Leaders Books, do Squad Leaders, Platoon SGT's and Platoon Leaders still maintain them?

2015-07-12T01:47:45-04:00

Once the standard, is this now a lost art? Is a Leaders Book necessary to track and truly know your subordinates? Or is everything thing done digitally know, what is your preference?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2015 1:50 AM

2015-07-12T01:50:04-04:00

Along with the Army Career Tracker (ACT), I maintain a Leaders Book for my Platoon. I can't remember nuuuthin! Lol

Response by COL Charles Williams made Jul 12 at 2015 2:05 AM

2015-07-12T02:05:31-04:00

No... Not like we did back in the day. But they should... This all goes back to the Army Red and Yellow Books, and the concept of "a loss of garrison leadership" as the root cause of many Army issues. CW4 Private RallyPoint Member

Response by LTC John Shaw made Jul 12 at 2015 2:40 AM

2015-07-12T02:40:09-04:00

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member Agreed, this is a lost art.
To the Army and many services credit they have put the responsibility on the soldier to maintain individual metrics and with the web and self-service it is a good thing.
The Commands also have the normal 'scorecard' metrics by unit, so now a GO can reach into a Company level, have a name and reach out and touch the soldier. I am not sure if that is a good thing as it hurts the chain of command.
Bottom Line: We should expect each level of leader to know their soldiers and the best way to encourage this is to MODEL the behavior. This is where most leaders fail, walk the talk.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2015 4:16 AM

2015-07-12T04:16:39-04:00

There are rare these days. I don't think it is for lack of trying but in the transition to the digital times we are seeing a digital version of this. I do think we shouldn't only rely on the digital copy. A hard copy should be maintained but leadership tools like this are rare to see now a days.

Response by CPT Chase Sanger made Jul 12 at 2015 9:13 AM

2015-07-12T09:13:28-04:00

I have one of the green "leader's books" with some written information on my Soldiers in it. Most of my tracking-type information on the Soldiers is typed in various excel spreadsheets though. I then print these spreadsheets and use a binder clip to keep them together, then slip inside the front cover of my Leader's Book. I generally switch out the trackers whenever theres an update, or monthly (whichever occurs first). It's a system that works for me, mainly because I'm very type-a and need things to be very organized but also due to the fact that my handwriting is worse than a doctor's (no offense, docs!). Typing things just makes it easier for others to read in case they need to see stats on any of my guys.

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Jul 12 at 2015 9:23 AM

2015-07-12T09:23:34-04:00

I had a leaders book, before I retired, most of the leaders didn't have them the NCO support channel in my commands didn't support it or require them. It is a good tool, and if you think you can remember everything about your Soldiers then maybe you don't need it. I never met a leader who could tell me everything about their Soldiers 100% of training, health and welfare of the Soldier. Yes it is a lost art in my opinion.

Response by SFC William Swartz Jr made Jul 12 at 2015 9:42 AM

2015-07-12T09:42:58-04:00

The last Leaders Book I maintained was as a PSG, it was mandated down from BN, and by the time I was done with my PSG time, it was such a monstrosity that it made no sense, it was kept in a 3" Binder because of the crap that BN sent down that MUST be in the book. When I was a young tank gunner (pretty much a team leader) I had a book that contained the pertinent personal and professional info on myself and my driver and loader as well as individual and crew tank tasks...the book I lugged around as a PSG had the required info on all 16 of my platoon members, all tasks from individual through platoon collective tasks and the training status of each, required layout diagrams and vehicle load plans, apft tracker, awards tracker, UCMJ tracker..it was fricking ridiculous!! Most training data nowadays is able to be tracked digitally in the Orderly room, so I do not know that it is necessary for a leader to maintain the type/size of leaders book that I did, but having a small book as a tm leader/squad leader with pertinent info on your members is always a good idea, IMO, but I'm retired now so take that with a grain of salt lol!!

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2015 9:45 AM

2015-07-12T09:45:00-04:00

I definitely have a leaders book, but as you alluded too it is more of a leaders file. I still prefer paper over digital files, but am slowly making to transition. I think a quality leader is not just someone that knows their subordinates. They are aware of their goals and support and encourage their career/personnel growth. Support without knowing your subordinates is nothing more than blind mentorship, you may get a couple things right by luck but are not truly invested.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2015 10:15 AM

2015-07-12T10:15:05-04:00

I *should* maintain a leader's book, but I find that in the Reserves I am never in charge of the same people for more than a 3-4 months at a time, so it becomes an exercise in frustration.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2015 12:26 PM

2015-07-12T12:26:26-04:00

Yes I still use it and mandate all my Squad Leaders have theirs. Actually did a NCOPD class with all my TL and up on it. I've seen so many different variations of it throughout my career that I've pieced together what I think is a good one. It isn't mandated down from any part of my NCO Support channel nor CoC, BUT it does get some nice kudos when I whip it out in a meeting for some needed pertinent info. All is in a 1 inch 3 ring binder with doc protectors. Luckily with myself being AGR I can update monthly (apparently some Soldiers feel the need to change phone numbers monthly), and send out digitally to my NCO's so they can print and put in theirs.

And yes it is an inspect able item for my Plt formations and Leaders meeting...lol

Response by CPT Chris Loomis made Jul 13 at 2015 1:55 AM

2015-07-13T01:55:17-04:00

I maintain a leader book in addition to what is digital.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 13 at 2015 8:14 AM

2015-07-13T08:14:24-04:00

This used to be the way that we tracked the proficiency on METL and Common Tasks (TPU charts) as well as personal information.
Alas, keeping metrics on our ability to perform METL tasks and planning a platoon training calendar based upon that seems to be a lost art.

Response by SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 4 at 2020 8:52 AM

2020-10-04T08:52:01-04:00

I think so but everyone has there own methods on how they do things.