Posted on Jan 28, 2017
Cadets are often told to listen to our NCOs after we commission. How can we achieve a good balance between taking advice and being in charge?
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The one piece of advice that cadets receive more than any other is probably that we'll need to listen to our NCOs. The excellent reasons for a new 2LT to look to his or her more experienced Soldiers and NCOs are numerous and in many cases self evident. Nonetheless, a new PL is and has to be in charge. How can the recently commissioned officer lead and further hone his or her skills and do the right thing by his or her Soldiers while still taking this crucial advice to heart? And in what situations, if any, might a PL be right not to go along with the NCOs advice?
Leadership
Cadet
Advice
Commission
Edited 8 y ago
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 216
133
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What you need to develop is your BS meter. vast majority of NCOs will give you passable (less) to tremendous (more) counsel. A very small minority will give you bad advice and talk a great game. They will falter on the follow through. The really great NCOs will confer with you, help you break out the issue to the critical factors, mull the course of action, then stand back and let you issue the order. Many things do not require immediate response. The things that do will immediately present themselves, in which use your best judgement and be decisive. Mission first, people always. It is a delicate balance. If it were easy, everyone would be a Lieutenant and they would call it bowling.
Be yourself. Be humble. Listen, really listen. Learn something new everyday. Tell a particular NCO you want to,learn a certain thing. Let them teach you. If there is "suck to embrace" be present and participate fully. Look out for your peeps, tough love as well as praise. You'll get it.
Edit: due to the traffic on this post, there is a Command Post articles that consolidates some of the dialogue. https://www.rallypoint.com/command-post/new-officers-listen-up
Be yourself. Be humble. Listen, really listen. Learn something new everyday. Tell a particular NCO you want to,learn a certain thing. Let them teach you. If there is "suck to embrace" be present and participate fully. Look out for your peeps, tough love as well as praise. You'll get it.
Edit: due to the traffic on this post, there is a Command Post articles that consolidates some of the dialogue. https://www.rallypoint.com/command-post/new-officers-listen-up
New Officers, Listen Up. | RallyPoint
As a newly Commissioned Officer, or as a Cadet aspiring to become an Officer, you may be asking yourself many questions as you get closer to leading your first Platoon. How will I rise to the challenge? How should I “come in”? The first thing you need to adjust is your mindset. Unless you have prior enlisted experience, you have to adjust to the fact that you will not be leading peer Cadets. Cadets are great and wonderful people. They are...
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COL Larry Hannan
When I was a 2LT and was given a mission I would draft my initial mission order to my platoon, then get with my PSG and run it past him. He would help me to "flesh it out" for me. I would rewrite it, then call in the platoon and issue the order. He would stand back, listen, then say, "all right, lets move!" or whatever was appropriate at the time. The point is, by consulting with my senior NCO he and I became a team, and his support propelled our platoon into successes. He was fully invested in helping to mold a young officer into a soldier and a leader.
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SSG Guy Gould
The best way to develop your bullshit meter is to work toward BE-coming the subject matter expert through self-certification. It's not something that you will be able to do instantly. But, as you certify yourself, you will meet the NCO that has certified themselves and you will KNOW them by the way they DO their leadership and take care of their Soldiers. They're the ones that are DO-ing what they KNOW they are supposed to BE. Are you seeing the trend in this message? BE, KNOW, DO. This should resonate loudly to every officer who reads this. A good NCO is BE, KNOW, DO. FM 22-100. ARMY LEADERSHIP. BE, KNOW, DO. If you want to know which NCO to follow, read this manual like drinking a fine wine. Open it. Let it breathe. Let it get into the air. Inhale the bouquet. Then, when you think you've got an idea of what this will taste like, drink it all in. Let it become a part of your blood. There is no better bullshit meter to have than to be the same kind of leader that you expect your NCOs to be. Your good NCOs will recognize this in you and you won't have to look for them. They will find you. The most important thing to being a good leader is being a team builder. You build a team like you build anything good. Set an unbreakable foundation and build it UP from there.
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SSgt (Join to see)
Well said, Col. Mackay! Your brand of wisdom and intelligence seem to be more difficult to find, every day...
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Start with the understanding that you don't know, and it's OK not to know. The role of that SFC is to mentor you. The platoon is completely capable of carrying on without you, and they you're there to learn. Most of these platoon Sergeants are almost old enough to be your father (or mother). They've spent years mentoring young soldiers. You don't need to maintain an aura of being in control. The PSG will guide you toward shouldering more responsibility as your confidence grows. A new PL is not "in charge" they are responsible.
When to watch out for an NCO is if you come across one that doesn't have the respect of their peers, one who likes to blow smoke up your butt, or one who is abusive or dismissive of their subordinates. The job of an NCO is Soldier business; if the NCO seems annoyed by Soldiers or incapable of seeing after their welfare, you may want to get a second opinion. The Army is an organization where reputation is critical, and you will be able to tell the character and value of your PSG by the way their peers treat or regard him/her.
When to watch out for an NCO is if you come across one that doesn't have the respect of their peers, one who likes to blow smoke up your butt, or one who is abusive or dismissive of their subordinates. The job of an NCO is Soldier business; if the NCO seems annoyed by Soldiers or incapable of seeing after their welfare, you may want to get a second opinion. The Army is an organization where reputation is critical, and you will be able to tell the character and value of your PSG by the way their peers treat or regard him/her.
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SFC (Join to see)
MAJ Norm Michaels - Sir, your are absolutely correct. That is why they are the Platoon Leader (PL). The Platoon Sergeants (PS) job is to advise the PL and make sure the PL orders are carried out. Besides the last time I check the OPORDER came from the LT not from me
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MAJ Norm Michaels
SFC (Join to see) - Thank you. Some Platoon Sergeants get offended that some college kid is in command, but oh well; such is life... :-) I did both sides of this, but even when I wan an NCO, I always understood that the officers were the bosses, no matter my experience or theirs. Funny thing = my first joint assignment, there was an Air Force TSgt that asking me to coordinate with the Zeros on stuff. Zeros? I asked him what he meant; he said, " you know zero-1s, zero-2s, zero-3s, zero-4s". I said, " you mean O-1, O-2, O-3s"? His answer was classic = "you call them Os (ohs), we call them zeros".
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Sgt Martin Querin
MAJ Norm Michaels - That Tech Sgt was a punk. Major, I would agree that the PL is in charge and any SNCO, or NCO that is worth his salt understands that there is a chain of command for a reason. It undermines their own authority and credibility to front the Platoon Leader. At the same time ignoring the years of experience, advice and mentoring that a young PL can get from their senior and staff NCO's would not be any more prudent on the part of any PL, whether they are a 2/1 LT or Captain. With all due respect Major, good ideas, strategies, tactics etc can come from any where and just having a shiny stuff on a lapel doesn't make a person the end all be all of leadership.
The platoon is a team and like any other team, each part needs to know and understand it's role, responsibility and how to function as a part of the team. I didn't get any more offended by a young LT, or a Pvt with a good idea; I always tried to give the PL my best advice and in the end his decision and I implemented his orders. We don't need arrogant over-bearing know-it-all officers any more than we need arrogant over-bearing know--it-all NCO's.
Good leaders know how to get every brain in the game and engage all at their appropriate level without having to impress anyone above, or below them and they know how to make sure everyone knows their proper place without having to be a punk about it. As you say, the chain of command is what it is...just be a great leader.
The platoon is a team and like any other team, each part needs to know and understand it's role, responsibility and how to function as a part of the team. I didn't get any more offended by a young LT, or a Pvt with a good idea; I always tried to give the PL my best advice and in the end his decision and I implemented his orders. We don't need arrogant over-bearing know-it-all officers any more than we need arrogant over-bearing know--it-all NCO's.
Good leaders know how to get every brain in the game and engage all at their appropriate level without having to impress anyone above, or below them and they know how to make sure everyone knows their proper place without having to be a punk about it. As you say, the chain of command is what it is...just be a great leader.
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SFC Steve Scrugham
Let's face facts here we all know that running a platoon is a balancing act. At the end of the day the platoon will either make you or break you.
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Really great advice here. I'll just add: It is ok for a command team to disagree, but it must be understood that you will present a unified front to your troops. I have an outstanding 1SG right now, but we don't always agree. We talk through it, debate, discuss, and 99% of the time I follow his recommendation. However, it is understood that once I have made a decision, it is no longer up for debate.
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MSgt Gregory Moon
Exactly! My OIC had many heated discussions behind closed doors; once the decision was made in how we were going to proceed, everybody was all in.
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