Posted on Feb 10, 2015
Have you ever been placed in a leadership position that you didn't feel qualified for due to lack of experience?
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Have you ever been placed in a leadership position that you didn't feel qualified for due to lack of experience? Is there any shame in handing it off to somebody who is more qualified? Does it reflect poorly on your part?
Posted in these groups: 
Leadership
Leadership
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 35
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Somebody put you in that position because they felt you were the best qualified to assume the duties. I would not hand it off to someone else, whether that reflects poorly on you or not that depends. You should never refuse a leadership position, you can always self develop to gain more knowledge on the position and "peers" should be there to guide you. Superiors should understand you are inexperienced and help develop you.
Example: A SFC PSG is placed in a vacant 1SG position by the CSM. The SFC should be asking for guidance and help from the other 1SGs and they should be actively helping him/her to be successful. The CSM should be mentoring that SFC on the subtle art of 1SGing, and cutting some slack if the SFC makes some rookie mistakes.
Jump in and lead!
Example: A SFC PSG is placed in a vacant 1SG position by the CSM. The SFC should be asking for guidance and help from the other 1SGs and they should be actively helping him/her to be successful. The CSM should be mentoring that SFC on the subtle art of 1SGing, and cutting some slack if the SFC makes some rookie mistakes.
Jump in and lead!
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PO1 (Join to see)
I responded before reading the CSM's response, sorry. If you care to read it, it is below; but it is similar to the CSM's notes.
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1SG (Join to see)
Couldn't of said it better. I always go into any situation open to learn from anyone. I find that you will not always know more than the next Soldier but if you are willing to learn you will be fine.
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SGT Richard H.
CSM (Join to see) gives great advice here. Don't shrug it off or pass it off, but rather admit your inexperience, find a mentor, and face it head on. Everyone with experience got it somewhere.
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What? Are you afraid to fail? Not ONE leader you have known in your life was born a leader. They (the leader) learned and worked their way to success - with a buttload of "errors", "ooops", "ah shit's", "DAMN's!" and "Fuck Me's" along the way. You WILL make mistakes. You WILL get your ass handed to you. You WILL screw up royally. You WILL make enemies. You will piss off someone below your paygrade. You will piss off someone above your paygrade. You may well piss off someone in your own paygrade. You will agonize about making a mistake and the fact that someone other than you may well pay for your mistake. You WILL discover the true cost of leadership and it will scare the shit out of you every waking moment.
When it is all said and done.....true leadership (NOT MANAGEMENT) will be the single most defining period of your life. Savor it.
Remember this: You LEAD people. You manage things. Any other definition is bullshit.
When it is all said and done.....true leadership (NOT MANAGEMENT) will be the single most defining period of your life. Savor it.
Remember this: You LEAD people. You manage things. Any other definition is bullshit.
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CSM (Join to see)
PO1 (Join to see) great advice but I would caution SFC (Join to see) that with advancement comes an increased responsibility to manage. You must do both in order to be a good leader. When you become a 1SG and a CSM you will be very much in the business of managing people. The USR is a very important process to ensure the unit is properly manned in order to accomplish the mission. Your commander will count on you to put the proper people in the proper place or requisition higher for replacements.
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PO1 (Join to see)
CSM (Join to see) I have no arguement with you on the fact that leaders also manage. What I have always had an arguement with is the assumption that leadership and management are one and the same - they are not. It's been my observation that most middle management lose sight of what true leadership is by becoming entangled in the minutiae required of the personnel program management.
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As CSM (Join to see) said, never pass on a leadership position.
Keep in mind you have the person who is placing you in it, to help mentor you with it, and you can always discuss concerns about it before hand.
If you succeed, you learn something new. If you fail, you learn a lot of new things. But keep in mind, you are surrounded by people who don't want you to fail.
Keep in mind you have the person who is placing you in it, to help mentor you with it, and you can always discuss concerns about it before hand.
If you succeed, you learn something new. If you fail, you learn a lot of new things. But keep in mind, you are surrounded by people who don't want you to fail.
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