What kind of leader are you?

2018-12-13T17:45:49-05:00

As a soldier I feel that as an individual it our responsibility to understand what kind of leaders we are, as well how effective we are as leaders. What is your leadership style and how do you feel its effective? Also what is that one special leadership trait that you believe every military leader should adopt or possess?

I'm asking out of personal interest, there's no right or wrong answer.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Dec 13 at 2018 5:55 PM

2018-12-13T17:55:16-05:00

I'm a leader that sets an example.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 13 at 2018 6:14 PM

2018-12-13T18:14:31-05:00

SPC Private RallyPoint Member Being fair, firm, and consistent was my leadership style in the military and civilian career. That way the men and women in your charge will know what to expect. Leaders should not ask the men and women in their charge, to do anything that they would not do themselves. Having integrity is everything.

Response by SGM Erik Marquez made Dec 13 at 2018 7:22 PM

2018-12-13T19:22:52-05:00

For me the question would be “what kind of a leader were you"" as I’m now retired and out of the game.

Never the less, my answer? Never as good as I wanted to be

Sometimes I lost my temper

Sometimes I spoke without listening

Occasionally I decided before getting all the facts

Once in a while I let emotions make a decision

A few times I did what I wanted and not what I should have

Four times I made a decision, gave an order and somebody died, it was the enemy’s fault but it was still my decision.

Two times I didn't foresee a possible outcome and soldiers were maimed, it was not my fault but it was my responsibility.

Im the leader that made it home, and some of my led did not.

That’s the kind of leader I was

Response by SSG K Johnson made Dec 13 at 2018 7:57 PM

2018-12-13T19:57:04-05:00

Integrity was always number one for me. With that, all the other values fall in line. Always do the right thing.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 13 at 2018 7:59 PM

2018-12-13T19:59:41-05:00

Every leader should be an expert in their field. Know everything there is to know about your job and equipment; that's how you can come up with creative solutions to difficult problems, and it's how you develop subordinates into experts themselves.

Response by CPT Larry Hudson made Dec 13 at 2018 8:28 PM

2018-12-13T20:28:13-05:00

Was a hard nose combat veteran commissioned officer. OCS trained, school of hard knocks toughened, learned when NCO's were BSing or when to accept their advice.
Never compromised when violations of UCMJ occurred including busting a 1st LT for unlawful discharge of a firearm as Officer of the Guard. Compassionate to a fault with soldiers lack of pay to sustain married families; but unforgiving if soldier was neglecting his responsibilities as bread earner of a family. Had to bust several NCO's for leaving family to train in Europe and leaving family without food or with utilities being turned off and yet wept when had to conduct funeral services of soldiers who dies by disobeying orders. I don't know, you tell me what kind of leader I am.

Response by SFC(P) Jonathan P. made Dec 13 at 2018 9:00 PM

2018-12-13T21:00:02-05:00

I profoundly Believe that the leader you become usually resemble the leaders you have had. We tend to learn from those we follow and always obtain a different skill and trait from various leaders. It is how you can adapt that to your character and ability to be “effective” during your leadership and the impact you have on your soldiers that molds the type of leader you can become. I say this often I don’t want to be like my leaders not because they were wrong, that’s not the case. It’s because I want to use those good qualities to be better so my soldiers can learn how to be better than me. Overall we need to keep teaching our soldiers how always to become better soldiers.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Dec 13 at 2018 9:01 PM

2018-12-13T21:01:13-05:00

Leadership depends on the situation.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 13 at 2018 9:31 PM

2018-12-13T21:31:50-05:00

Being a servant leader, take care of your soldiers.

Response by 1SG Derek Lincoln made Dec 13 at 2018 9:43 PM

2018-12-13T21:43:46-05:00

I was the type who would never ask my Soldiers to do something I wouldn't do. If we were out in the field training I would get out there and help them...why it's all about work ethics... you show them you as re just as equal as they are you get more out of them. They knew I was the disciplinarian when need be but most of all I wanted them the know that I knew the job as well as them and understood their drive for knowledge and support.

Response by SPC Margaret Higgins made Dec 13 at 2018 9:44 PM

2018-12-13T21:44:07-05:00

I lead by example (I am a Christian), by getting in there and helping [my troops.]
I'll put it this way: I have been told ( By My Priest friend) who wrote down on a napkin: the following words to describe me: Christie (as in Margaret Christie Higgins.) "God thinks-still and always-that Christie is an inspiration to Him and to all His Angels! My Priest/friend wrote that in 1997.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 13 at 2018 10:12 PM

2018-12-13T22:12:23-05:00

I get into NCOs and let them know I know how they treat their Soldiers. I believe in treating people the way you wish to be treated. I try hard to listen to both sides of a story, although I don't always. I do not le telling at Soldiers in front of others, but sometimes you have to. My big issue is my daughter is in the same building as I am. While I try to be a Soldier to her and to her Command, sometimes it's hard to do. I try to only give regulation answers and never "barracks lawyer" BS.
Im not the best leader, but when Soldiers thank me for my help, I know im doing a good job.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 13 at 2018 11:24 PM

2018-12-13T23:24:20-05:00

So for me, I am still learning. An important thing to remember. Once a student always a student. Even if you are the teacher.

Now for me I find that I am more of a hands on kind if leader. I rather guide and mentor my subordinates because that is overall less problems myself and my peers have to deal with. I do not like paperwork so I do everything in my power to find the best alternate solution. But at the end of the day if paperwork is required then there will be paperwork.

When it comes to leadership you have to be able to observe the scenario playing out before you and determine what is the best solution to approach things. Sometimes being the asshole that spoils the fun is the best answer. That part b po thats me. Especially because I know I can get angry pretty fast

However I haven't lost control of my emotions, sometimes removing yourself for a few minutes to collect yourself gives you a better solution to deal with what's going on rather than exploding. Try to be proactive rather than reactive. And lastly love those that you are leading. Take care of them and they will take care of you.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Dec 13 at 2018 11:57 PM

2018-12-13T23:57:58-05:00

I use the term "buffet." Every situation is different, which means that no one tool is perfect for every situation. Sometimes we need to be authoritarian. Sometimes charismatic. Sometimes tranformational, and sometimes transactional. The trick is knowing when to use each type, and how each person, relationship, and organization will be affected by each style.

Response by PO1 Don Gulizia made Dec 14 at 2018 9:15 AM

2018-12-14T09:15:59-05:00

The retired kind! Seriously, I always tried to be fair, firm, and consistent...and would teach that to younger leaders. Also, understanding interpersonal communication is paramount. What you think you are saying isn't always what is perceived. I would always use this statement as an example, "Clean your room." You can say that to your 8 year old kid, your teenager, your spouse, your mom, your co-workers and guess what, the same statement will be received five different ways and each different than what you meant. Be clear in your directions. Leave no room for misinterpretation and be a leader that your subordinates are willing to come to and ask questions. Good luck.

Response by Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth made Dec 14 at 2018 9:35 AM

2018-12-14T09:35:12-05:00

I have been both...NCO and Officer so here goes:

NCO-Always put yourAirmen first. Lead by example from the front. Ensure they have the training, tools, and abilities to get the mission done, give them the task, and let them have it. Let them know you care but that does not mean coddling. Hold them accountable to the mission and the core values and never, never make hallway decisons...gather as much info as youhave time for and move out. Don't sit on a decison too long but get relevant facts so you don't fire for effect and have to reconfigure. Leadership is like riding a horse...too much rein and the horse will buck...too little rein and the hrse will run off outof control....have to find that happy medium.

Officer-Always put your Airmen first. Lead by example from the front. Ensure they have the training, tools, and abilities to get the mission done, give them the task, and let them have it. Let them know you care but that does not mean coddling. Hold them accountable to the mission and the core values and never, never make hallway decisons...gather as much info as you have time for and move out. Don't sit on a decison too long but get relevant facts so you don't fire for effect and have to reconfigure. GIVE THE BALL TO YOUR NCO's and let them run it. Give them the direction and vector and let them have it. They know the pulse of the unit and personnel better than anyone there. Always have a positive atttitude. The unit will take on the attitude of its leadership every day. If I was having a bad day I always checked it at the door. I found out that if I came in smiling and in a positive mood the unit took that on that day...and vice versa.

Very similar for both especially the front part...bottom line for me was consistency...you knew who I was and what I stood for and I never waivered. Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but it worked for me. Each individual has to find that one thing that defines them as a leader and I believe you can take bits and pieces from other leaders to define your style.

Response by MSgt Stephen Council made Dec 14 at 2018 10:29 AM

2018-12-14T10:29:44-05:00

SPC Private RallyPoint Member Great question young man! I have some very tried and true philosophies on leadership. By way of establishing my credentials, My Professional development, leadership, and mentoring program was adopted as the PACAF standard in 2005. A few of my credos follow:

A leader is found out front saying "Lets go this way"
A manager is found in the rear saying "go that way"

As a leader, you should ALWAYS be developing your replacement. Train your soldiers with a next man up mentality. There should be no noticeable difference in your team's performance simply because you are not there.

Response by SPC David S. made Dec 14 at 2018 11:07 AM

2018-12-14T11:07:15-05:00

Honest Self-assessment - One of the key elements of being a great leader is knowing your strengths and weaknesses.
With that mindset knowing and understanding the dynamics of personalities is vital. Knowing how your personality affects your ability to communicate and being able modify your behavior/communication in a way that works best with other personalities you're interacting with - "while remaining authentic".

As such I continually do self-evals. Things I look at: Could I be smarter academically and financially, could I be in better physical and mental condition. Are my core values aligned and consistent with my other personal and professional goals.

This type of self eval has resulted in many tough decisions - changing jobs, going to school while working full time and even distancing myself from friends that are really just bad influences.

Response by PFC Jesse Peeples made Dec 14 at 2018 2:49 PM

2018-12-14T14:49:38-05:00

As a leader we must understand it is our job to know why we care and what we fight for it is our job to stand our ground in what we believe in and lead by example but never be afraid to be the one getting lead for the person who feels that they can lead could use our guides in there leadership opportunity when they hit the wall like all good leaders have.

Response by A1C Lexas Granger made Dec 14 at 2018 2:52 PM

2018-12-14T14:52:41-05:00

I felt like the best leaders were ones who could inspire just by doing the simple tasks. My First Shirt in basic training asked for volunteers to help carry chairs up to a newer area of the dormitory. He’d grabbed four chairs in each hand and just started walking as the rest of us grabbed the remainder of the chairs. It may have seemed a little silly to imprint the image of an amazing leader like this, but this was one of a few moments that really showed me how leaders work versus a boss.

Bosses tell you what to do and give instructions on how to do the job. Leaders say “Let’s do this.” and helps preform the task if necessary.

Leaders, regardless of rank or responsibilities, take every situation seriously as long as credibility isn’t compromised. As in administrative situations where someone is having a difficult time with work, stress from home, or even stress from other “Leaders/Bullies.” Not everyone who has rank and authority are leaders and some people are really nasty towards subordinates. True leaders take on the challenges throughout the day, and don’t show frustration or anger when handling smaller problems.

Response by SGT Michael Thorin made Dec 14 at 2018 5:44 PM

2018-12-14T17:44:43-05:00

SPC Private RallyPoint Member, I agree that we should strive to understand the leadership styles of others as we strive to find the style that we feel we can best utilize to lead troops, either formally or informally.

Leaders are part born and part made. We’ve all seen the PFC’s who other soldiers look up to. Additionally, if the NCO’s see this, and they feel threatened by an E-3 being a “leader” and try to break up the dynamics of those relationships, then that NCO may very well be cutting their on throat.

I believe leaders should be able to take advantage of these situations and use that dynamic to their advantage.

Leaders actually “lead”, not by throwing their rank up in everyone’s face, but by establishing themselves as an NCO that takes the NCO Creed to heart:
_____________________________________
•••••ARMY CREED OF NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS•••••

No one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of Soldiers. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as “The Backbone of the Army.” I am proud of the Corps of Noncommissioned Officers, and will at all times conduct myself so as to bring credit upon the Corps, the military service, and my country; regardless of the situation in which I find myself. I will not use my grade or position to attain pleasure, profit, or personal safety.

Competence is my watch-word. My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind: Accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my Soldiers. I will strive to remain technically and tactically proficient. I am aware of my role as a Noncommissioned Officer, I will fulfill my responsibilities inherent in that role. All Soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership. I know my Soldiers, and I will always place their needs above my own. I will communicate consistently with my Soldiers, and never leave them uninformed. I will be fair and impartial when recommending both rewards and punishment.

Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine. I will earn their respect and confidence as well as that of my Soldiers. I will be loyal to those with whom I serve; seniors, peers, and subordinates alike. I will exercise initiative by taking appropriate action in the absence of orders. I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage. I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget that we are professionals, Noncommissioned Officers, leaders!
_____________________________________

Understanding that I am just repeating what is written already, I would like to make this point:

If an NCO truly reads and takes this creed to heart, not simply to memorize it for promotions and NCO of the Year boards, that NCO will, in my opinion, truly become a leader.

In my time leading soldiers in combat and in peace, I always made sure that they were first in everything. If missions dictated possible sacrifice, I did not hide it from my troops, and yet I would not try to glorify it. I simply would tell them that I would be there with them, sacrificing myself as well.

I supported my leaders, but I did not support poor decisions. I found that a leader can be honest about poor leadership decisions while still supporting their leadership.

I never complained, but when my troops complained I very rarely said anything unless they started “dogging” our leadership. Even then, I did not “discipline”, I just talked to them about leadership. I asked if they approved of mine and what they liked, and they would inevitably say it was my ability to speak to them as soldiers instead of subordinates.

I asked them if they still recognized my authority despite that fact, and they said absolutely, and that was why they never got in trouble, because they respected me and didn’t want me to get into trouble because of what they did.

I explained that part of the reason they felt this way was because I did not bash leadership in front of them, or anyone, and that it was the same for them. I never accused my soldiers of being at fault when we failed; I took credit for it. When we succeeded or got an “attaboy” from someone, it was my soldiers that got the praise from me.

My goal was to help my soldiers become leaders and get education and promotions. If someone was not a leader when I received them, they were after they had been there for a while.

Also, I absolutely loved standing up for my soldiers. I would (and did once) go head to toe with a General if they were in the right.

My men saw this on more than one occasion, but only if they were in the right. When they were, I could always make my case and their case in a way that was assertive, yet showed the other NCO or Officer the respect that their rank commanded.

When they were right, I would fight to clear up the incident so that the accuser knew as much.

When they were wrong, I would listen to the accuser, and if I knew they were in the wrong, I demanded the NCO or Officer let me address it, as they were my soldiers. I would ask that they chew me out in front of my soldiers, but not for show.

It was to illustrate how they should take discipline. If you are wrong, simply stand there and take it. It does not make you less of a soldier to get disciplined, however, how you respond to the discipline can accomplish it.

I wish I could go on, but no one wants to spend all day reading this.

I loved being a leader, not because of rank, but because I loved being in a position to help soldiers better themselves, and I always strived to make them better leaders than me.

I miss being an NCO, and my prayer is that those soldiers miss having me as an NCO.

Response by MSG Danny Mathers made Dec 15 at 2018 2:38 PM

2018-12-15T14:38:08-05:00

I was hard core. I led my Soldiers by example, I maxed the PT Tests, I scored in the top 1% pro-pay- SQT, 124 & 125 EER-SEER. Every one of my Soldiers passed their SQT Test and scored the highest in the army at the time. I had the highest EIB number of troops and all had 8th ID Pathfinder Professionalism Badges. How, why, I set standard, enforvced them, listened and mentored. I was no SGT Morales but I trained my men to replace me. I learned my leadership style from outstanding NCOs and applied their styles to my personality. I am no smarter than anyone but learn from others and never make the same mistake twice.

Response by SFC Luis Serrano made Feb 22 at 2019 11:29 AM

2019-02-22T11:29:33-05:00

Straight forward and fair; never afraid to assume responsability; soldiers and mission first; always ready for the worst case scenario; never stop learning.

Response by TSgt Melissa Post made Feb 24 at 2021 6:05 AM

2021-02-24T06:05:54-05:00

I have been told many times earlier on in my career that every leader good or bad has a lesson to learn from. Accurate. Most of my leaders were not people I wanted to emulate so for me I try to be the leader I wished I had when I was an Airman. Every person requires a different kind of leadership type. I would say though, across the board don't force your plans and goals on that person. Help them reach or make their goals. I have had independent know-it-all (actually know nothing) troops, troops that are going to tell you only what you want to hear, troops that are on the verge of a mental breakdown every day, troops that wear their emotion on their sleeve and think they are hiding what is bothering them, and then once in a blue moon I get someone who actually seems to only need a nudge every so often. Everyone is different. Are you going to be perfect, not even close. No one is. You do your best, put their interest as the priority, and shield them from the sh*t they don't need to be part of.