What are ways for a SPC to develop into a good SGT?

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 01:27:35 -0500

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2017 2:14 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 02:14:42 -0500

Learn from every form of leadership you encounter, both good and bad. Know the ins and outs of regulations; you can't know everything but you need to know where to start your search for answers. Above all, train yourself to be selfless in abundance. Go the extra mile for your guys every second of the day and be humble about it. It's in those quiet actions that your soldiers will find undying loyalty and respect.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2017 3:22 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 03:22:00 -0500

Act like a SGT now. Go and do SGT things. Separate yourself from your peers. Go out and show them that you are ready to be a SGT and can do the job.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2017 4:14 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 04:14:31 -0500

Great question. Best thing is to understand the roles and responsibilities on a sergeant and for the leadership position in which you will be in once you're promoted if not already serving in a higher position. Be a mentor to not only those you outrank, but also to you peers alike and influence change with those appointed over you. Soldiers need great leaders, so do not become an E5; Become a sergeant as you are already looking to be. Do not be afraid to make a correction or you're excepting substandard actions, as well as know how to follow. Do not think you can't learn something new or follow just because you're an NCO. Everyday we in the NCO must learn and grow in order to set the standard and continue leading from the front well also being mentors to our subordinates., Lastly, no matter what understand issues that go on within your AO and while also enforcing the rules, regulations, procedures, and policies that your chain of command have set for your organization. No matter how much you disagree with something, you can recommend, but you must follow through and never let your subordinates see you disagreeing with something of the CoC that you are telling them to do. You'll make a great Sergeant as I believe anyone on will, as long as you are ready to put in the work, and continue to build on that.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2017 4:58 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 04:58:07 -0500

Mentorship is the key. Very few people are born leaders, but most can be molded into leaders.
Surround yourself by people better than you. Anything you need to improve on: leadership, technical aspects of your MOS, PT, morals, character, parenting, etc. Find these people, get in their circles and ask questions. Take the initiative to ask the ones you respect and admire the most to be your mentors.
We are mostly products of the people who shape us. We can have an active role in that by choosing who shapes us.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2017 7:31 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 07:31:59 -0500

Learn from the GOOD and the BAD NCOs. You can take the good traits from the good NCOs and learn what NOT to be from the BAD NCOs.

Response by 1SG Al Brown made Feb 9 at 2017 7:49 AM

1SG Al Brown — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 07:49:27 -0500

There are a lot of good responses here. Here is mine. Read. Read every regulation and manual that effects your daily life. Read and know the answer before you talk to finance, or HRC, or the DFAC, or the motorpool clerk, the JAG, or the supply Sergeant. Slow down, understand how everything works and get it right. No more barracks lawyers. When you pin on the stripes, the responsibility for knowledge and Soldier welfare is yours.

Response by MSgt Terry Dorsey made Feb 9 at 2017 8:53 AM

MSgt Terry Dorsey — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 08:53:46 -0500

Look after your men, back them if they are honest with you. I had a subornate ask if he could call me by my first name, then he ask me what my first name was, I told him Sergeant. Let them know your in charge, and you have their backs.

Response by SFC David McMahon made Feb 9 at 2017 9:10 AM

SFC David McMahon — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 09:10:34 -0500

I'll give you the same answer given to me....

You should always be working two levels up so now is the time to be thinking at the SSG level.

Response by SGT Cort Landry made Feb 9 at 2017 9:33 AM

SGT Cort Landry — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 09:33:16 -0500

Having great mentors and studying is the key. I had exemplary NCO's that guided/counseled me into what I hoped to be a mirror of their character.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Feb 9 at 2017 9:40 AM

Cpl Justin Goolsby — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 09:40:10 -0500

The best way is through observation and trial and error. Look around you. See how different NCOs treat their junior troops. See how the junior troops respond to their NCOs. There are good NCOs and bad NCOs. So take the qualities of the best NCOs around you and then try to incorporate it into your leadership style.

It'll be a trial and error process so be flexible. Remember, you're not just leading junior troops, you are also grooming the future NCOs.

Response by CPT Jacob Swartout made Feb 9 at 2017 9:49 AM

CPT Jacob Swartout — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 09:49:45 -0500

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member Set goals on what type of leader and NCO you want to me in Army. Observe your NCOs on how they handle tasks, the mission and taking care of the Soldiers. Fully understand what it means to be a NCO and not someone who wants only a pay raise. The best NCOs mentor Soldiers to become great NCOs for the future. You will need to self-develop yourself and study for the promotion board too. Be confident and disciplined and your time will come to being promoted. Being a leader is rewarding as you have others that look up to you for guidance and leadership.

Response by SGT Dave Tracy made Feb 9 at 2017 10:39 AM

SGT Dave Tracy — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 10:39:02 -0500

Based on both observation and personal experience, I'd say Specialists who get a taste of leadership generally begin to develop skills not easily found in manuals, and as an NCO, you will be leading and teaching others. Such leadership skills aren't easy to quantify, but they're vitally important. Often this taste of leadership happens if a Specialist is put in charge as a team leader, which generally means said Specialist already shines more than their peers in the eyes of the chain-of-command (or your unit is woefully short on NCOs, but hey, take the advantage as given!).

Be. Know. Do. Learn the technical aspects of your job. Know it well and understand you will be expected to disseminate that knowledge to others. Take initiative. Take the lead. If you get the opportunity to lead others, learn from the experience. These things allow everything else to fall into place, and rank will follow. Good luck.

Response by LTC Orlando Illi made Feb 9 at 2017 12:37 PM

LTC Orlando Illi — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 12:37:32 -0500

SPC Joy - SFC Boyd nailed it. Mentorship and your innate desire to be a leader. Being an NCO is is NOT about a raise in pay or the stripes on your collar and Leadership is more than giving orders. An NCO IS the example and as a consequence you always give 110%. You are proficient in all of the CTT and ARTEP tasks. You never settle for 61 points on individual events on a PT test and you are the first to complete the 2 mile run. But more importantly - you ALWAYS put your people FIRST. They eat first, they get the time off first, they bed down first and you ALWAYS ensure that they are safe. You are an NCO because of them. They look to you and you can never let them down (sorry for the speech - this sentiment was provided to me by CSM James B. Ellis upon my commissioning from OCS. It also holds true for the NCO Corps as well)

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2017 12:49 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 12:49:51 -0500

First, meet or exceed the requirements. Second, observe your leaders and learn from them. Remember that some seniors are not the best to emulate but learn from that. DO NO SHARE A NEGATIVE OPINION! Keep it to your self. Set realistic goals. Finally, don't be discouraged by the Military. The Military is what it is. It's the people that screw it up.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2017 2:13 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 14:13:02 -0500

Always be opened to learning new things. Don't get complacent, There's a reason we have the NCO creed (Follow it). Like my leaders have always told me think 2 ranks ahead. So although you're working on making SGT, go beyond and start looking at SSG as well.

Response by SGT Jeremy Robinson made Feb 9 at 2017 6:04 PM

SGT Jeremy Robinson — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 18:04:58 -0500

If you are army, do correspondence courses and ask for more responsibility, ie. Leading PT, teaching classes, etc. Take initiative and keep up on warrior tasks.

Response by SGT Jeremy Robinson made Feb 9 at 2017 6:06 PM

SGT Jeremy Robinson — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 18:06:14 -0500

Just noticed your mos , volunteer for medical duties, teach CLS if given the opportunity.

Response by SGT Roberto Montalvo made Feb 10 at 2017 7:16 AM

SGT Roberto Montalvo — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 07:16:08 -0500

If you don't have the skills, get knee pads lol.

Response by SGT Randall Stanaway made Feb 10 at 2017 3:52 PM

SGT Randall Stanaway — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 15:52:53 -0500

My advice might be a little different from others. Work with your Soldiers when having them do something. A leader leads from the front. A dictator tells people what to do and contributes nothing. Too many leaders in the Army approach it like a dictatorship. Maybe they had leaders do the same thing, maybe they just become a-holes with the rank. Another thing (depending on your unit and MOS), treat your Soldiers like human beings. If they have a problem with their uniform or another issue, pull them aside and say "hey man, I just wanna let you know *insert problem here* is messed up". Dont do the typical "hey you, you're f'd up" in front of everyone. Your Soldiers will appreciate this and respect you more. Be a human being, to many leaders lose that with rank.

Response by SPC(P) Cody Patterson made Feb 11 at 2017 6:06 PM

SPC(P) Cody Patterson — Sat, 11 Feb 2017 18:06:39 -0500

Never made it to SGT. ETS'd to start a civilian career; however, I'd say the answer is quite simple. As others have stated, learn from your good and bad NCO's. How would you like to be treated, as well as mentored? For the love of god don't come off as that NCO that seems unapproachable, as I had multiple soldiers come to me for advice on family matters. From the depressed soldier wanting to go home, to the one who'd just lost a family member and wasn't sure what do. Be the man they look up to . An example that I've seen would be, during PT don't break them down for falling out on a run. Encourage them, tell them they can go faster. Afterwords make a PT program with them to do after work with others or with yourself. The best NCO's in my experience find a balance in their soldiers lives. They don't want you around 24/7, but you should be there for them when it counts. Such actions will help raise morale within the squad and aid in performance.

Response by SGT Douglas Sourile made Feb 12 at 2017 12:50 PM

SGT Douglas Sourile — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 12:50:36 -0500

Have sergeant responsibilities. Take on some soldiers to get growth and counseling experience

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 13 at 2017 8:12 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 20:12:01 -0500

Simple, to replace your SGT and whatever tasks that are inbetween that, that's what you have to do. That's what I did. I got out of the SPC mindtrap and realized that they have works as hard as I did and more. On top, NCOES, College, and correspondences courses. Also, step up your ethics game and avoid the typical barracks traps (ie, endless partying, drama, AR15s, and etc)

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 14 at 2017 9:50 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 09:50:11 -0500

FM 7-22.7 The NCO Guide (History of the NCO), is a good place to start. I give a copy to my young Soldiers. I also have them read The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson along with How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
What we do as NCOs is influence Soldiers to accomplish the tasks we are given.
A good mentor will be a guide through the transition of becoming an effective leader and help guide you. Learn from those around you as what you see that works and what does not work with Soldiers.
There are a number of other leadership books that others can list but these three will get you going in the right direction.
Never believe you know it all. There is always something to learn from your Soldiers, mentors or a good book on leadership.
The hardest part is getting your style of leadership down so it is natural.

Response by SGT Richard DeVoe made Feb 14 at 2017 11:46 AM

SGT Richard DeVoe — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 11:46:48 -0500

Okay, there is a lot of excellant advice here. I will agree with each and everyone of these posts. But the one thing that I learned as an NCO in the Military is to always know what is happening around you. Know your people (above as well as below) on a professional and personal level. This does not mean that you have to go out drinking with them, but know who is the constant partier, who is the loaner or the bookworm. By knowing your people in this manner it will prepare you to step up and help that individual. Know what help is available in your area/post. Know where and how to get a hold of someone that can help them people that you are around. Reaching out a helping hand and guiding someone to assistance without all of the offical paperwork or red tape can be beneficial to the CoC in ways that you may not know. It also helps that individual.

When I was a fresh Marine I got into the partying and it could have been a carreer ender if my command had to deal with it. instead I had a couple of NCO's that actually stepped up and help me. Since then I try to do the same. You do not have to be their Mother/Father, but being a solid NCO that is truely interested in them as a soldier and an individual is worth more than you can imagine.

Response by SSG Jeff Beltran made Feb 14 at 2017 12:04 PM

SSG Jeff Beltran — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 12:04:10 -0500

There are many paths to develop as a leader. Leader's are developed over experience, time and knowledge and from their previous leader's. Emulate your good NCO's and leader's and take all the good points and build it into your leadership style, avoid the negatives that have destroyed leaders in the past. Read and instill the NCO creed into your professional career. Develop your inner self by knowing your morals and ethics and what guides your moral compass. If a leader develops a corrupt and evil heart then it will show, even if they try to hide it eventually it will come to light. Knowing yourself is the ability to develop yourself in confidence. As a specialist you must start thinking of your self as a Leader and an NCO, that includes all the responsibilities the come with it as a future leader. Good leader's rise up to the occasion and constantly improve themselves and their peers and their subordinates. Read books leadership traits. Books on Military leadership, even the bible has many instances of where good and bad examples of leadership can be used. Start asking your NCO's in charge of you to help you develop as a leader with guidelines that they know are within the Army Standards and conduct. Do not accept corruption as a norm and leaders at times will make hard decisions based on these standards, once you stepped up and are no longer seen by your peers as one of the crowd, but as a leader. I wish you the best in your journey as a future leader and may God's blessings be upon you.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 14 at 2017 1:26 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 13:26:21 -0500

KNOW YOUR JOB! First and foremost you must be technically and tactically proficient. If your Soldiers don't trust that you know what you are doing they won't trust you. If you don't know the answer to a question they ask don't BS them. Trust me, they will know that you BSed them. It's better to tell them you need to research that and get back to them, but if you tell them that you must follow through.

Pay attention to the leadership styles of the leaders you encounter. Figure out which ones would fit with your life outlook. Every leader you have is going to teach you something. Some times it will be a "I want to be that kind of leader" and some times it is more of the "Please don't ever let me become that way". But keep in mind that even the good ones have traits that might not be the best and even the worst leader may have something positive to teach you.

Also keep in mind that you will also learn things from peers and subordinates as well. Don't ignore them an more than you wanted your SGT to ignore your input.

Know your Soldiers. Their lives, spouses, children, challenges, hobbies. These are the things that will stand out to them when you remember that PVT Smith's wife is working at the commissary or CPL Johnson's husband is going to college (and you can recognize them and greet them if you see them on base) or that PFC Jones' son just started 2nd grade.

If you screw up, own up to it. Your superiors and subordinates will respect you more than if you dodge or deflect blame for something you did.

Ok I seem to have spewed out every trope that any of my past leaders gave to me when I asked this question, but that doesn't mean they are wrong. And if you are asking this question you are on your way to being the good NCO you want to be.

Response by SGT Mark Sullivan made Feb 14 at 2017 4:59 PM

SGT Mark Sullivan — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 16:59:05 -0500

Learn about leadership, study all aspects of being a leader. Mentor your subordinates, watch leaders you respect and emulate what they do. Always strive to be the best you, that you can be. Be humble, listen to the people that would be under you. Train people to do your job, and the job below yours.

Response by SGT Scott Henderson made Feb 14 at 2017 7:45 PM

SGT Scott Henderson — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 19:45:01 -0500

If you're a good SPC/CPL just keep doing whatever the fuck your already doing. There's no big secret to being a good NCO. if all else did and your still not sure how to be a good NCO; pick one you think is a piece of shit and do the opposite.

Response by 1SG James Matthews made Feb 15 at 2017 9:51 AM

1SG James Matthews — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 09:51:59 -0500

Take care of anyone under you--lead by example--and listen.

Response by MSG Dan Castaneda made Feb 15 at 2017 2:03 PM

MSG Dan Castaneda — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 14:03:06 -0500

Go to Ranger School. You'll learn everything you'll need to know.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 15 at 2017 9:59 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 21:59:38 -0500

There is not a cookie cutter way to go about this. You need some foundation, to build on. The Army is not about you alone. Find Mentors, find a good network of folks with different skill sets. Educate yourself always. Understand the role of Leaders and Leadership. Build on your strengths gain new tools and improve your weak areas.

Response by 1SG Ernest Stull made Feb 16 at 2017 5:54 AM

1SG Ernest Stull — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 05:54:46 -0500

Be informed,read all the regulations, be well groomed, seek out more responsibility, become soldier of the month quarter etc. Know yourself and peers and especially your superiors. Do strive each day to do your best, do ask questions about the mission. go to leadership development schools as fast as you can. be proficient in your MOS. ask for help where you need it.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 16 at 2017 1:19 PM

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 13:19:28 -0500

lead by example,
learn as much as you can.
get a mentor

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 28 at 2017 7:58 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 19:58:28 -0500

Listen to the needs of the soldiers and respectfully try to be a leader don't over step your boundaries with your E/5 and always keep your self squared away lead with good example

Response by CPL Ralph Moschler made Jul 25 at 2017 9:55 AM

CPL Ralph Moschler — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 09:55:14 -0400

Learn how to deal with the hard stuff and how to get there respect , and to get them to perform better than they are a good leader is respected first , and then he loved, rember follow orders and leaded bye example, never fight with a nco about orders in front of troops

Response by PVT Mark Brown made May 30 at 2018 1:05 AM

PVT Mark Brown — Wed, 30 May 2018 01:05:24 -0400

Do your job to the utmost of your ability and training then do it even better. Show your natural leadership abilities. Regardless of MOS, an E-4 is being monitored closely and it would behoove any E-4 looking for SGT stripes to outperform every single E-4 within sight. When one is going to remain in the Army after the first 36 months one should eyes focus on the NCO club pass! No, not really, well, maybe just a little - but do not be satisfied with being just a step below "Buck" Sergeant. I was an acting E-5 for several months and had I not ets'd when I did I am sure I would have been promoted. Do not do like I did, I screwed up and got demoted to E-1 and it took me 60 days to be E-4 back. This all was just a few months before I got out. Back in those days everyone that was not reenlisting and who had 180 days or less remain on the enlistment were released.