Posted on Jan 10, 2014
Favorite leadership style: Loud or Soft spoken?
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There are a myriad of various leadership styles in the Military. At some point we've all had that crazed, mad dog that favors loud, attention drawing outbursts as well as the soft spoken, verbose, drawn-out explanation type of leader. Allowing that all things are equal as far as intelligence and physical fitness, what is your preferred leadership style?
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<p>Personally I prefer a mixture of both methods of delivery. Being "loud" is required at times. I believe that if you are "loud" all the time, people may tend to "tune you out." Thoughts tend to lean towards "if this guy/gal yells about everything, how do I know what is important?" </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Same train of thought applies to being "soft spoken." I make it a habit to never confuse being "soft spoken" with being weak, but sometimes that is how it is perceived. The thoughts may lean towards "doesn't this guy/gal get ever fired up over anything?"</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>But you can get your point across without getting "loud." A slow, deliberate "lean in" with words that only your indented audience can hear goes a long way. That is a favorite course of action of mine during those instances where that style is warranted.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>BLUF is that each method of delivery has its place, use and level of effectiveness. </p>
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SGT(P) (Join to see)
Dang it MSG, I knew I left something out! I learned that early on that you can't treat everyone the same, but you must treat them all fairly.
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SFC (Join to see)
You guys pretty much covered everything I would say so I fully agree. I like being laid back at times as long everything goes smoothly how it is supposed to. On the other hand I do have to at that especially with new privates I let the "crazy" out every once in awhile just for them to realize and remember it's not all fun and games.
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SFC (Join to see)
You guys pretty much covered everything I would say so I fully agree. I like being laid back at times as long everything goes smoothly how it is supposed to. On the other hand I do have to add that especially with new privates I let the "crazy" out every once in awhile just for them to realize and remember it's not all fun and games.
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SSG John Erny
We had a NCO during the late 80's that knew loud, louder, and loudest. The troops would go out of their way just to avoid being seen by him. He was the motor pool NCOIC and not in most of the guys chain of command. I really think he just like to yell at lower enlisted for no other reason than he could.
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<font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3"><font color="#000000">There are a numerous Leadership styles
in the military.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each individual Leader
has to determine which to use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leadership,
IAW manuals and regulations is the approach in which we as Leaders provide our
subordinates with purpose, direction and motivation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As seen by our subordinates, Leadership includes
the total pattern of explicit and implicit action of Leaders. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></font></font></font></span></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3"><font color="#000000"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Leader can choose to be authoritarian,
democratic or even delegative in their style (soft or loud). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although Leaders can be soft or loud, bad Leaders
tend to stick with the one style of autocratic; loud. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You must know each and every subordinate, what
works with one will not necessarily work for the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At times, you can be loud in getting your
point across other times merely speaking to your subordinates in a respectful manner
will get your message through. <o:p></o:p></font></font></font></span></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A great Leader uses both styles and knows when
to implement them; it all depends on the situation on the personnel involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A great example of authoritarian Leadership
style would be for a new subordinate learning a new job.</font><font color="#000000"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: black;">The Leader is
competent and a good coach/mentor. The subordinate is motivated to learn a new
skill. The situation is a new environment for them.<o:p></o:p></span></font></font></font></span></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="background: white;"><span style='color: black; line-height: 135%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;'>There is a difference
in ways Leaders approach their subordinates. Positive Leaders use rewards, such
as education, incentives, etc. to motivate their subordinates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Negative Leaders emphasize penalties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The negative approach has a place in a Leader's
collection of tools in certain situations; however, it must be used carefully
due to its devoid of benefits on esprit de corps. <o:p></o:p></span></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="background: white;"><span style='color: black; line-height: 135%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;'>Negative Leaders act
domineering and superior with people. They believe the only way to get things
done is through being loud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They believe
their authority is increased by frightening everyone into higher levels of
productivity. Yet, what normally happens when this approach is used wrongly is
that morale falls, which leads to lower productivity. <o:p></o:p></span></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="background: white;"><span style='color: black; line-height: 135%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;'>Most Leaders do not
strictly use one or another, but are somewhere on a continuum ranging from
extremely positive to extremely negative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Leaders who continuously work out of the negative are bosses, while
those who primarily work out of the positive are considered great Leaders<o:p></o:p></span></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><font size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Calibri"></font></font></font></span> </p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><font size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Calibri">Reference:<o:p></o:p></font></font></font></span></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><font size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Calibri">http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadstl.html<o:p></o:p></font></font></font></span></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font>
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3"><font color="#000000">There are a numerous Leadership styles
in the military.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each individual Leader
has to determine which to use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leadership,
IAW manuals and regulations is the approach in which we as Leaders provide our
subordinates with purpose, direction and motivation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As seen by our subordinates, Leadership includes
the total pattern of explicit and implicit action of Leaders. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></font></font></font></span></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3"><font color="#000000"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Leader can choose to be authoritarian,
democratic or even delegative in their style (soft or loud). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although Leaders can be soft or loud, bad Leaders
tend to stick with the one style of autocratic; loud. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You must know each and every subordinate, what
works with one will not necessarily work for the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At times, you can be loud in getting your
point across other times merely speaking to your subordinates in a respectful manner
will get your message through. <o:p></o:p></font></font></font></span></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><font color="#000000"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A great Leader uses both styles and knows when
to implement them; it all depends on the situation on the personnel involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A great example of authoritarian Leadership
style would be for a new subordinate learning a new job.</font><font color="#000000"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: black;">The Leader is
competent and a good coach/mentor. The subordinate is motivated to learn a new
skill. The situation is a new environment for them.<o:p></o:p></span></font></font></font></span></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="background: white;"><span style='color: black; line-height: 135%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;'>There is a difference
in ways Leaders approach their subordinates. Positive Leaders use rewards, such
as education, incentives, etc. to motivate their subordinates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Negative Leaders emphasize penalties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The negative approach has a place in a Leader's
collection of tools in certain situations; however, it must be used carefully
due to its devoid of benefits on esprit de corps. <o:p></o:p></span></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="background: white;"><span style='color: black; line-height: 135%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;'>Negative Leaders act
domineering and superior with people. They believe the only way to get things
done is through being loud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They believe
their authority is increased by frightening everyone into higher levels of
productivity. Yet, what normally happens when this approach is used wrongly is
that morale falls, which leads to lower productivity. <o:p></o:p></span></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="background: white;"><span style='color: black; line-height: 135%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;'>Most Leaders do not
strictly use one or another, but are somewhere on a continuum ranging from
extremely positive to extremely negative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Leaders who continuously work out of the negative are bosses, while
those who primarily work out of the positive are considered great Leaders<o:p></o:p></span></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><font size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Calibri"></font></font></font></span> </p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><font size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Calibri">Reference:<o:p></o:p></font></font></font></span></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><font size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Calibri">http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadstl.html<o:p></o:p></font></font></font></span></p><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font>
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I am currently a Company Commander and the one thing I have learned is your troops don't want their commanders to yell. I think they lose confidence in them when they see them lose control of their emotions. I keep it steady and direct but authoritative. Having said that, when I was an XO I did yell at times but it was still rare and when I did they knew I meant business and got in gear. If you have a solid leadership style most soldiers will respond well and when they let you down they will know they have disappointed you without you having to yell. I think that gets through to them better than screaming does.
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