Posted on Dec 11, 2013
Old guys - How have you changed your leadership style to keep up with the newer generation of Soldier?
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As an NCO with over 20 years in service, I feel as though there's been a shift in the type of person that joins the Army. It isn't just me - my peers and many members of the pre-9/11 Army see it too... and I'm preaching to the choir on this board I'm sure.<div><br></div><div>As a drill sergeant at Ft. Benning in 2005, I saw many of my peers trying to deal with this new generation by acting like the drill sergeants of their training days... the screamers, the crazies, the scary guy. </div><div><br></div><div>I found the most effective drill sergeants at the time were NCOs who maintained their previous leadership posture - with a little added spice, of course - but the slow, steady, dependable NCOs in their respective fields made, in my opinion, the best drill sergeants because that style resonated with the "Millennial," and they seemed more prone to follow the lead of those NCOs.</div><div><br></div><div>Fast forward a few years - as a first sergeant I saw the methods of communication that the newer generation use and I see the haze of confusion over many of their (older) leaders when trying to adapt to those methods - but not all of them. </div><div><br></div><div>Not just communication, but the almost complete openness that many of them live their lives - leaving an open book for the world to read over social media.</div><div><br></div><div>Long wainded way of framing the question - but in light of how the Millennial is the next generation of our services, how are you changing and adapting to lead this new crop of servicemembers?</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>
Drill Sergeant
1SG
NCOs
Millennials
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 19
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As
Ghandi stated, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”, NCOs or "old guys" need to confirm themselves as a leader, building trust and respect, by setting
a clear example to their team. This means treating others the way you want to
be treated, developing and exhibiting characteristics and traits such as good work
habits, understanding and valuing your employees’ work, encouraging learning,
innovation, and enthusiasm, and most of all demonstrating your intrinsic values.
Ghandi stated, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”, NCOs or "old guys" need to confirm themselves as a leader, building trust and respect, by setting
a clear example to their team. This means treating others the way you want to
be treated, developing and exhibiting characteristics and traits such as good work
habits, understanding and valuing your employees’ work, encouraging learning,
innovation, and enthusiasm, and most of all demonstrating your intrinsic values.
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1SG (Join to see)
SSG Akwaowo,
Well stated. I would like to believe that the natural, "self enlightenment", transition of the young NCOs as they become the "old guys" is not a phase that has been strictly endemic to our current period. I think that it is merely a passage of rites that transpires behind the grind of an extensive military career and shifting personal insight/priorities. It's the pivotal period in one's career where the chemlight is cracked over our heads.......maybe there's more to this whole "leadership" thing than PTing every morning until we puke and showing nothing but hard love 24/7. Every era or senior NCO has this epiphany in some sort or fashion. Where they realize that performing duties as the resident "GEN Patton" and fostering a "no fail" environment" is not the best way to build future leaders......Soldiers learn to be leaders, first and foremost, by watching every waking move their NCOs make, Not merely by reading ADRP 6-22. As leaders, we have to steward the profession by ensuring that we are consistently out front and setting the example.......hard times or not, we are the single most important factor in assuring our Army's success beyond our short lived rein.
Capitalizing on the principles of mission command, I strive daily to foster a learning environment and climate for my organization. There is no such thing as a "no fail mission". With these principles, it's imperative that we empower our subordinate leader to exercise the tenets of Troop Leading Procedures and MDMP at every possible opportunity. This allows the young leader to hone his skills through practical experience surrounded by constructive feedback/assessment. BLUF: Allow your Soldiers to take charge, fail, and learn from their mistakes in a controlled environment. This develops both their cognitive problem solving skills, but it also grows them accustomed to making a FIRM command decision and staking their genitalia on the decisions they made....good, bad, wrong, or indifferent. I would much rather my Soldiers fail, make mistakes, and learn through a controlled environment than in a full-blown firefight in the streets of Salman Pak, Iraq.
Well stated. I would like to believe that the natural, "self enlightenment", transition of the young NCOs as they become the "old guys" is not a phase that has been strictly endemic to our current period. I think that it is merely a passage of rites that transpires behind the grind of an extensive military career and shifting personal insight/priorities. It's the pivotal period in one's career where the chemlight is cracked over our heads.......maybe there's more to this whole "leadership" thing than PTing every morning until we puke and showing nothing but hard love 24/7. Every era or senior NCO has this epiphany in some sort or fashion. Where they realize that performing duties as the resident "GEN Patton" and fostering a "no fail" environment" is not the best way to build future leaders......Soldiers learn to be leaders, first and foremost, by watching every waking move their NCOs make, Not merely by reading ADRP 6-22. As leaders, we have to steward the profession by ensuring that we are consistently out front and setting the example.......hard times or not, we are the single most important factor in assuring our Army's success beyond our short lived rein.
Capitalizing on the principles of mission command, I strive daily to foster a learning environment and climate for my organization. There is no such thing as a "no fail mission". With these principles, it's imperative that we empower our subordinate leader to exercise the tenets of Troop Leading Procedures and MDMP at every possible opportunity. This allows the young leader to hone his skills through practical experience surrounded by constructive feedback/assessment. BLUF: Allow your Soldiers to take charge, fail, and learn from their mistakes in a controlled environment. This develops both their cognitive problem solving skills, but it also grows them accustomed to making a FIRM command decision and staking their genitalia on the decisions they made....good, bad, wrong, or indifferent. I would much rather my Soldiers fail, make mistakes, and learn through a controlled environment than in a full-blown firefight in the streets of Salman Pak, Iraq.
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I remember a PSG of mine told me a long, long time ago, that if you are going to be an effective leader, you always need to know your audience. The "kids" today are different than we were over 20 years ago. They aren't better or worse, they see the world differently that we did coming into the Army. I have experienced a lot in my career and I believe that each experienced provided me something else for the "kit bag" for the next challenge. I think that over the past few years my style has changed by thinking more "outside of the box." There are a lot of tools out there today that were not available when we were growing up through the ranks. With the introduction of social media, apps, the internet with information at your fingertips, all have made us adjust fire on the way we deal with things. I believe that is a good thing. If you stop learning and adapting to the world around you, you will get passed up or worse, run over.
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I haven't changed a thing. It's up to THEM to measure up to ME. I figure if younger Soldiers can't keep up with a 1SG who's nearly 60 and done four combat tours, then they need some serious introspection.
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1SG Michael Blount
MAJ (Join to see) - I see it everyday I'm on the trail. BCT Soldiers come to IET with weak hearts pumping kool-aide. My job is to make them heartbreakers and widowmakers
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