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I was speaking to one of my young Sergeants this evening about leadership and he said to me that during this current deployment (I'm in Iraq) is when he learned how to be a leader. He has been a SGT now for about two years and he was saying that he never really understood what leadership was until our little "mentorship" session in the motorpool in Kuwait where I kind of went all Drill Sergeant on him when he came to tell me about two SPCs leaving the motorpool before the work was done instead of challenging them and putting them back to work. Now one thing he said to me that resonated with me is that prior to him pinning on those hard stripes that he was never mentored for leadership while coming up through the ranks. Now since my days as a young Private all the way until the present I have received some form of leadership mentoring and I take the time to mentor all of my Hooahs. When we promote people to the rank of SGT and even the rank of CPL we are saying that they are ready to lead troops. We promote these kids and say "go take care of Joe", but don't stop to think whether or not we've properly mentored these young Warriors to be Warrior-Leaders. Whatever happen to the days of the true NCOPD? I'm not talking about these powerpoint classes on how to fill out a leave form or anything of te sort. I mean real NCOPD where Sr NCOs take Jr NCOs for an afternoon and really show them how to lead and take care of Soldiers. I remember my predecessors taking me and showing me resources and giving me tools so I can take care of Soldiers. Sure there was the occasional class on filling out a DA 638, but now that seems to be the standard. The new Sarge doesn't know that when Joe or Jane is having a financial problem to get them to finance or take them to ACS for a budgeting class or anything of the like, and they always have to wait for the Senior to appear in order to help the Soldier. Meanwhile, Joe's problem is getting bigger. We need to bring back the art of mentorship so that our young leaders will have the same tools as us old dogs, that way they can take care of their Soldiers better and lead them right,
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Mentorship
Mentorship
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 8
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Mentorship has declined. Now instead of real NCOPDs people are more worried about 500 hours of SHARP, EO, EEO and whatever else they come up with.
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SFC Herring, as a former NCO (who saw very slow promotions) and an officer that experienced RAPID promotions (which have now slowed), I think a large part of the problem is us putting people into a position, or promoting them to a rank before they are ready to do it.
I believe the good news is that promotion rates are generally slowing (hard to write that as "good news") and it will allow everyone more time to develop, and more self development. What we (all of us) MUST do is place an emphasis on REAL mentorship...filing 4856's or having a battle book is great, but its only part of the toolkit...spending time with our team to learn what each individual does well, and does poorly allows us to develop each Soldier to the maximum.
Its good to see a question like this, and the amount of responses following it...that means that WE care.
I believe the good news is that promotion rates are generally slowing (hard to write that as "good news") and it will allow everyone more time to develop, and more self development. What we (all of us) MUST do is place an emphasis on REAL mentorship...filing 4856's or having a battle book is great, but its only part of the toolkit...spending time with our team to learn what each individual does well, and does poorly allows us to develop each Soldier to the maximum.
Its good to see a question like this, and the amount of responses following it...that means that WE care.
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SSgt Boyd Herrst
Major; I’m AF.. and when I was a student at Cook/Baker School at Quartermaster School at Fort Lee in Va., I seen a lot of “Acting Corporals” tagging around with SSGs., I’d observe and see the SSG.
Give the Corporal and troops in his charge instructions..and he’d hand them over to that Corporal to see that they
‘Re carried out and he’d stand back and observe. I couldn’t too close So I hung back and Observe that Corporal going around and guide those that were doing the detail..
every so often that SSG would motion to that Corporal to come over to him and he’d say something only the Corporal could hear and that Corpotal went back and he’d show that Pvt how to do it. From what I observed was that SSG actually mentoring that upcoming soon to be NCO. No yelling getting in his face and then the Acting Corporal doing it to the Pvt. about 10 minutes later He called the Acting Corporal back to him.. it seemed he wanted to see more vocal action ... The young man goes back over.. but he still didn’t get in Pvt’s face.. Again he shows the Pvt. How it should be done. It looked to me like he was developing his own style .. I was thinking he should have saved that when he was actually alone with them and not with the SSG. (I’d been in JROTC and been instructed by some good mentors.. they told me that all yelling does is make you look like an “a—“ and give you high blood pressure. You can as much or more done talking in a normal manner with more effect on how you say your words). I had been finished with my detail and was heading back to our detachment after visiting the museum one of the items on the list to be done before graduating. It looked to me he’d might make a good NCO .
Give the Corporal and troops in his charge instructions..and he’d hand them over to that Corporal to see that they
‘Re carried out and he’d stand back and observe. I couldn’t too close So I hung back and Observe that Corporal going around and guide those that were doing the detail..
every so often that SSG would motion to that Corporal to come over to him and he’d say something only the Corporal could hear and that Corpotal went back and he’d show that Pvt how to do it. From what I observed was that SSG actually mentoring that upcoming soon to be NCO. No yelling getting in his face and then the Acting Corporal doing it to the Pvt. about 10 minutes later He called the Acting Corporal back to him.. it seemed he wanted to see more vocal action ... The young man goes back over.. but he still didn’t get in Pvt’s face.. Again he shows the Pvt. How it should be done. It looked to me like he was developing his own style .. I was thinking he should have saved that when he was actually alone with them and not with the SSG. (I’d been in JROTC and been instructed by some good mentors.. they told me that all yelling does is make you look like an “a—“ and give you high blood pressure. You can as much or more done talking in a normal manner with more effect on how you say your words). I had been finished with my detail and was heading back to our detachment after visiting the museum one of the items on the list to be done before graduating. It looked to me he’d might make a good NCO .
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