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For those of you who have been on RP for a little while, you know that I was promoted to BG (Baby General) only six months ago. While I think that I have a pretty good idea of what I should be doing, I would like to get your feedback. Too often, I find that personnel are afraid to have a discussion with me, when that is exactly what I do want. Good Generals are not authoritarian, but solicit thoughts and opinions in order to be better informed. More importantly, we have to explain why certain decisions are made the way they are and not just "because I said so". So let's open up the floor...
Leadership
General Officers
Mentorship
Advice
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 66
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Sir, there are two things I would prefer to have from high level leadership.
1) Give me a clear view of your desires for the advancement of the unit.
2) give me the reigns to go out and make that happen in the way I see fit.
Too often I see leaders ask their people to make drastic changes to the organization, only to withhold decision-making authority, effectively stifling the organization.
Alternatively, in my career, I have also seen plenty of leaders ready and willing to delegate authority but who failed to clearly communicate their vision. This led to everyone doing what they thought was best for the organization...with no consideration for unit of effort or "massing of fires", if you will.
By providing both, you will give common goals to the entire team along with the means to achieve those goals.
And, as always, be open to feedback. I have no doubt you will be if you are asking for feedback here.
Congratulations and good luck in the future.
1) Give me a clear view of your desires for the advancement of the unit.
2) give me the reigns to go out and make that happen in the way I see fit.
Too often I see leaders ask their people to make drastic changes to the organization, only to withhold decision-making authority, effectively stifling the organization.
Alternatively, in my career, I have also seen plenty of leaders ready and willing to delegate authority but who failed to clearly communicate their vision. This led to everyone doing what they thought was best for the organization...with no consideration for unit of effort or "massing of fires", if you will.
By providing both, you will give common goals to the entire team along with the means to achieve those goals.
And, as always, be open to feedback. I have no doubt you will be if you are asking for feedback here.
Congratulations and good luck in the future.
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BG (Join to see)
Thanks for the feedback, LT, that is exactly what I am looking for and you make two very good points.
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I may be a lowly LT but I would say to establish a climate that places the Army values and professionalism at all levels. One of the the most tragic books I have read was Black Hearts. The leadership at the high levels came into question and went unchecked. If a senior leader has questionable methods of leadership then someone has to question them. It is frightening to see the impact of a leader can have when they become toxic. I doubt they started doing that they were a Battalion Commander.
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Sir, the one thing that I would say all senior-level commanders and General Officers have the propensity to do is become a walking sound-bite. There are issues that everyone needs to take seriously, but so often when being briefed it seems like they are just waiting to talk and they are not listening to the analysis that is being provided. The best GOs that I have worked for have always stress their staff to think and provide thoughtful forward thinking analysis to not only them, but to the subordinate units that work for them.
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Suspended Profile
Encourage preparedness -- at all times not just during inspection and crisis modes
Be Decisiveness ---right or wrong make a decision
Compassion---remember Soldiers are people they mess up....hold them accountable, kick them out, return them to duty, but do it with compassion
and Trust----not in themselves but in their subordinates. There is nothing worse in my opinion that working for boss that does not trust those working for them. I've seen it many times. If you don't trust someone to get the job done, don't task them with it...replace them. Always be willing to give those around you the opportunity to fail .......you'll be surprised what people can do when given the opportunity.
One of my old supervisors, SSgt Meighan, told me these four things were the most important things one should expect from both their subordinates and their commander. After 20 years his words never lead me wrong.
Be Decisiveness ---right or wrong make a decision
Compassion---remember Soldiers are people they mess up....hold them accountable, kick them out, return them to duty, but do it with compassion
and Trust----not in themselves but in their subordinates. There is nothing worse in my opinion that working for boss that does not trust those working for them. I've seen it many times. If you don't trust someone to get the job done, don't task them with it...replace them. Always be willing to give those around you the opportunity to fail .......you'll be surprised what people can do when given the opportunity.
One of my old supervisors, SSgt Meighan, told me these four things were the most important things one should expect from both their subordinates and their commander. After 20 years his words never lead me wrong.
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Sir, my strongest suggestion for a general officer would be to regularly arrive unannounced.
I still remember my mixed feelings from the time my battalion lost a weekend to weapon-cleaning after the deputy commanding general walked into Alpha Company's orderly room and discovered some rusty rifles while inspecting racked weapons in the arms room. I didn't like us having to draw and clean every weapon, but my inner corporal liked the idea of a general who could show up anywhere and didn't mind getting his hands dirty checking the basics.
Around the same time, our incoming battalion commander used a similar technique to make sure we used our troops available training time effectively by asking soldiers in the battalion area who were moving less than briskly what they were supposed to be doing right then. If the soldier seemed unsure in his answer, he and his chain of command got an opportunity to clarify the BC's understanding sometime after 1800 evening.
Both officers were very low-key in their demeanor, but they made it clear that they meant business about holding our feet to the fire if we didn't perform our best every day.
I still remember my mixed feelings from the time my battalion lost a weekend to weapon-cleaning after the deputy commanding general walked into Alpha Company's orderly room and discovered some rusty rifles while inspecting racked weapons in the arms room. I didn't like us having to draw and clean every weapon, but my inner corporal liked the idea of a general who could show up anywhere and didn't mind getting his hands dirty checking the basics.
Around the same time, our incoming battalion commander used a similar technique to make sure we used our troops available training time effectively by asking soldiers in the battalion area who were moving less than briskly what they were supposed to be doing right then. If the soldier seemed unsure in his answer, he and his chain of command got an opportunity to clarify the BC's understanding sometime after 1800 evening.
Both officers were very low-key in their demeanor, but they made it clear that they meant business about holding our feet to the fire if we didn't perform our best every day.
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BG (Join to see)
Thanks, but I doubt there are many that would like GOs to arrive unannounced. Talk about a training distractor! That said, I do inspect things when I visit, such as asking Soldiers when was the last time they got under their HMMWV and if they know the difference between a Class 2 and a Class 3 leak. If they don't I get under there with them to show them. This is really a lesson for my Company Commanders and what I expect them to be doing every day.
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1LT William Clardy
BG (Join to see), nobody looks forward to a battalion commander nosing around either, but they will brag about having one that does (at least, after they have learned to be ready for the unexpected).
I also disagree that it would have to be a training distractor, provided you're willing (able?) to break away from the current protocol of arriving with a host of strap-hangers after a sergeant major has ensured that your path is properly covered with rose petals and a major from the headquarters staff has sat in on 3 days of slide-deck rehearsals.
What I'm suggesting is low-key visits where you're gone before most soldiers present even learn you were there: pulling into a rifle range in an unescorted HMMWV and spending a few minutes chatting with the Range NCOIC up in the tower about how the firing is going (while observing for yourself); walking through the repair bays of a motor pool (noting how organized -- or not -- things look while actual work is getting done) and casually chatting with the motor sergeant or motor officer about how their operations are going; discreetly spending a few minutes observing without interrupting while a section sergeant runs his gun crews through dry-fire drills; asking a company NBC NCO to show you his most messed up protective mask and tell you the story behind it; quietly falling in at the back of a PT formation with a "Carry on" (and overriding any sudden instructor substitution). I'm not talking about going in looking for things that are wrong or even to make the soldiers feel like you're evaluating them. Probably 99 percent of the time, a simple "Keep up the good work" should be your parting phrase, with some equally simple follow-on notice to the unit visited.
Think about how a company commander would react when his first awareness of your passing through is an email saying "CPT Smith, I just spent a few minutes watching your mortars practicing their gunnery. One crew seemed a little slow, but overall they looked good. Somebody must be doing a good job. Regards, BG Goddard"
Long-term, the units will self-police themselves to be doing a good job "in case the General drops in" -- and you may even enjoy a reduction in the commanders' professional impulse to hide imperfections from you.
I also disagree that it would have to be a training distractor, provided you're willing (able?) to break away from the current protocol of arriving with a host of strap-hangers after a sergeant major has ensured that your path is properly covered with rose petals and a major from the headquarters staff has sat in on 3 days of slide-deck rehearsals.
What I'm suggesting is low-key visits where you're gone before most soldiers present even learn you were there: pulling into a rifle range in an unescorted HMMWV and spending a few minutes chatting with the Range NCOIC up in the tower about how the firing is going (while observing for yourself); walking through the repair bays of a motor pool (noting how organized -- or not -- things look while actual work is getting done) and casually chatting with the motor sergeant or motor officer about how their operations are going; discreetly spending a few minutes observing without interrupting while a section sergeant runs his gun crews through dry-fire drills; asking a company NBC NCO to show you his most messed up protective mask and tell you the story behind it; quietly falling in at the back of a PT formation with a "Carry on" (and overriding any sudden instructor substitution). I'm not talking about going in looking for things that are wrong or even to make the soldiers feel like you're evaluating them. Probably 99 percent of the time, a simple "Keep up the good work" should be your parting phrase, with some equally simple follow-on notice to the unit visited.
Think about how a company commander would react when his first awareness of your passing through is an email saying "CPT Smith, I just spent a few minutes watching your mortars practicing their gunnery. One crew seemed a little slow, but overall they looked good. Somebody must be doing a good job. Regards, BG Goddard"
Long-term, the units will self-police themselves to be doing a good job "in case the General drops in" -- and you may even enjoy a reduction in the commanders' professional impulse to hide imperfections from you.
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Sir, first off, congratulations. My breadth of view is significantly narrower thanks yours but I will say what I did not like as a junior leader and what I did.
When I was a SGT, we got a policy memo from the USAREUR commander where it felt like he was in my squad trying to tell me how to run my troops. Since when did a four star need to be at my level. I did not like that.
I had the privilege of working for BG Grange while he was the division commander. His straightforward and honest leadership are still with me today. I would have charged hell with a bucket of water for that man. I do believe, if I met him today he would ask about my family by name.
When I was a SGT, we got a policy memo from the USAREUR commander where it felt like he was in my squad trying to tell me how to run my troops. Since when did a four star need to be at my level. I did not like that.
I had the privilege of working for BG Grange while he was the division commander. His straightforward and honest leadership are still with me today. I would have charged hell with a bucket of water for that man. I do believe, if I met him today he would ask about my family by name.
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I was very impressed with the philosophy one of our CGs expressed at his first all-hands. He spoke about the covenant relationship between him and us. He agreed to lead us with integrity and openness representing us to both of his bosses (he worked for two 4-stars) to get the resources we needed. He expected us to agree to be good followers, including telling him if he was about to hit an IED. He explained our mission succinctly: keep soldiers alive and bring them home.
After his speech, I remember turning to one of my fellow DACs saying, there's a real Army General!
After his speech, I remember turning to one of my fellow DACs saying, there's a real Army General!
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Sir,
Coming from a junior leader who interacts with Soldiers everyday, please consider two things:
1. Every visit to a subordinate unit (inspections, town hall meetings, FOB visits, motor pool sightseeing, PT, etc.) has a cascading effect on all of us on the ground. What takes all of 5 minutes of your time to land, shake hands, and take off requires hours if not days of meticulous preparation done behind the scenes.
2. Knee jerk reactions and mass punishment to the division is not conducive to good morale and esprit-de-corps. Too often I have to explain to my Soldiers why they are being further punished and restricted because some idiot in another brigade decided to drink too much and commit UCMJ violations.
Sir, thanks for taking the time to solicit expectations and opinions from those in your formation.
Coming from a junior leader who interacts with Soldiers everyday, please consider two things:
1. Every visit to a subordinate unit (inspections, town hall meetings, FOB visits, motor pool sightseeing, PT, etc.) has a cascading effect on all of us on the ground. What takes all of 5 minutes of your time to land, shake hands, and take off requires hours if not days of meticulous preparation done behind the scenes.
2. Knee jerk reactions and mass punishment to the division is not conducive to good morale and esprit-de-corps. Too often I have to explain to my Soldiers why they are being further punished and restricted because some idiot in another brigade decided to drink too much and commit UCMJ violations.
Sir, thanks for taking the time to solicit expectations and opinions from those in your formation.
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MSG (Join to see)
Out of the three (3) listed by SSgt Robinson the most important one is to know your people while enough to know their strength and their weakness when it comes to missions, and for those with more than one area of weakness become a mentor to help them strengthen them so that they can be the BEST Soldier, Airmen, Sailor, & Marine ever in the Armed Forces.
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Sir, first of all, congratulations. To answer your question, I want mentorship - delineate clear steps of what I need to do to earn Colonel and earn Brigadier General. I am a Lieutenant Colonel that will have 3 years TIG when I finish command. I have applied for SSC (Army) and was denied. Second, I need accountability. If your chief of staff or G3 is not providing adequate guidance to subordinate units, fire them. If you don't, subordinate units will flounder and make their own guidance which leads to lack of unity of effort. Third, am I allowed to attend a non Army SSC? Fourth, when ILE at 18 months is difficult enough for a TPU to execute, why would we ever add ANOTHER year of school called AOC?
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BG (Join to see)
LTC Jones, don't be discouraged, you are still tracking. You only have 3 years TIG when you finish command means you are already ahead of the curve. Heck, I was so senior that the day I gave up Bn. Command, I was promoted to COL. Keep applying to War College, you are still junior to most of the competition and it is not a one and done process. You'll have another Bn. Command OER at the next SSC board and that counts for a lot. Besides, no one wants to do both command and SSC at the same time, that's a killer workload and you would probably neglect your command. You can attend Air War College, but that's not considered equivalent by the Army. Lastly, we do AOC because the AC does AOC. If we do not want to be treated like second-class Soldiers, we need to meet the same standards as AC. In my day, CGSC was 24-36 months so this is nothing new, just split up to allow for an AOC that concentrates on your specific branch. Keep going and reach out to me whenever you want.
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