What is a leader? What is leadership? How can we get better?

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 04:45:49 -0500

BLUF: What does leadership mean to you? What qualities does
a leader have? How can we become better leaders?

RP is full of leaders. There is a wealth of experience and
knowledge here. I'm hoping to provoke thought and reflection on various
perspectives with regards to leadership. Consider the following as a starting
point:

Many of us are familiar with the definition "Leadership
is providing purpose, motivation and direction to achieve a goal." But
what else is it? Soldiers here know the Army's "Be, Know Do"
leadership model. Is it accurate? My Marine brothers often say leaders are "Firm, Fair and Consistent." Perhaps you are familiar with the concept of
the "Servant Leader."

And here's the big one. What are the fundamental differences
between "Officer Leadership" and "NCO" leadership? Are
there any?

As always please be professional and constructive.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 4 at 2014 2:48 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 14:48:32 -0500

Tough question to describe. Kind of like trying to explain what love is to someone who has never been in love. Most of the time we describe leadership by pointing to a leader we have known in the past and saying "That guy" but we can't easily describe what all it is about that person.

I would have to describe a real leader as someone who is intelligent enough to grasp the big picture, dedicated and disciplined enough to never give up until the mission is accomplished, compassionate and caring enough to take care of his/her soldiers, and charismatic, eloquent, and tactful enough to earn the respect of his/her soldiers so that that they'll follow him/her into the mouth of hell to accomplish the mission.

Response by Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 4 at 2014 4:01 PM

Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 16:01:32 -0500

Sir,

I will begin by commenting on what I believe leadership to be. It is the acceptance of responsibility of the actions of other people in hopes of completing some combined goal. That is purely a textbook definition, though.

Leadership requires one to know that their comfort, their needs, even their life is second to those who answer to them. It requires an individual to not only know that those beneath them are more important than them, but to accept that.

A good leader does not need to use threats (of violence, punishment, or other such things) in order to accomplish his goals. A good leader commands respect not through his words, but through his actions. He is moral and just with his subordinates and always at their defense, because that is his obligation to them. If you are a leader, then you should always be prepared to serve those beneath you.

In regards to the question about the differences in the obligations of leadership between a Non-Commissioned Officer and a Commissioned Officer, I believe it is quite simple. The Commissioned Officer must see the "Big Picture". He must be willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure that the "Big Picture" occurs.

The Big Picture varies depending on said officer's rank and position, but regardless, it is his duty to make it a reality. His focus should be on accomplishment of the mission in order to prevent loss of friendly and neutral lives.

The Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) serves in a different leadership capacity. He has an obligation to follow orders, but he is not necessarily focused on the Big Picture. He is focused on ensuring his orders are completed to the best of his ability with minimal loss of life.

However, he is also tasked with ensuring that his Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, or Sailors (in the case of Petty Officers) are capable of performing the tasks with which they are assigned so that they are capable of executing orders. The NCO is the one who runs the military and ensures that things get accomplished. Without someone to fill the roles of the NCO, a military is substantially weaker.

Overall, I would say that that an Officer is tasked with planning operations with aims of accomplishing goals to ensure that the war ends in the favor of the United States. I would say that an NCO is tasked with leading teams in these operations and executing the plans.

These are my thoughts as a fresh private, Sir. However, it is my hope that they provide some insight towards your question.

Very Respectfully,

PV1 Cherry

Response by CSM Michael Poll made Mar 4 at 2014 4:13 PM

CSM Michael Poll — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 16:13:10 -0500

There are many quotes, but I like this one -

A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end he and the other side must be closer, and thus emerge stronger. You don't have that idea when you are arrogant, superficial, and uninformed.

Nelson Mandela