How do you define AND identify a toxic leader?
What do we as Soldiers/Airmen/Sailors/Marines/Guardsmen/Reservists and Leaders do to combat this growing trend (which isn't a good one, BTW)???
How do you define AND identify a toxic leader???
Toxic Leadership
Drawdown
SFC Velasquez, it took me a short while to figure out what you meant by toxic leader.
I had my fair share of these kinds of leaders. 1 was a member of the KKK, another a leader of a religious group who only recruiter white males into his church.
something's I did was learn the UCMJ.
second was to learn about the groups they support.
third was to do my job. Even though they worked with me and I was just a SPC 4 at the time, all I can think of is how suppressive these people really are, in that they hold me back from advancement.
The KKK leader was aware that the CID was on him so he had no choice but to conduct himself accordingly or face a discharge. He to me was ok, because I also had my OIC 2nd LT at the time and I was supporting him 100%. I didn't have to worry to much, considering that I also had a hobby (Photography) and shortly I became battalion photographer, that made my OIC look really good.
as for the religious leader, I lost all respect him, considering that I heard how he talked about not just Latin's, but African Americans behind their backs. This guy wanted one thing for me court martial and dishonorable discharge.
I dealt with him for a good solid 1 year and 6 months. He would tell every one that I didn't know my job, make me look bad in front of every one in the company, call me names in front of every one to include the 1st SGT, he even threaten me and make do what takes 2 or 3 people to do.
End result I reported him and informed the 1st SGT of his activity, and was preparing to raise charges on him for racism. I had all the people I needed to support me on this case. I was told is I wanted a unit transfer, I said yes.
When I got a transfer, what took place in that unit with him followed me to the new unit. In the new unit, I kept doing my job and still maintained a high moral doing my photography. This was the OIC I spoke earlier, my last 6 months in that unit alone, beside doing my work I went from company photographer to battalion photographer, the BN commander found about me, he requested through my OIC to see if I can get some pictures of the Tank gunnery that was going to take place.
results, my new NCOIC and OIC got involved with me to make that possible.
Day 1, early morning, I started taking pictures of every one having breakfast, went through the entire battalion to take pictures of as many SM I could get photos of, my NCOIC and OIC took those rolls (35 mm) to the people who work in the Army time and develop pictures, by lunch time, in the mess hall, I help set up the mess hall wall, and posted all the pictures that were taken. I believe that boosted the moral of that BN pretty high. Thing is that through out, my additional job was to produce a 25 slide show presentation for after tank gunnery. I caught well over 250 slides, and set them up by company for the presentation. Pictures of night fire, incidents of a tank tipping over were rumors and every one saw it for the first time.
When I was ready to return back to CONUS, I reevaluated my actions in Germany from day 1 to the last day.
day 1 to the 1st year and 6 months.
A toxic NCOIC, but I had allot of support from my unit members, when I took my SQT, I ranked top 2 in the entire area, (For someone who didn't know his job kind of tells a different story right?).
A new hobby (photography) , well over 2-3 thousand dollars of cameras and developing equipment that I keep nicely placed in my wall locker.
In the last 6 months, transferred to a new unit, a tank unit with the M-1 Abram's, something new for me.
Started as a company photographer, went to being battalion photographer.
awarded: best communications of the year award, 2 Army achievement medals, 1 Army commendation medal, Passed the promotion board to E-5, a few letters of appreciation.
I thought I share this with every one, to tell how I dealt with toxic leaders, I haven't seen any toxic leaders since then.
The religious NCOIC was sent back to CONUS shortly after me getting a unit transfer, I don't know what happened to the KKK leader, but from the looks of him I kinder think that might have been false information.
My old 1SG (who is no longer serving) always heard of complaints when it came to Soldiers performing police calls with picking up cigarette butts around our DSU (medical warehouse). Soldiers who didn't smoke complained and felt they shouldn't have had to pick up the butts over the ones who did smoke. My 1SG somewhat felt this way and went to IG/JAG to see if making only the Soldiers who smoked be the ones responsible for picking up the butts against those who didn't. It was reported to her by IG/JAG that she was not allowed to do this as it would show favortism if she did along with some other things that I cannot remember.
Not so much toxic/bad leadership here in this instant but moreso just a stickler for wanting things done a certain way although many of my counterparts at the time (I was junior enlisted and not in a position of leadership) felt that she was targeting them because they were smokers and went to the same resources she did to complain.
From my own experience, something as simple as a PSG calling Soldiers by their first name, have very serious side effects and I would consider a "toxic leader". Was this Soldier abuse? Not physical, did it "mentally scar" them? Perhaps some of them, their perception of the Army is now tainted, and they spread that down the line.
Just as a bad apple in a basket will eventually make the others bad, so as with a leader doing something so simple as calling a Soldier by their first name can ruin a platoon.
So to answer your question MSG, not in every case.
But if that leader has now created an atmosphere so lax, that standard have gone out the window and Soldiers end up hurt or killed on the battlefield...then perhaps Soldier abuse is not out of the question.
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