Posted on Feb 29, 2020
Has toxic leadership affected your decision on staying or separating the military service?
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Service Members and retired personnel, I am doing a research on how toxic leadership affects the service members career progression specifically at the time of deciding whether they want to stay in service or not.
Most of us have had a first line leader, or company leadership that we can classify as toxic. The Army officially calls these leaders "Counterproductive Leaders". Now, I'm not talking about the leaders who enforce the standards, and I'm not trying to defend the Soldiers who give below the minimum and try to blame it on others. My intent is to pick the brain of those enlisted and officers who had a great career plan and couldn't handle the treat by their leaders, or simply did not receive any leadership at all.
ADP 6-22, 31 July 2019: The term toxic has been used when describing leaders who have engaged in what the Army now refers to as counterproductive leadership behaviors.
American Military University
COMM120
Most of us have had a first line leader, or company leadership that we can classify as toxic. The Army officially calls these leaders "Counterproductive Leaders". Now, I'm not talking about the leaders who enforce the standards, and I'm not trying to defend the Soldiers who give below the minimum and try to blame it on others. My intent is to pick the brain of those enlisted and officers who had a great career plan and couldn't handle the treat by their leaders, or simply did not receive any leadership at all.
ADP 6-22, 31 July 2019: The term toxic has been used when describing leaders who have engaged in what the Army now refers to as counterproductive leadership behaviors.
American Military University
COMM120
Toxic Leadership
Retention
Research
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 13
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I stayed until retirement, so I can't claim it made a huge difference.
However.....
I re-enlisted indefinitely very shortly after my 10 year mark and for much of the last 8 years of my career, I regretted that decision, and chafed at my indefinite status.
I met very few toxic leaders in the 1st half of my career, and those were always counterbalanced by great leaders above them. I met many toxic leaders in the second half of my career, but at that point, I was stuck. Additionally, those toxic leaders had a greater impact on my career, because one bad NCOER doesn't hurt a SGT, and it can be overcome by a SSG. One bad NCOER pretty much torpedoes a SFC's chances of ever becoming a MSG. Additionally, being continuously assigned outside your MOS just so a leader can look good (I.e. I had excellent administrative skills, but was not in an admin MOS... Guess who was always in the O Room or 3 shop?) kills competitive chances at promotion.
So while I *did* stay until retirement, I also got out almost as soon as I could once I was eligoble for retirement.
However.....
I re-enlisted indefinitely very shortly after my 10 year mark and for much of the last 8 years of my career, I regretted that decision, and chafed at my indefinite status.
I met very few toxic leaders in the 1st half of my career, and those were always counterbalanced by great leaders above them. I met many toxic leaders in the second half of my career, but at that point, I was stuck. Additionally, those toxic leaders had a greater impact on my career, because one bad NCOER doesn't hurt a SGT, and it can be overcome by a SSG. One bad NCOER pretty much torpedoes a SFC's chances of ever becoming a MSG. Additionally, being continuously assigned outside your MOS just so a leader can look good (I.e. I had excellent administrative skills, but was not in an admin MOS... Guess who was always in the O Room or 3 shop?) kills competitive chances at promotion.
So while I *did* stay until retirement, I also got out almost as soon as I could once I was eligoble for retirement.
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A bit older than you probably are looking for but in late 73 as an E4 I had a slot waiting at the nco academy as soon as I reenlisted...due to some RHIP NONSENSE I had orders for my new PCS intentionally withheld, by orders of the Base commander among other difficulties....walked into the orderly room on my last day and said" how do I get outof this chicken**** outfit"....never looked back...if this is what reenlisting was going to get me, I was going to move on....
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