Posted on Jul 1, 2024
How do you approach taking risks and making mistakes in leadership?
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I was reading Call Sign Chaos this morning and had a chance to reflect.
I went to college as a 23 year old after serving for about 5 years. I joined ROTC and graduated near the top of the class, but not without making a fool of myself along the way. I often spoke out and asked lengthy questions, sometimes looking stupid. I constantly stepped out of my comfort zone and took initiative in trying to shape training events, sometimes failing miserably.
Upon graduating I went to Fort Campbell where I continued the same habit of doing or saying things that were a little risky. While I said and did some stupid things, I also gathered serious relationships with a few NCOs and other officers. Looking back, I'm glad I put my neck out. I had to develop new habits of leadership, and I knew that if I couldn't take risks as a cadet then I wouldn't take risks as an officer. Most importantly, I found I had the courage to take care of others in difficult situations or to get results in circumstances that seemed near impossible. It has not been easy to go against the grain or resist the urge to keep my head down. I think I was able to sustain this because of the leaders that continued to forgive and support me, even when I made a mistake or did something they disagreed with. I found that I could also gain more trust with my NCOs if they believed that I was not committed to playing things safe, but would take risks when appropriate, especially in terms of self.
I think this tracks along the same line of thought that Mattis gets after in his book. What do you think?
"Subordinate commanders cannot seize fleeting opportunities if they do not understand the purpose behind an order.
Instillation of personal initiative, aggressiveness, and risk-taking doesn't spring forward spontaneously on the battlefield. It must be cultivated for years and inculcated, even rewarded, in an organization's culture. If a commander expects subordinates to seize fleeting opportunities under stress, his organization must reward this behavior in all facets of training, promoting, and commending. More important, he must be tolerant of mistakes. If the risk takers are punished, then you will retain in your ranks only the risk averse."
I went to college as a 23 year old after serving for about 5 years. I joined ROTC and graduated near the top of the class, but not without making a fool of myself along the way. I often spoke out and asked lengthy questions, sometimes looking stupid. I constantly stepped out of my comfort zone and took initiative in trying to shape training events, sometimes failing miserably.
Upon graduating I went to Fort Campbell where I continued the same habit of doing or saying things that were a little risky. While I said and did some stupid things, I also gathered serious relationships with a few NCOs and other officers. Looking back, I'm glad I put my neck out. I had to develop new habits of leadership, and I knew that if I couldn't take risks as a cadet then I wouldn't take risks as an officer. Most importantly, I found I had the courage to take care of others in difficult situations or to get results in circumstances that seemed near impossible. It has not been easy to go against the grain or resist the urge to keep my head down. I think I was able to sustain this because of the leaders that continued to forgive and support me, even when I made a mistake or did something they disagreed with. I found that I could also gain more trust with my NCOs if they believed that I was not committed to playing things safe, but would take risks when appropriate, especially in terms of self.
I think this tracks along the same line of thought that Mattis gets after in his book. What do you think?
"Subordinate commanders cannot seize fleeting opportunities if they do not understand the purpose behind an order.
Instillation of personal initiative, aggressiveness, and risk-taking doesn't spring forward spontaneously on the battlefield. It must be cultivated for years and inculcated, even rewarded, in an organization's culture. If a commander expects subordinates to seize fleeting opportunities under stress, his organization must reward this behavior in all facets of training, promoting, and commending. More important, he must be tolerant of mistakes. If the risk takers are punished, then you will retain in your ranks only the risk averse."
Leadership
Leadership Development
Risk
Character
Command
Posted 6 d ago
Responses: 7
1LT (Join to see) Risk taking is something that we all do and sometimes it is the right thing and sometimes it results in a bad outcome. Learn from your mistakes and do not make the same mistake twice.
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Unfortunately, the Air Force during my tenure was very risk averse. For many years, we talked about the "one mistake Air Force." Many officers believed that a single mistake that could be elevated to a Command level was sufficient to end their career. For pilots it started out in pilot training where mistakes could lead to failed training flights and potential elimination. This attitude carried over into initial flying assignments. A saying in the Strategic Air Command at the time (think nuclear bombers and missiles) was "to error is human, to forgive is Devein, but not SAC policy." Many junior officers at this time were there because they completed ROTC or OCS to avoid the Draft and Vietnam, so they were in for their minimum service commitment and gone. Keeping their heads down was ideal.
During my career I made many mistakes. Some were real doozies, both flying and non-flying. Fortunately, I worked for leaders who were willing to take my youth, inexperience, and overall performance record into account. I learned from every mistake, tried not to repeat them, and survived. I also learned from those leaders' example. In later years, I took the opportunity to treat subordinates who made mistakes fairly but kindly. I made sure they understood their error and we talked about the source of the error so they could develop ways to prevent it in the future. Sometimes improvements to the processes or equipment were needed and we made those in so far as we had the power to do so.
During my career I made many mistakes. Some were real doozies, both flying and non-flying. Fortunately, I worked for leaders who were willing to take my youth, inexperience, and overall performance record into account. I learned from every mistake, tried not to repeat them, and survived. I also learned from those leaders' example. In later years, I took the opportunity to treat subordinates who made mistakes fairly but kindly. I made sure they understood their error and we talked about the source of the error so they could develop ways to prevent it in the future. Sometimes improvements to the processes or equipment were needed and we made those in so far as we had the power to do so.
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It's relative to the consequences of failure. Does convoy movement stop because someone is missing a helmet, verses continuing convoy movement with a vehicle leaking gas all over the place that is missing seat belts.
The Army seems to have institutionalized risk. Risk is OK, it has to be evaluated and acknowledged and balanced with the pay offs.
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A risk taking moment of my command was movement out of a training exercise. The exercise safety officers were not going to let us start movement at Zero Dark 30, and I had to explain to them not leaving now would put us in the middle of commuter traffic in the Los Angles California area. So we can either take it a little slower now in the dark until we get on the highway or we face the consequences of disproportional risk in traffic.
Then another time during a movement the Company XO was freaking out because part of the convoy lost sight of each other. He wanted the front elements to pull over and stop.
I was a 2LT at the time (but age 43) and told the driver NO, we are NOT STOPPING on the 405 (high way in Los Angles) Stopping large military vehicles in LA traffic in the middle of the day is going to astronomically raise the physical risks. We are all connected with communications so we keep going. The tail end vehicle is still OK, and no one in front of him is having trouble. We can continue in this traffic without visual of every one.
So I personally took the risk of the heat from a 1LT (who was not the commander), which is inconsequential to a 2LT :-)
*****
Is someone going to get hurt/killed, or is there risk to equipment that is excessive in cost (basically a non consumable piece of equipment that can't be written of as a matter of business)
The Army seems to have institutionalized risk. Risk is OK, it has to be evaluated and acknowledged and balanced with the pay offs.
*********
A risk taking moment of my command was movement out of a training exercise. The exercise safety officers were not going to let us start movement at Zero Dark 30, and I had to explain to them not leaving now would put us in the middle of commuter traffic in the Los Angles California area. So we can either take it a little slower now in the dark until we get on the highway or we face the consequences of disproportional risk in traffic.
Then another time during a movement the Company XO was freaking out because part of the convoy lost sight of each other. He wanted the front elements to pull over and stop.
I was a 2LT at the time (but age 43) and told the driver NO, we are NOT STOPPING on the 405 (high way in Los Angles) Stopping large military vehicles in LA traffic in the middle of the day is going to astronomically raise the physical risks. We are all connected with communications so we keep going. The tail end vehicle is still OK, and no one in front of him is having trouble. We can continue in this traffic without visual of every one.
So I personally took the risk of the heat from a 1LT (who was not the commander), which is inconsequential to a 2LT :-)
*****
Is someone going to get hurt/killed, or is there risk to equipment that is excessive in cost (basically a non consumable piece of equipment that can't be written of as a matter of business)
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