Ouster of Marine officer overseeing female boot camp training sparks controversy

I hear more and more about the "toxic leadership" concept lately. I am growing concerned that the word toxic is being used like the words homophobe or racist or misogynist etc. these days in debate and discussion. When someone wants to destroy someone else or create a real negative connotation about someone you just grab one of these charged words and whamo, you have yourself a monster.

It sounds to me like she was at least trying to increase performance through demanding more. God forbid we do that to women in recruit training. She likely challenged the status quo, created enemies and they went after the "toxic" leader.

Let's assume for a minute she was over the top or she was harder than she needed to be. So what. She will never be any harder on you than the enemy might. We used to have a concept that the more you would sweat in peace the less you would bleed in war. Today it seems more like the quicker you can undo a leader the sooner you can get back to the status quo.

Reminds me a bit of the scene from Heartbreak Ridge with Gunny Highway demanding and getting more from his guys. They tried to undo the Gunny by going back to his guys and getting them to press charges, they called BS. I know it is a movie but it is the behavior that is interesting. Today, Highway he would be a toxic, Neanderthal that was hurting the troops self esteem, back in my day he would have been normal and expected.

She speaks the truth. She sounds like an Officer I would have loved to train under. I mean, it's boot camp, not Girl Scouts. What is the major malfunction here?
She did GREAT!
LCDR (Join to see)

Well, in this particular incident you have [female] recruits (civilians who understand nothing of the culture in general yet) believing that they are still momma's precious little snowflake, not taking kindly to any perceived threat to their ideals. She wasn't in line with the current ideology. She was tough and stated hard to swallow facts (imagine that) and spineless weeaboos with idealized notions don't like that.

It's hard to think that I would ever say this but I do not believe that the concept of leadership should really be taught in boot camp. Natural leaders will naturally take over and those who'd rather follow will. We're taught to seize the opportunity and by teaching in boot camp that "everyone can be a leader," we are creating a toxic pool of junior Marines who now believe they are entitled to be leaders and lead other Marines in turn. These Marines cry and whine when they receive counselings and nonrecs for lacking leadership potential or ability when they have done nothing on their own to prove otherwise and it is nowadays the NCO or Officer who gets the ass reaming or shaft because "it's not fair."

Completely setting aside the fact the she did mention that a male Marine would be less likely to follow a female Marine (hard fact as it does happen), there is a simpler and substantially more important meaning to that idea and statement.

A warrior will not follow someone who does not prove themselves capable of leading them.

It's the very core of our leadership principles. They are not some that just NCOs and Officers should be mindful of but all leaders. Being a leader is the worst fulltime job you could ever have. The pay sucks, the hours are even worse, you're part babysitter, part asshole, you have to know when to be a friend and when to be an enemy. That's why you have to want it and prove that you can handle it.

And that is from my understanding what she did. She identified the problems and told the recruits what would happen if they didn't correct those problems.
Can't do more than two pullups? Don't bother trying to lead PT until you are fit enough to actually do the PT. Otherwise you will lose some rapport with your Marines, especially the ones who bust their asses during their personal time in the gym or on the track to better themselves.
Can't shoot for shit? You better not say a damn thing other than a safety ceasefire and find yourself either a coach or the best shooter in your company.

Can't do your MOS? fine, you'll mow grass and build rosters instead.

If you want to be a leader, then want it. More importantly, find someone who says you can't and prove them wrong. Don't cry to a flag officer because they hurt your feelings by yelling at you for not knowing how to tie your damn bootlaces.

A toxic leader isn't a leader who correct someone harshly or gives a cold hard reality check when it's needed. A toxic leader is a person who believes they are entitled to the position of leadership despite all evidence saying otherwise.

The war is basically done. The leaders job now is to instruct , educate, and supervise. When the next war begins, your job will be to lead your Marines in combat and do your damnest to make sure they walk off that plane or ship with you at homeport or die trying.

LT. Col. Germano understood that, the only thing she failed to do was get that across to the recruits and Marines who cried wolf.