Posted on Sep 20, 2023
If a Soldier fails to reach their potential, can you blame their leadership?
7.3K
34
19
5
5
0
Naturally, we are responsible for our own actions, or in this case, failure to act. Yet, isn't our organization more than just individuals achieving things for themselves? If so, what about the things Soldiers don't achieve?
Some of you know exactly what I'm getting at. But for others, let's think about it. Insert whatever you want; Marine, sailor, coastie, Airmen, or guardian and ask the question to yourself, If a Soldier fails to do something, who is at fault? In the same breath we answer the Soldier and their first line leader, nearly all of the time. This is barring the aggregious and completely unlawful. Let's agree that there are clearly some things solely attributed to one's own character.
That being said, as an all volunteer military we take in recruits and after a little bit of training we put them to work. But PVT Joe and PVT Jane don't know what they don't know. So let's run with that. If they never go to the board and aim for promotion, or if they never go to Airborne school because they were afraid they couldn't pass the 5-miler, then can we blame them and blame heir NCO? What about those on their left and right?
I hope we take this to heart. It's built into the very fabric of our organization. It's simple, but seemingly taken for granted. What do you think?
Some of you know exactly what I'm getting at. But for others, let's think about it. Insert whatever you want; Marine, sailor, coastie, Airmen, or guardian and ask the question to yourself, If a Soldier fails to do something, who is at fault? In the same breath we answer the Soldier and their first line leader, nearly all of the time. This is barring the aggregious and completely unlawful. Let's agree that there are clearly some things solely attributed to one's own character.
That being said, as an all volunteer military we take in recruits and after a little bit of training we put them to work. But PVT Joe and PVT Jane don't know what they don't know. So let's run with that. If they never go to the board and aim for promotion, or if they never go to Airborne school because they were afraid they couldn't pass the 5-miler, then can we blame them and blame heir NCO? What about those on their left and right?
I hope we take this to heart. It's built into the very fabric of our organization. It's simple, but seemingly taken for granted. What do you think?
Leadership
Development
Accountability
Posted 2 y ago
Responses: 11
0
0
0
Potential? Who knows what anyone's is or will be? Shared responsibility, I get it. But what are the realistic options? Given the Military is really a business, it's an investment and return consideration. The leadership expectations, guidance, training provided, etc. goes to a point where the SM needs to take the ball and run. So when leadership is blamed, would the option would be to force the SM to the point of failure, just to find out? Lots of time and money to do that for everyone deemed in need of it. Now we have a morale and maybe a headcase problem. In the promotion game, you have nominally performing grouped with the underperforming on paper. Top performing get promoted while good performing fight for the table scraps. So typically what's missing is the CoC correctly working the scenarios with the SMs and figuring out exit strategy for more than you think years before it goes really sour. I aggressively worked that in my Skipper jobs so the "hang around and good things will happen" mentality was driven out. BTW overall morale and productivity improved. Performers hate deadwood.
(0)
(0)
1LT (Join to see)
I think leaders are completely capable of identifying who has potential or not for the simpler things at the lowest levels. For example, it's fairly easy to identify who can complete the 10-mile ruck march if they train up a little bit and who will never finish that event because they are lazy and weak-hearted. The same is true for promotion boards and schools. It's easy to identify the individual potential. Unlocking and developing it is the challenge, but it doesn't negate the responsibility at hand.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google