What is one part of advice without consequence you would tell future military leaders both NCO’s and Officers?

2020-08-25T13:28:37-04:00

I feel this topic will provide a valuable look for those of us starting as new NCO’s and Officers to have a sense of what seniors military personnel like to see as well as dislike.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Aug 25 at 2020 1:34 PM

2020-08-25T13:34:23-04:00

My apologies, can you clarify the question?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 25 at 2020 1:34 PM

2020-08-25T13:34:50-04:00

Document EVERYTHING. If it's not in writing, it never happened. Good, bad or indifferent. On more than one occasion I've saved my bacon because I held onto an email. "I never told you to do that".... Well here's an email you sent me 6 weeks ago directing me to do exactly that....

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 25 at 2020 1:36 PM

2020-08-25T13:36:17-04:00

Love your soldiers.

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made Aug 25 at 2020 1:38 PM

2020-08-25T13:38:24-04:00

Good on you for starting the discussion but personally I disagree with the premise. Everything has consequence. Not necessarily negative consequences but everything has some form of consequence just as all actions have equal and opposite reactions.

With that said context is always needed. Junior Officers should rely on their SNCO's just as they should be able to rely on their NCO's. There is good information to be had but there should also be a sniff test as there are idiots out there who spread bum scoop like the plaque. So, Junior Officers should listen to their SNCO's like their Platoon Sgt as they have some first hand knowledge that may be valuable. That holds true as you go up and down the chain of Command but it isn't automatic. Just like the myth that all prior service Officers are water walkers. Many are amazing leaders who are worth their weight in Gold while others are just loud, abrasive idiots who may lead to someone getting injured because they know it all.
Advice is welcome but good advice is always better.

The best thing I can say is absorb yourself in not only your job field but also the administrative aspects of Military life. It will only serve to help you and those around you. Always have an open mind and just be humble. So many Service Members get hip deep into BS because they can't ratchet down their ego

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 25 at 2020 1:41 PM

2020-08-25T13:41:29-04:00

Very well put. Thank you for the comment. Yes my apologies for the wording of this question as I accidentally hit the post button while I was trying to proofread/phrase.

Response by MSgt Don VandeBogert made Aug 25 at 2020 1:46 PM

2020-08-25T13:46:20-04:00

Be an active listener. Learn from your SNCOs, both the good and the bad. Be responsible for what you say, how you say it, how you act, and any impact of your actions.

For the AF, our core values...Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence In All We Do...are the backbone upon which we serve and the foundation of good leadership.

V/R
Bogie

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 25 at 2020 1:48 PM

2020-08-25T13:48:57-04:00

Have the integrity/intestinal fortitude to take responsibility for your actions/inactions.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Aug 25 at 2020 2:03 PM

2020-08-25T14:03:02-04:00

Become the SME in your craft. Officers work through your NCOs, NCOs keep your Officers informed. Meet frequently to go over the daily plan and determine if resources need to be realigned based on some external impacts to the original plan. Remeber the plan changes the second you hit the line of Departure. Trust but verify all that you do. Be fit, lead from the front. Officers learn to call cadence and take the formation once in a while. NCOs remeber that you are a Team, it is good to have your Officers front and center with the Soldiers as often as feasible. Don’t let your Soldiers see you in conflict, you have to have a united front. Confidence in your competence is key to success in training and essential in combat. Don’t just hear your Team, listen to them. Don’t be afraid to accept that they may have a better idea than you, openly acknowledge good ideas, and implement where it makes sense. Care for your Soldiers and the Family’s. Ensure you resource your plan and don’t expect them to improvise. Improvisation should be the accept ion and not the rule. Lead.

Response by SSG Tony Morales made Aug 25 at 2020 2:14 PM

2020-08-25T14:14:11-04:00

Know more about your job and the mission than your Soldiers (and even leaders) do. Become the consummate expert that everyone looks up to and you and your Soldiers will succeed. Challenge them to exceed standards, assess their benchmarks and charge them to exceed those hurdles.

Let your leaders know about the Soldiers in your team when they do great things, even if its in passing.

Leave the glory for your resume/eval, not the briefing room - when it comes to the team, it's WE, US and OUR - not I, ME and MY. Your leaders already know YOU are responsible for their success.

Never carry the team on your back, unless your life and those around you depend on it - but if you're doing the right thing, you won't need to.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 25 at 2020 2:16 PM

2020-08-25T14:16:12-04:00

*Treat people right and they will return the favor* —> worked for me throughout the military industrial complex both in and out of uniform.

Response by SSG Brian G. made Aug 25 at 2020 2:17 PM

2020-08-25T14:17:57-04:00

Ask questions. Asking questions is not a sign of a weak or stupid leader.
Trust but verify of everything.
Document, document, document. If you don't have it in writing, it never happened.
You are going to make mistakes, do not be afraid to do so. It is a learning process. Make them, but own them.
Lead from the front. Don't ask them to do something that you yourself are not prepared to do.
Listen to others and learn. Never be afraid to say I don't know. If you don't know, find out.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 25 at 2020 2:42 PM

2020-08-25T14:42:22-04:00

A true leader is the servant of his subordinates.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Aug 25 at 2020 2:52 PM

2020-08-25T14:52:37-04:00

While getting advice and even emulating characteristics of leaders you admire is great, and the end of the day you have to be yourself. Be the best self you can be, but be yourself.

Don't try to be Audie Murphy. Hell, even Audie Murphy screwed up trying to be Audie Murphy (seriously, watch To Hell and Back - he did a bad job of pretending to be himself).

No matter how pure your intent, no matter how GREAT the guy or gal you are pretending to be is, you are NOT that person and will always come across as inauthentic.

Instead, incorporate what you like into who YOU are. Make it your own. Give it the ol' SGT Glass (or LT Glass) twist.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 25 at 2020 3:15 PM

2020-08-25T15:15:37-04:00

Mission over men to win.

Response by SGT Robert Wager made Aug 25 at 2020 3:36 PM

2020-08-25T15:36:30-04:00

Always take the hard right over the easy wrong. Have the courage to stand up for your soldiers. Never walk past a deficiency. Do your job! Know what your job is. Communication is a two way operation. Give orders and take advice, regardless is it comes from the lowest enlisted or the field grade officer. Humility does not end when you pin on stripes.

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made Aug 25 at 2020 3:39 PM

2020-08-25T15:39:05-04:00

You have two ears and one mouth, listen twice as much as you talk.

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 25 at 2020 4:01 PM

2020-08-25T16:01:11-04:00

Whenever a Soldier gets promoted from SPC to SGT, my first words of advice to him/her is "Never forget where you came from." Too many leaders forget where they came from, and lose perspective about what it means to be the guys/gals receiving the orders/directives. It seems that the higher one progresses in the ranks, the more one forgets about the guys/gals on the ground, making sh-- things happen.

Integrity. I have always said this, and just last night told my 16 year-old daughter: "Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching." Although in the Army, there is ALWAYS someone watching, whether you realize it or not. Just do the right thing and you'll be OK.

Counselings can be POSITIVE too! When your Soldiers do something right, that is above & beyond the Standard, make a note to give that Soldier a Positive Counseling. The sign of a good leader is when his/her Soldiers have lots of positive counselings and few or no negative counselings in their Counseling Folders. Positive reinforcement works better than negative reinforcement. Try it.

Enable your Soldiers without becoming pals with them. Set them up for success, but don't become pals with them, because that leads to all kinds of future problems such as fraternization, favoritism, disrespect, etc. Don't give them the answers, but show them where THEY can find the answers. Research is a great critical thinking skill that younger Soldiers need to learn.

Take care of your Soldiers. Know when they are up for promotion, when they should be getting their Army Commendation Medals, and if they are married, their spouses and kids (if they have kids). Keep a Leader's Book with all this information. Don't use the old templates that are out there; design your own.

Be, Know, Do. This is an older concept that challenges leaders to BE the leader that they would want, KNOW everything that you should know both as a Soldier (SMCT & MOS tasks) and a leader. DO the right things that the Army has taught you, and that you know to be right.

Know the Creed of the Non-Commissioned Officer. Don't just memorize it for the Board-- really absorb it and internalize it. If you really know the Creed, it teaches you everything you need to know about how to be a NCO.

Above all else, be a human being. Treat your Soldiers as you would want to be treated in their place. I don't mean to baby them, or do their work for them, but be the knowledgeable, consistent, caring leader that your Soldiers want you to be. Don't hide behind your stripes, but use them to enforce discipline. When I was a Corrections Officer, the 3 words we lived by were: Firm, Fair, Consistent. That transcends jobs and walks of life.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 25 at 2020 4:07 PM

2020-08-25T16:07:45-04:00

Your career does not matter, your next promotion does not matter. Only the mission matters. Don't worry about making work to write your (NC)OER, just do good work and it will write itself. Mission First

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Aug 25 at 2020 4:27 PM

2020-08-25T16:27:53-04:00

Basic principle for staff NCO or Officer: it doesn’t have to be exactly right, but it has to be exactly the same. This applies to documents or briefings given at multiple levels of command. If you brief the Company Commander and then the Battalion Commander keep the briefings exactly the same. Don’t update the Company level briefing before it’s presented to the Battalion an hour later. Only exception is an event effecting the content that changes a major factor in the commander’s decision process. If that happens, update the down-Chanel.

Response by CPL Earl Kochis made Aug 25 at 2020 5:33 PM

2020-08-25T17:33:56-04:00

Lead by example!!! Always think before you act and speak!!! Document everything!!! And biggest of all know your soldiers, get to know every one of them so you know when something’s going wrong in their life!!! Sometimes foresight from you can keep a soldier from making a bad decision! Be proactive!!! Not reactive!!

Response by Capt Tj Feeley made Aug 25 at 2020 6:21 PM

2020-08-25T18:21:59-04:00

Someone on here already said it but I will say it again because it’s that important....Never forget where you came from.

Response by PO1 Michael Fullmer made Aug 25 at 2020 6:24 PM

2020-08-25T18:24:43-04:00

Be true to yourself and your people. Strive to always do what's right, not just expedient.

Response by Maj John Bell made Aug 25 at 2020 7:08 PM

2020-08-25T19:08:18-04:00

As long as no one is getting killed and nothing expensive (serialized) is getting broke, have the guts to let your subordinates make mistakes. NOTHING teaches better than a mistake followed up by some serious reflection.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 25 at 2020 7:50 PM

2020-08-25T19:50:19-04:00

1. Quit talking and act. Stop preaching "taking care of soldiers" when that's the last thing you ever do.
2. It's not that serious if you're not in a combat location. No point in working your soldiers to death or prolonged hours in the name of "training". It burns your guys out and leads to poor morale. 9 times out of 10, thag last minute tasking can get done tomorrow.
3. You don't need to be a PT stud to be a leader, just be out there with them and give it your best shot. Not every soldier wants to get ran to death all the time.
4. Nobody likes an ass kisser, stand up for your troops and show them you care about more than just a green slide or a high mark on your NCOER!
There's probably some more but that's my top couple.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 26 at 2020 9:33 AM

2020-08-26T09:33:08-04:00

Never take a position of responsibility for which you do not hold the billet rank. You will not be paid anymore, you will not promote any faster.

Never take a position of responsibility that comes with signature authority over property or service members. It does not pave the way toward higher promotions or ranks that cannot be reached without taking on such risks to yourself personally or professionally.

Response by SSgt Steve Giddens made Aug 26 at 2020 7:46 PM

2020-08-26T19:46:56-04:00

To lead automatically means you’re in front. Never “lead” from the rear. I NEVER asked, assigned, or ordered anyone to do something that I didn’t ever or wouldn’t ever do.

Response by PO2 Lawrence Janiec made Oct 23 at 2020 11:20 AM

2020-10-23T11:20:26-04:00

LTC Private RallyPoint Member - hit it on the head. Document everything. As a former NDT Inspector (Industrial Quality Assurance) I would like to share the quote one of my shop Chiefs (HTC(SW) Munson, if memory serves) had in the inside cover of his Inspection Journal.

"In God we trust.

...All others provide OQE." (Objective Quality Evidence - the "official" term for "proof")

Paperwork sucks and writing stuff down sucks and everyone hates paperwork. (Except MAYBE Ensign Boimler) But when the proverbial sh** hits the proverbial fan, you'll be thankful you kept records of things.

Response by SMSgt Bob Wilson made Oct 26 at 2020 12:57 AM

2020-10-26T00:57:25-04:00

Be firm, follow-up on job assignments, respect and trust your subordinates but verify their work, and discipline subordinates when needed. Sometimes, you have to standup to the "butter bar LT" or the O6 to protect your people. Pick these fights cautiously.

Response by SP5 Stephanie Bonds made Oct 28 at 2020 8:47 PM

2020-10-28T20:47:49-04:00

Journaling is very important for growth in leadership. Just as we do after action reports and discussion with our cadre at the company level, it's great when there's discovery of new ideas, insight, and adaptive action (using our scouting education to improvise, adapt, and overcome) as these things happen over and over and; without discovery, it's like groundhog day out there! I don't believe these ideas should be hidden (except for the bad words and names) so both NCOs and Officers can join together in the progress towards perfection. ARTEPS and FTXs gave me the opportunity to grow as a leader and see myself in the future as a civil servant. After I completed 10 years on a/d, I attended college and learned how to keep better notes but I was already used to collecting basic information. This allowed me to improve my GPA and improve my work performance. Journaling should include a diary format: Date, time, names of those involved, subject, who, what, where, why, and how, and any end result. Leave a couple of lines for information that comes to mind afterwards. Believe me, you'll remember things at 3 a.m. that weren't at the front of your mind at 7 p.m. Don't engage in emotion or fantasy. Stick to the facts. You can't turn in a report that looks like Harry Potter and the Big Kaboom.