When are you "certified" as a leader?

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 18:26:28 -0500

Just spent two days in a senior leader's conference with every BDE CDR and BN CDR in the Division. One of the topics that always gets a lot of conversation is Leader Development, because that's what we do. We develop the future leaders of the United States Army. That's pretty serious business. One question came up about certification. When are you certified to be in the position you are in as a leader? As an example, a 2LT Aviation Officer may be a platoon leader, but until they are certified, they will never be a mission leader. Some say you're not certified until you are complete with the job. Others say that the Army has certified you through the schooling and experience you recieve prior to getting to that job. Others say it's a process and at every gate you are evaluated to see if you get "de-certified."

Response by TSgt Joshua Copeland made Jan 15 at 2015 6:29 PM

TSgt Joshua Copeland — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 18:29:44 -0500

When I got the nifty certification from the Community College of the Air Force that said "Professional Management Certification" on it. in all seriously, I get re-certified every day by my subordinates, peers and those I am subordinate to.

Response by SMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 15 at 2015 7:22 PM

SMSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 19:22:01 -0500

Hate to say it Sir, but I was certified at birth!

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 15 at 2015 7:41 PM

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 19:41:17 -0500

I think there is a difference in certification and validation. There is difference between a negative leader and a positive one. Looking at the definition of leadership being the "The art of influencing others to achieve a common objective." There are two ways a leader goes about doing this. One I have authority over you and have influence on your life. You are influenced to to do the job out of fear of retribution. In this case you are more likely to do the bare minimum and nothing more. Or the other end I am a positive leader and influence you to take initiative, better yourself and accomplish the job above the minimums and you want to mutually see the mission succeed and take ownership of the tasks.

In both cases the job gets done. In one case just the job as I demand it. In the other case you go beyond my expectations and complete tasks and even find best practices. People will let you fail if you are a bad leader. A good leader will create an environment where the people will be there to let you succeed as you are providing the environment for them to succeed as well.

So when is one certified to be a leader? As soon as we meet the metrics that put us in potential leadership positions. For the enlisted it is when they pin on NCO. For the officer we are certified the day we commission. Just because we are certified initially does not mean we will fail future validations. It is the people below us who validate our leadership abilities when we are able to meet standards above the minimum when accomplishing the mission. To quantify this if it were a perfect world. We would be validated on our leadership each time we are given a promotion or placement in higher position of authority in a span of control of the organization. Then we would lose validation each time we are passed over or not given anymore leadership opportunities.

Obviously it is not a perfect world. Bad leaders play the game, politic well and create an illusion that they are good and get promoted. Sometimes real good leaders ones who have the confidence of those below them don't play the game well. Are not always visible to the echelons and sometimes are passed over.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 15 at 2015 7:54 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 19:54:45 -0500

It's an interesting question, sir. I wasn't "technically certified" for my billet until I completed my OBC/BOLC. But that's just from the administrative standpoint of the Army. To be "certified" by your leaders and followers, you have to maintain the trust given to you by your command team and carry out every task given to you to the best of your ability. The end state is having your leadership positively impact the development of others. However, there's no certificate that's going to print out to showcase that moment; it just happens.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 25 at 2015 3:00 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 03:00:25 -0500

Sir, I believe that being a leader and being certified to lead are two very different beasts which often get muddied together by the terminology. A 2LT is not certified to lead until he or she has completed the officer certification requirements set for him by his chain of command. However, an officer can be a fantastic leader without being range safety or otherwise certified. I think the importance of certification programs is that they expose officers to all kinds of information which grants the expertise to know what right looks like. I believe junior enlisted Soldiers generally know how to do their jobs and that NCO's will generally try to do the right thing. However, when push comes to shove, the officer is the one who is responsible for everything that happens or fails to happen. An officer's job is not to be one of the guys with his troops nor to do their jobs for them. It is to ensure they do their jobs the right way to accomplish the mission while not straying across the line from acceptable deviations from doctrine through knowledge and experience to the unacceptable notion of letting things slide because the NCO says "that's how we've always done it." I believe that first and foremost an officer must know the capabilities, limitations, and general employment of his equipment as well as having a general understanding of the same for other branches and disciplines. In other words, an officer must be a veritable jack-of-all-trades with an understanding of the interconnections throughout the Army. Once he has established that baseline of knowledge, he can become the leader the Army wants and needs.