Posted on Mar 28, 2018
What are some character traits that a great NCO/Leader should have? And do you have any advice you would like to share?
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In my short time in the Army, I have had few great leaders/NCOs. I am happy that I had the opportunity to serve and work with such amazing people but I'm finding out that they are the exception and not the rule. I plan on making the Army a life-long career and I really want to be the best NCO/leader possible. Any traits and advice are appreciated.
Leadership
Career Advice
Progression
Retention
Development
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 50
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I thought back to those leaders I would have followed anywhere (since I was an officer, they were senior officers).
Integrity- I never worried that I would be asked to do something I shouldn't.
Lead by example- always a role model on and off duty
Personal connection- would find or make time to answer questions, give honest feedback, both praise and suggestions for improvement
Lots of other stuff but those are three that stick out for me.
SPC Margaret Higgins MSG Dan Walther SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth LTC Jeff Shearer Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. 'Bill' Price LTC Terrence Farrier, PhD SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas Maj Marty Hogan A1C Ian Williams Maj John Bell COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen F. LTC John Shaw SGT Mark Halmrast Col (Join to see) SP5 Mark Kuzinski Capt Seid Waddell Capt Dwayne Conyers
Integrity- I never worried that I would be asked to do something I shouldn't.
Lead by example- always a role model on and off duty
Personal connection- would find or make time to answer questions, give honest feedback, both praise and suggestions for improvement
Lots of other stuff but those are three that stick out for me.
SPC Margaret Higgins MSG Dan Walther SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth LTC Jeff Shearer Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. 'Bill' Price LTC Terrence Farrier, PhD SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas Maj Marty Hogan A1C Ian Williams Maj John Bell COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen F. LTC John Shaw SGT Mark Halmrast Col (Join to see) SP5 Mark Kuzinski Capt Seid Waddell Capt Dwayne Conyers
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SPC Margaret Higgins
Lt Col Charlie Brown: Ma'am: I am highly honored to think that you would have followed me as your leader. As a leader: I attempt to: INSPIRE, LEAD BY MY CHRISTIAN EXAMPLE, RESPECT OTHERS MORE THAN MYSELF, GO THE EXTRA MILE, AND, I HELP OTHERS WITH GOD'S LOVE, and, with my Love.
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SPC Margaret Higgins
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen - Ma'am, with all due respect: I don't know what you mean.
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Looking back, I would refrain from looking at leaders as "good/bad". It's subjective and very biased. Looking back, I'd say you have NCO's and Sergeants (regardless of rank), and both are ALWAYS learning tools. NCO's will go the extra mile to do what has to be done. It won't always be glamorous, it won't always be fun, and it damn sure won't be popular. Usually they have more "detractors" than "admirers". They'll tell you what you NEED to hear vs. what you WANT to hear. That is very important. If you're not pissed at that NCO quite often, something is wrong. Pissed can be both good and bad BTW.
Sergeants are those who made the rank. They were able to go to the boards, look awesome in uniform, are PT studs, can BS with senior leaders both O and Joe, and are considered "rising stars". They're the first to get the high speed recognition, always the fist to get looked at for promotions, or leadership positions to make promotions, but when you peel their onions back, EVERYTHING they did is on the backs of their Joes, the Joes never got recognized, their morale is at it's worst, and they're the ones pulling long hours while their Sergeant is somewhere else leading from the "front" of a keypad or keyboard. You look at their Joes 4856's and you see a pattern of no "leadership" but where the Joe needs to improve constantly, no follow up, or there are TONS of negative counseling's.
You'll know a Sergeant long before you discover the NCO. It's easy as hell to be a Sergeant. You just have to be able to play the game. Master it, and you'll be a SFC LONG before your peers, and more than likely under ten years TIS. You'll be that person with a BS with multiple valor attachments for gallantry in battle, but never left CONUS. Plus side is you will be the most popular person in the company, battalion, or group.
I hope you become the NCO. You won't be liked my many, but you'll have the respect of most. Respect is what you want, being that tells you, your peers, and leaders you are LEADING. Patton was not liked by many, but that mofo was feared and respected my ALL to include the Germans. You remember his name due to that, same as many NCO's when they get out or retire. NCO's often get calls form previous troops who are still in who value their opinion years after they punched out.
Everyone always uses the Creed as the basis of how a NCO should be. Use it as a guide, but don't think because you memorized it, you're Gods gift to the Corps. I'd rather hear you say the first paragraph and be real with it than for your to yell the whole thing out, and have no clue what it means. Lots of those running around. Tattoo BE, KNOW, and DO on your inside eyelids. If you can do that, the Creed doesn't matter being you're living it all. The. Time. Don't worry about "good/bad", just be the NCO troops want to serve with and under. The rest will sort itself out.
Practice your knife hands too. They are fun when used properly, and can cut MRE bread in a pinch.
Sergeants are those who made the rank. They were able to go to the boards, look awesome in uniform, are PT studs, can BS with senior leaders both O and Joe, and are considered "rising stars". They're the first to get the high speed recognition, always the fist to get looked at for promotions, or leadership positions to make promotions, but when you peel their onions back, EVERYTHING they did is on the backs of their Joes, the Joes never got recognized, their morale is at it's worst, and they're the ones pulling long hours while their Sergeant is somewhere else leading from the "front" of a keypad or keyboard. You look at their Joes 4856's and you see a pattern of no "leadership" but where the Joe needs to improve constantly, no follow up, or there are TONS of negative counseling's.
You'll know a Sergeant long before you discover the NCO. It's easy as hell to be a Sergeant. You just have to be able to play the game. Master it, and you'll be a SFC LONG before your peers, and more than likely under ten years TIS. You'll be that person with a BS with multiple valor attachments for gallantry in battle, but never left CONUS. Plus side is you will be the most popular person in the company, battalion, or group.
I hope you become the NCO. You won't be liked my many, but you'll have the respect of most. Respect is what you want, being that tells you, your peers, and leaders you are LEADING. Patton was not liked by many, but that mofo was feared and respected my ALL to include the Germans. You remember his name due to that, same as many NCO's when they get out or retire. NCO's often get calls form previous troops who are still in who value their opinion years after they punched out.
Everyone always uses the Creed as the basis of how a NCO should be. Use it as a guide, but don't think because you memorized it, you're Gods gift to the Corps. I'd rather hear you say the first paragraph and be real with it than for your to yell the whole thing out, and have no clue what it means. Lots of those running around. Tattoo BE, KNOW, and DO on your inside eyelids. If you can do that, the Creed doesn't matter being you're living it all. The. Time. Don't worry about "good/bad", just be the NCO troops want to serve with and under. The rest will sort itself out.
Practice your knife hands too. They are fun when used properly, and can cut MRE bread in a pinch.
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SGT Tony Clifford
Absolutely great advice. You perfectly stated the difference between an NCO and someone who's just a sergeant.
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SFC Christopher Taggart
Great commentary! Where were you SSG Swan when I needed advice? I got orders for the "school of hard knocks" and didn't graduate until I left the service twenty-five years later.
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SSG Warren Swan
SFC Christopher Taggart - SFC to be brutally honest on myself, I was a Sergeant. Didn't care really, just saw the stripes as a means to get out of details, or other mundane things. It took a good while with SOLIOD NCO's either digging into my backsides or as usual 1SG's telling me that I was good, but good wasn't good enough for them. The bar just kept getting higher and higher. I alienated many a NCO being they tried their asses off to get me to see the light, but being the hardhead I was, it took a LOT of counseling's, loss of rank, and more seasoning (hard knocks) in the Army to get me to finally wake up. When I finally did, I still couldn't play the game, but I knew just enough to keep those under me out of trouble, kept in service when by DOD regulations should've been sent packing, others by Army regulations to be sent packing. At 18.5yrs in, my luck finally ran out. I was non-mission capable, and medically sent packing.
I've done a lot of good, a whole lot more of bad, and there lies the problem. All the things I should've done, could've done, and didn't do. The NCO came out, just wish it was sooner. So now with the time to do "instant replay" on myself, I see my successes, and can honestly see what I did wrong, why I got what I got, and know that as a NCO, the uniform came off, but the desire to keep others from walking my walk lives on. It's funny now I held grudges for so long, but I didn't do the check up from the neck up. So it's up to us to pay it forward. I think the ops gonna make us proud.
I've done a lot of good, a whole lot more of bad, and there lies the problem. All the things I should've done, could've done, and didn't do. The NCO came out, just wish it was sooner. So now with the time to do "instant replay" on myself, I see my successes, and can honestly see what I did wrong, why I got what I got, and know that as a NCO, the uniform came off, but the desire to keep others from walking my walk lives on. It's funny now I held grudges for so long, but I didn't do the check up from the neck up. So it's up to us to pay it forward. I think the ops gonna make us proud.
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COL Jon Lopey
SSG Swan: I can't disagree with your commentary but when I was a sergeant in the USMC. Viet Nam was still going on and a lot was expected of corporals and sergeants. They are essentially the backbone of the military. We were expected to get the mission accomplished and take care of our people. I was never in a unit where a lot was not expected of these NCOs. In fact, some who didn't take their responsibility seriously lost their stripes. I saw mostly impeccable NCOs and officers in the USMC and later in the Army, most NCOs and officers, especially in combat arms, demonstrated those same outstanding leadership traits and principles we expected of them. As primary trainers of the unit at all levels, NCOs got the job done in the units I was fortunate enough to serve in and most were truly dedicated. Most leaders I knew set the example as well. Jon
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A leader is a servant. He/she makes sure that the unit has what it needs to succeed (e.g. Knowledge, Training, Supply, Opportunity, Direction, Purpose...) Military leaders have three and only three priorities in relation to their billet; The Mission, Preservation of Force, Troop welfare. Masters of the art of leadership can find a balance of the three priorities.
Most leaders will only get 1 or two priority well-covered.
Bad leaders will substitute their career for mission, risk avoidance for preservation of force, and "the troops like me" for troop welfare.
Most leaders will only get 1 or two priority well-covered.
Bad leaders will substitute their career for mission, risk avoidance for preservation of force, and "the troops like me" for troop welfare.
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SPC Jeff Hogan, M.S., M.P.S.
Spot on. I really recommend anything by Greenleaf on Servant Leadership.
The best officer I worked for emptied his own trash can and started coffee for everyone in the morning because he was always the first on site. He also frowned upon anybody staying longer than him.
The best officer I worked for emptied his own trash can and started coffee for everyone in the morning because he was always the first on site. He also frowned upon anybody staying longer than him.
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SPC Jeff Hogan, M.S., M.P.S.
What is Servant Leadership? - Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership
“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.” -Robert K. Greenleaf
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Maj John Bell
SPC Jeff Hogan, M.S., M.P.S. - Had a Battalion XO that would tour the BnCP ever workday around 1745. He wanted to know what we were working on and did it really have to be done that night. If it did, he asked "what do you need me to do?" If the answer was we got it, he made coffee and fended off anyone who might be wasting our time. If it didn't have to be done that night he sent us home.
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