What kind of personal belief could a leader have that would cause you to lose respect / confidence in their capability as a leader?

MAJ Bryan Zeski — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 00:17:30 -0500

Everyone has their own beliefs in any number of subject areas including history, religion, philosophy, etc. Some people have beliefs and opinions that others would consider extreme or too far outside the realm of reason to seriously respect their decision making capability because of those beliefs.

For example, if anyone were to tell me, in all seriousness and completely oblivious to how it came about, that they were faithful followers of the "Flying Spaghetti Monster" or "Russell's Teapot", my opinion of their decision making capacity would be decidedly reduced. Given a choice, I wouldn't choose to put that person in a position of authority.

(I understand that inside the military hierarchy, a persons beliefs and ideas are irrelevant to whether they receive respect and I'm not challenging that - this is more geared towards people we would choose to lead as opposed to ones that are chosen for us.)

Response by CSM Carl Cunningham made Nov 9 at 2015 12:41 AM

CSM Carl Cunningham — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 00:41:23 -0500

I think too much religion can do that for me. The military is a professional organization in which we are supposed to have high morals. I do not feel it is a place to discuss personal religion openly because it can lead to a hostile work environment. It should stay what it is, a personal belief. I have seen leaders bring their religious beliefs to work and it affect their ability to objective look at situations because that leader "felt" a certain situation offended their beliefs. I am trying to be vague on purpose because I do not even like discussing it.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 9 at 2015 1:16 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 01:16:20 -0500

The one single biggest disqualifier in a leader for me is unfortunately the most common - the belief that they are better than everyone else. The smartest guy in the room.
Not talking about self-confidence, or tempered expertise. I'm talking about the guy that we've all met, and I daresay is present somewhere in every battalion and brigade-levels' top six. The doctrinaire who has to try and belittle everyone with their encyclopedic knowledge of MILPERs that are 24 hours old and the latest, greatest FM. The guy who repeatedly chants the mantra of how he "did it in Iraq". The guy who has to tear down those around them to make themselves look good. The guy who presents a zero defect mentality, but can't be bothered to develop subordinates. The guy who micromanages every detail, because no one can do it as good as they can. The guy who pounds on the staff to build an elaborate plan in a short time, then proceeds to shoot holes in it or make changes to make it their plan in the end.
Man. I hate that guy.

Response by CSM Michael J. Uhlig made Nov 9 at 2015 1:20 AM

CSM Michael J. Uhlig — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 01:20:14 -0500

The entitlement syndrome and that subordinates were there to serve them. Too often, WAY TOO OFTEN, senior personnel seem to develop this sense of entitlement and they got the whole thing bass ackwards, they are in the position to do the exact opposite, to serve their subordinates!

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 9 at 2015 3:39 AM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 03:39:45 -0500

Anyone who talks too much about their personal beliefs at work, or who makes a point of creating artificial us-vs-them lines in the metaphorical sand. I've had far too many people get comfortable in their surroundings and say some awful things about female service members, atheists, homosexuals, liberals, etc; I wouldn't tolerate assholery in the other direction either, but as the military is largely conservative and Christian, I don't think the liberal atheist crowd speaks up about it very often, and I've never personally seen any of those groups act like dicks about it - again, that's probably just because they'd be outnumbered, as I'm sure a-holes of every flavor and variety exist.

I guess that's a good summary. I won't willingly place a jackass into a position of authority.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 9 at 2015 8:13 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 08:13:21 -0500

Communication is key. If you feel you need to be heard more than hear me, we have a problem. Why wouldn't you want to understand what your Signaleer(s) and IT staff have to say. Technology changes everyday. The day you try to fight that is the day you create more issues for everyone.