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RP Members what are some the very best training methods or classes that will create GREAT leaders?
Share your thoughts and experiences
What's overrated and what's not?
What's missing in today's training for leaders?
Share your thoughts and experiences
What's overrated and what's not?
What's missing in today's training for leaders?
Posted in these groups: 
Training
Leadership Development
Professional Development
On-The-Job Training (OJT)
What Would You Do
Training Leadership Development Professional Development On-The-Job Training (OJT) What Would You Do
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 32
COL Mikel J. Burroughs Sir, training and experience are good, but mentoring by someone that cares helps develop great leaders.
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SSgt Boyd Welch
I agree. Everything that I learned about leadership came from two people: My dad who worked his way up from stock boy to VP of Logistics for his company. The other was being mentored by my first shop chief in the Air Force. CMsgt Mosely, wherever you are, thanks for investing yourself in a skinny timid kid from Louisiana. Your investment in me has paid dividends many times over. One on one mentorship puts people on the right track.
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SFC (Join to see)
CMSgt Mark Herrington - That's not just an AF problem, I know for a fact it is an Army problem as well. I think at one point we became too worried about the me and stopped focusing on the future. I know I had one mentor and when he retired everyone else seemed to be there for their resume and ERB only. I have college classes with active service members, usually junior enlisted, and the advice I give them at breaks or after class they aren't getting from their leadership anymore.
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SSgt Boyd Welch
CMSgt Mark Herrington - What I learned was this...Teach, push and step back...teach push and step back. Don't always be the "go-to-guy". Let people think things through, have them propose their solution, ask questions where necessary to nudge their thinking and give them ownership....
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I personally don't believe you can teach leadership in a classroom. You can provide a background for someone to develop in...but experience is the best teacher. A "good" leader has made mistakes...and learned from them.
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The best leadership training environment is in the shadow of a great leader.
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Capt Seid Waddell
MAJ L. Nicholas Smith, unfortunately, there are so many more ways to fail than to succeed in leadership, in my experience. Bad leaders teach one what to avoid, but not necessarily how to lead effectively.
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MAJ L. Nicholas Smith
Exactly, they teach you what "not to do" just as good leadership will demonstrate the qualities and habits to emulate.
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Leaders tend to have some innate character which helps them weather storms COL Mikel J. Burroughs. Training can help us learn to function under incredible stress but it usually is field experience which develops leaders and make them shine even in the mud, dense brush, and/or darkness.
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I have to say other as I think its a little bit of each - I've always believed the ability to influence others is grounded in psychology - knowing yourself and how your personality plays a part in the interactions with others. If you look at effective leaders they often have an immense network of both professional and personal relationships. Understanding personalities helps in managing these relationships as well.
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It has been my experience that Coaching and Mentoring from a Senior Leader have been and remain most effective for me. I have been blessed to work with the finest of the finest. Those that are in the position to lead do so by just being themselves and passing on the knowledge that they have been blessed to have been provided, from their mentors. The key is choosing the right one.
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Kim Bolen RN CCM ACM
Direct answer to what is lacking in some leadership training, self actualization, empowerment training.
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Someone years ago said " Leaders are born, not made " I'm almost inclined to fully support that but smarter minds have concluded that proper training and understanding human nature are key in development of leaders Any society that relies on fear to be the primary force that compels a man to respond favorably to commands is not intent on creating a leader of men, but an enforcer of laws that maintain freedom, not out of respect but fear. Instilling TRUST in followers while at the same time teaching that the need for leadership is one of the most sought after character traits in society. Someone has to have the awareness of what progress means to society as a whole. Identifying traits that are absolutely critical to leadership is only possible when advances in society can be measured against goals established. Trust, Awareness, Confidence, Respect & Spirituality.
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TSgt (Join to see)
I think leadership, like any other genetic trait, is inborn. But it is a raw talent that must be properly refined. Those who have innate leadership abilities are those around whom others gravitate, seek advice from, and generally want to be around. Refining the skill of leadership is best done under a mentor who has also excelled at leading others.
Experience is a valuable coach, but a good mentor will steer the "student" around some of the potholes and ditches along the way, but it's the mileage that counts. Leadership is one skill that cannot be learned or practiced in a simulator or through books or classes because it deals with influencing people with their own cares, lives, and priorities. Those who have a natural ability to lead will be able to key in on the needs and desires of those s/he leads and the led will want to follow. If your subordinates aren't asking your advice, they don't trust you enough to do so. If they don't trust you, they are complying with your wishes because of some other potential reward (for them) whether it is real or imagined. Either way, you are not truly "leading." If your subordinates are complying because you are forcing them to do so, you are not leading; they simply have not seen an alternative to obeying just yet. Once that alternative comes around, they will not comply and/or leave your service (ie, ETS, retire, etc.).
As SPC David Stephenson said, it has a lot to do with psychology. A good leader understands those s/he leads, and uses that understanding to be a better and more effective leader. I think that's what is missing in many cases in the military.
Experience is a valuable coach, but a good mentor will steer the "student" around some of the potholes and ditches along the way, but it's the mileage that counts. Leadership is one skill that cannot be learned or practiced in a simulator or through books or classes because it deals with influencing people with their own cares, lives, and priorities. Those who have a natural ability to lead will be able to key in on the needs and desires of those s/he leads and the led will want to follow. If your subordinates aren't asking your advice, they don't trust you enough to do so. If they don't trust you, they are complying with your wishes because of some other potential reward (for them) whether it is real or imagined. Either way, you are not truly "leading." If your subordinates are complying because you are forcing them to do so, you are not leading; they simply have not seen an alternative to obeying just yet. Once that alternative comes around, they will not comply and/or leave your service (ie, ETS, retire, etc.).
As SPC David Stephenson said, it has a lot to do with psychology. A good leader understands those s/he leads, and uses that understanding to be a better and more effective leader. I think that's what is missing in many cases in the military.
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MAJ L. Nicholas Smith
Nature and nurture. It may be like our own physical potential as an athlete where our achievement is based on whether we reach our potential or not. This is why children are scouted in other countries for their national Olympic teams early in order to identify those with the most potential and help them reach it.
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Deborah Gregson
A leader is in front of the group they are guiding, participating in the action. They don't micro manage, they delegate. They are open to new ideas and solutions to a problem. They teach their group what they want them to do, give suggestions on how they can accomplish the goals, but leave the group space for coming up with their own ideas to reach the objective. I think some people have a personality that allows them to lead more effectively and naturally, while others may be able to learn to lead through courses, and some people will never be able to lead because they aren't able to give up their need to control.
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A leader cannot be developed by just watching and following. At some point you have to lead and learn. Schools do offer some opportunities for identifying strengths and weaknesses, as well as filling your toolbox with things you can use to refine your own development or augment your efforts to develop leaders, but nothing beats allowing juniors opportunities to get their hands dirty with coaching and mentoring.
One of my units took advantage of short FTXs to plunge future leaders into the leadership waters. In the months prior to the exercise (think Reserves) we would ask junior soldiers (promising SPCs and new SGTs) to plan training events. They would be put into squad leader positions for parts of the FTX and be expected to take the reigns. The sNCOs would observe and mentor as appropriate.
These kinds of opportunities are the kinds of experiences that I think are valuable in leadership development. It is a "safe" environment to test abilities and make learning mistakes.
On another note, I have seen too many instances where NCOs are more concerned about how well their ability to be a leader, is reflected on their NCOERs. Perhaps more emphasis needs to be put on what they have done to develop the future leaders falling under their charge. Do we put the right kind of emphasis and value for Leadership bullets?
One of my units took advantage of short FTXs to plunge future leaders into the leadership waters. In the months prior to the exercise (think Reserves) we would ask junior soldiers (promising SPCs and new SGTs) to plan training events. They would be put into squad leader positions for parts of the FTX and be expected to take the reigns. The sNCOs would observe and mentor as appropriate.
These kinds of opportunities are the kinds of experiences that I think are valuable in leadership development. It is a "safe" environment to test abilities and make learning mistakes.
On another note, I have seen too many instances where NCOs are more concerned about how well their ability to be a leader, is reflected on their NCOERs. Perhaps more emphasis needs to be put on what they have done to develop the future leaders falling under their charge. Do we put the right kind of emphasis and value for Leadership bullets?
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I might know the methods or classes that create great leaders if I were one. Or if I had ever seen one come into being. Sadly, I can't trust the biographers of great leaders to know inasmuch as I never knew of a biographer who was a great leader and might recognize that spark which illuminated the great leaders they wrote of. To be perfectly honest, I have a deep rooted suspicion that great leaders aren't always great leaders, that they rise to a challenge and are great leaders only in that moment. For example, what great thing did Lincoln do before faced with the challenge of preserving the Union? Therein lies another discussion, doesn't it?
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PO1 (Join to see)
Thanks Jack, for reminding us that the system we use to award human beings with positions of authority and leadership deserves a second look. No system is perfect but when we use the judgement and opinions of mere mortals to place others in leadership positions, we had best be "on our best game". Young corporals or young 2nd LT's can create more hot spots than any firemen are able to smother. Anyone remember the " Shake and bake ' leadership schools during the Viet Nam war?. I may set myself up for target practice but IMHO, management and leadership are distinct traits that lend themselves to program management and personnel leadership.
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MAJ L. Nicholas Smith
Very true and I think we must also remember that the victor writes the history and the same goes for successful leaders who know how to shape their own story. Winston Churchill touched on this when he stated “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.”
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Coaching and Mentorship, hands down. Anyone with a brain and a mouth can learn and regurgitate stuff learned at leadership schools or online classes, but only the true leaders can perform the task, explain the task, talk through the questions and complaints without blaming the ever mysterious "they", and wrap it all up in their appearance, military bearing, and how they handle stress under fire. I have met several rank holders or paycheck collectors that were highly educated in civilian and military schooling, but couldn't seem to understand that the Army wasn't there to make them good, it was there for them to make the Army good. We do that by leading, mentoring, and coaching those subordinate to us. We don't wait for Sergeant's time or a scheduled block of instruction as most do now, we take the time during the task, field problems, details, or anywhere else the opportunity arises. If junior service members search you out, even after you've retired, for advice and counsel then you know you have followed the right example.
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