Your top performer is moving to a weak leader to clean house on another team. How do you ensure they don't fail, despite weaker leadership?

2015-01-30T17:47:46-05:00

OK. More of a civilian question - but why not ask the world's greatest leaders... Say you have a subordinate, you've worked them very hard with them all year, and they are considered now a top performer among their peers, and given that, they are being sent to a "clean house" on another team. Say you don't have much confidence in their new boss, so you fear that poor leadership will make your high speed subordinate look bad with poor decisions... Is there anything I should do to ensure that the individual doesn't head over to her new boss, and fail?

Here's the best comparison so as not to give too much detail... Say you're a PSG, and your best squad leader is going to a (what you perceive is) a weaker PSG to fix a jacked up Squad in his PLT... How would you ensure that your Squad leader doesn't fail due to poor leadership from that PSG?

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 30 at 2015 5:52 PM

2015-01-30T17:52:21-05:00

I have to say I felt to a degree the same way. I felt I couldn't serve under a POTUS that seemed to aid the side we fighting against

Response by CSM Michael J. Uhlig made Jan 30 at 2015 5:56 PM

2015-01-30T17:56:47-05:00

The bottom line is that there's no problem with having a mentor, and I find that most times the mentors are not in the same organization/unit....I'd encourage her to continue to reach out to her mentor and offer to be that mentor should she want that.

Response by SPC Stewart Smith made Jan 30 at 2015 6:27 PM

2015-01-30T18:27:18-05:00

That's a very good question.
You can't manage her new team, nor should you try. You should trust her to make the right choices.
I guess, if she doesn't already know, tell her to immediately bring up any problems she may have with her supervisor. If she doesn't see results then she should go to her supervisors boss.

I don't really know how your company works, but in my company it's exactly this way. In the civilian world, owners cannot afford to allow childish, lazy, and poor decision makers to be in charge. They are usually not able to climb the corporate ladder very high, but when they do they don't stay there long.

Before you know it, she will be the boss.

Response by SFC Stephen Hester made Jan 30 at 2015 8:37 PM

2015-01-30T20:37:29-05:00

I agree with CSM Uhlig. If you can continue to mentor this person you should but ensure that you don't go too far. You don't want to give the appearance of having too much influence over someone else's direct report.