Posted on Jun 13, 2015
What are the defining characteristics of a truly outstanding officer?
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What defining qualities facilitate true greatness for an officer? What habits should be cultivated in order to achieve excellence throughout one's career? What does exemplary leadership look like? This question is deliberately broad, because any detail or anecdote would be incredibly helpful in my own professional development. Thanks so much in advance to any officers, warrant officers, NCOs, and junior enlisted who take the time to provide their valuable input!
Leadership
Leadership Development
Officer
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 22
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Quality Leaders need to "Know when to lead from the front and know when to lead from behind!” Set the example for others to follow and know when to allow your Junior Officers and Senior NCOs the ability to move the organization in the right direction without overshadowing their efforts. Never take credit for what your team plans, directs, and executes. You provide the Commander Guidance and Intent, and then let them take the ball and run with it. Always give credit to your team before yourself! You will be a successful Commander or leader when you build a competent team that can excel and grow with the success of the organization! Other qualities include being honest, as described above the ability to delegate, good communicator, a good sense of humor (don't be a grump), Confident in your decisions and position, Committed to excellence in the organization and personnel, PMA (Positive Mental Attitude), intuitive by nature, ability to inspire others, and be creative with solutions, ideas, and ways to improve the overall organization and it's assigned individuals!
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CPT (Join to see)
COL Mikel J. Burroughs Sir, thank you so much for your very thorough response! I will definitely strive to exemplify those traits throughout my career. I deeply appreciate your advice!
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CPT Dent Cermak
The main thing to remember is that it is NOT all about you. CSM Gene Mask put it best when he coined the phrase " Mission first, Troops always".
YOUR skills and abilities are very important, but your troops can make or break you. Keep an eye on them an d make sure that, if qualified, they get promoted on time. Ahead of schedule if they deserve it.
Hopefully you will have a PLT SGT that is on top of his game and knows his troops and their capabilities. Learn from him. You are given mission orders, relay them to him and turn him loose. Give praise when due, but know how to set them straight when praise is not due. Give guidance and encouragement freely.
I have actually seen OER's that stated "This Officer could not lead starving wolves to fresh meat". Lead with your style. AS the Col. above stated, a good sense of humor is worth its weight in gold. When things get really heavy, a little silliness will work wonders. I remember being in one intense training exercise. Everyone was getting really snippy and nerves were on edge. I was the new 2LT, so I was expected to be the dufuss. Always try to meet expectations. The Operations Officer was having a fit for a report that I had. I held up the report and said, "What's the Magic Word?". EVERYTHING stopped. I repeated my question and he said, with a sigh, "Please". The snickers began. I then pulled the report back and said, "Bark like a puppy." Two NCO's fell on the ground laughing. When the Ops Officer did so, everyone let loose. All had a good laugh and we were able to refocus and get on with the mission.
YOUR skills and abilities are very important, but your troops can make or break you. Keep an eye on them an d make sure that, if qualified, they get promoted on time. Ahead of schedule if they deserve it.
Hopefully you will have a PLT SGT that is on top of his game and knows his troops and their capabilities. Learn from him. You are given mission orders, relay them to him and turn him loose. Give praise when due, but know how to set them straight when praise is not due. Give guidance and encouragement freely.
I have actually seen OER's that stated "This Officer could not lead starving wolves to fresh meat". Lead with your style. AS the Col. above stated, a good sense of humor is worth its weight in gold. When things get really heavy, a little silliness will work wonders. I remember being in one intense training exercise. Everyone was getting really snippy and nerves were on edge. I was the new 2LT, so I was expected to be the dufuss. Always try to meet expectations. The Operations Officer was having a fit for a report that I had. I held up the report and said, "What's the Magic Word?". EVERYTHING stopped. I repeated my question and he said, with a sigh, "Please". The snickers began. I then pulled the report back and said, "Bark like a puppy." Two NCO's fell on the ground laughing. When the Ops Officer did so, everyone let loose. All had a good laugh and we were able to refocus and get on with the mission.
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Know yourself.
Know your trade (read and study assiduously)
Know your people (not just their names know ABOUT them)
Know your capabilities and limitations.
Listen carefully
Don't make snap decisions.
Don't be compromised professionally or morally.
Know your unit's mission and if you don't understand ...clarify.
Keep your senses about you when things are going wrong ...don't panic and never show fear.
Never ever, ever quit !
Don't take yourself too seriously.
My own personal motto "Never believe your own bullshit"
Stay on the tank!
Know your trade (read and study assiduously)
Know your people (not just their names know ABOUT them)
Know your capabilities and limitations.
Listen carefully
Don't make snap decisions.
Don't be compromised professionally or morally.
Know your unit's mission and if you don't understand ...clarify.
Keep your senses about you when things are going wrong ...don't panic and never show fear.
Never ever, ever quit !
Don't take yourself too seriously.
My own personal motto "Never believe your own bullshit"
Stay on the tank!
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CPT (Join to see)
LTC Bink Romanick
Sir, thank you so much for an outstanding checklist of habits to cultivate! This is excellent advice to keep in mind throughout my military career!
Sir, thank you so much for an outstanding checklist of habits to cultivate! This is excellent advice to keep in mind throughout my military career!
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I like the old "Officers make policy, Senior NCOs interpret policy, NCOs enforce policy" concept.
"A" (singular) quality of an outstanding officer is the ability to develop policy that requires neither interpretation nor enforcement. The ability to share a "Vision" that will be carried out correctly from the simplest of explanations.
Think Napoleon's Corporal.
"A" (singular) quality of an outstanding officer is the ability to develop policy that requires neither interpretation nor enforcement. The ability to share a "Vision" that will be carried out correctly from the simplest of explanations.
Think Napoleon's Corporal.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
Sergeant, thanks very much for this guidance! As a platoon leader, I sometimes struggle to "stay in my lane." Your concise and very insightful definition of an outstanding officer is extremely beneficial.
Sergeant, thanks very much for this guidance! As a platoon leader, I sometimes struggle to "stay in my lane." Your concise and very insightful definition of an outstanding officer is extremely beneficial.
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Cares for the troops even if he must send them into battle.
Always shows his appreciation to his soldiers and never talks down to them.
Is genuine.
I had a Great Battalion Commander at 7th ID. LTC Truesdale. He was a great commander.
When he rotated out we got a new LTC who was an Ass. Always said we were like his children.
How we weren't doing enough.
He refused to sign for awards. Said it was our job to do that well.
Be some one you would gladly go into battle for.
Always shows his appreciation to his soldiers and never talks down to them.
Is genuine.
I had a Great Battalion Commander at 7th ID. LTC Truesdale. He was a great commander.
When he rotated out we got a new LTC who was an Ass. Always said we were like his children.
How we weren't doing enough.
He refused to sign for awards. Said it was our job to do that well.
Be some one you would gladly go into battle for.
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SGT Joe Sabedra
Respect is mandated by our rank structure of the rank.
It is given freely to the person.
If one on my commanders was demoted but he had earned my trust and respect his misfortune would not disease me from giving them my full respect.
It is given freely to the person.
If one on my commanders was demoted but he had earned my trust and respect his misfortune would not disease me from giving them my full respect.
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Willingness to learn.
To learn how to get things done, use your NCOs. From your earliest days, the Army issues officers at all levels a Senior NCO to be part of your team. Use that knowledge to your advantage! You are in charge, but part of leading is knowing when to follow advice.
Which leads me to the next part. Find the best officer in your unit and cultivate a mentoring relationship. Do this at all levels as you progress, and as you make rank, find rising stars and do the same for your subordinates. I learned as much or more from my Soldiers as I did from my leaders. Build a culture of taking care of each other, and they will take care of you.
Any Lieutenant with the sense to ask this kind of question is ahead of most.
Good luck, CPT (Join to see). I like you already.
To learn how to get things done, use your NCOs. From your earliest days, the Army issues officers at all levels a Senior NCO to be part of your team. Use that knowledge to your advantage! You are in charge, but part of leading is knowing when to follow advice.
Which leads me to the next part. Find the best officer in your unit and cultivate a mentoring relationship. Do this at all levels as you progress, and as you make rank, find rising stars and do the same for your subordinates. I learned as much or more from my Soldiers as I did from my leaders. Build a culture of taking care of each other, and they will take care of you.
Any Lieutenant with the sense to ask this kind of question is ahead of most.
Good luck, CPT (Join to see). I like you already.
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1SG (Join to see)
First Sergeant, thank you very much for taking the time to articulate extremely beneficial advice! I definitely need to work on cultivating better mentoring relationships, both for myself and my Soldiers. I really appreciate your guidance!
First Sergeant, thank you very much for taking the time to articulate extremely beneficial advice! I definitely need to work on cultivating better mentoring relationships, both for myself and my Soldiers. I really appreciate your guidance!
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If they are a 2LT, they must be able to determine whether they are required to salute a 1LT. ;)
But in all seriousness, no one person, no matter how wise or experienced, knows everything. Doesn't matter if an officer is a green-around-the-gills 2LT or the Chief of Staff, they need to be able to take input from those around them and make a decision.
But in all seriousness, no one person, no matter how wise or experienced, knows everything. Doesn't matter if an officer is a green-around-the-gills 2LT or the Chief of Staff, they need to be able to take input from those around them and make a decision.
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Suspended Profile
Know your job, your boss's job, and your subordinates' jobs. Be the subject matter expert. Delegate tasks, then trust but verify. Don't ask someone else to do something you won't. Don't be too familiar, but also don't be standoffish. Be a paragon of honesty and virtue. These are all clichés, and all true. None of those are new concepts. Putting them into practice is where the difficulty lies.
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1) INTEGRITY: There is no No NO substitute for total honesty, especially with your superiors. That lie could cost a battle some day.
2) DUTY Concept "Doing what ought to be done, when it ought to be done, with a Spirit of Service
3) Care for your troops. This does not mean be soft on my troopers, quite the contrary. IN PEACE TIME GARRISON, troops will seek out the weak leader that will give in to an easy life, HOWEVER in Wartime and when prepping for deployment troopers WANT the tough Leader that will make sure they and their troopers KNOW the job, what to do and the right way to do it. Caring for your Troopers means that you want to teach them what it takes to stay alive.
4) WILLINGNESS to do anything you are willing to order to be done. Leaders LEAD from the Front. The TOC is a great place for a meeting but a cruddy place for a Leader after the meeting is over.
2) DUTY Concept "Doing what ought to be done, when it ought to be done, with a Spirit of Service
3) Care for your troops. This does not mean be soft on my troopers, quite the contrary. IN PEACE TIME GARRISON, troops will seek out the weak leader that will give in to an easy life, HOWEVER in Wartime and when prepping for deployment troopers WANT the tough Leader that will make sure they and their troopers KNOW the job, what to do and the right way to do it. Caring for your Troopers means that you want to teach them what it takes to stay alive.
4) WILLINGNESS to do anything you are willing to order to be done. Leaders LEAD from the Front. The TOC is a great place for a meeting but a cruddy place for a Leader after the meeting is over.
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SSG Roger Ayscue
Sergeant, thank you very much for your advice! Your statement that a good leader provides very tough training in order to prepare his/her Soldiers for the rigors of deployment is advice that I will definitely take to heart. It's obviously tough to consistently choose the hard right over the easy wrong, but that's the standard for the Army leader.
Sergeant, thank you very much for your advice! Your statement that a good leader provides very tough training in order to prepare his/her Soldiers for the rigors of deployment is advice that I will definitely take to heart. It's obviously tough to consistently choose the hard right over the easy wrong, but that's the standard for the Army leader.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SSG Roger Ayscue well said, and eloquently expressed. Everyone please hence and put to use daily.
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