question becomes, what can junior personnel do to redress and change this kind of culture? Those in power are either a part of the system to one extent or another, or are already changing what they can within their scope, beyond being proficient in our jobs and leading from the front, what's a young Joe or manager to do in a careerist climate? The whole line about staying in and waiting till you're in a position to affect serious change is all well and good, but that usually means bowing to the system as it stands now, which only reinforces the system. Cultural change of this sort needs to occur at all levels.
So the question becomes, what can junior personnel do to redress and change this kind of culture? Those in power are either a part of the system to one extent or another, or are already changing what they can within their scope, beyond being proficient in our jobs and leading from the front, what's a young Joe or manager to do in a careerist climate? The whole line about staying in and waiting till you're in a position to affect serious change is all well and good, but that usually means bowing to the system as it stands now, which only reinforces the system. Cultural change of this sort needs to occur at all levels.
Posted in these groups: 
Leadership
Career Advice
Leadership Career Advice
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 8
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This is a slippery slope for young service members and young employees in the corporate world because if the change you propose is successful you are lauded as a hero but if it goes bad you are a zero and classified a non-team player and troublemaker, much like Hornitschek in the unconfirmed story.
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LCpl (Join to see)
Yeah that's the truth of it, but the status quo can be just as bad as the risks of trying to inoculate positive change into the environment, that's more or less what I'm trying to sort, how, when and the best way to keep it "soft influence" versus "hard influence"
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LCpl Eric Glocker,
Excellent Article, thank you for bringing it to my attention.
Excellent Article, thank you for bringing it to my attention.
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My personal truism from Marine Corporal to Soldier Sergeant to Civilian Deputy Sergeant... Mentoring leadership by example matters and is the true difference maker to affect culture change. True, it has never benefitted the the one (me except in self satisfaction sense), but it has always benefitted the many and my subordinates. My point of pride is that the lowest rank of those I have mentored has been E6-SSG through CW3 as well as my CPT baby brother I housed while he finished his Morehouse College Degree after our dad passed in 1996 before he enlisted in the Army (serving in Iraq as an CBRN SGT with 10th Mtn in 2003-2004 before OCS BOLC 3 FT LEE, his OCS graduation eclipsing MCRD PISC GRAD for me as I wept manly tears)... I have mentored and trained three former subordinates at my Sheriff's Office in Georgia into outstanding Internal Affairs and Jail Operations Sergeants and anticipate one of the three to become the lieutenant I was never meant to be... I am the Professional Trainer, the mentor leader... and truly NO ONE IS MORE PROFESSIONAL THAN I (most of the time)... JMHO, as I am honored to stand with and in my RP Family.
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