Where are the Senior leaders willing to mentor our young leadership?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 May 2015 12:36:04 -0400

I miss having Senior leaders willing to mentor young leaders in the Army? It is not enough to make it to the senior ranks, and not mentor our brothers & sisters. My most valuable memories was when my mentors told me like it was, and didn't let the standard go. Is mentoring a lost art in our armed forces these days?

Response by Col Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2015 12:37 PM

Col Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 May 2015 12:37:47 -0400

They are out there, sometimes it takes work to find them. My response to a junior officer when I supervised 120 people on a hospital ward. She told me "You are suppose to mentor me, it's your job". While she was correct, my response to her was that I cannot mentor 120 nurses at the same time, it's impossible. And there were numerous potential mentors in the unit that she could benefit from. But it was also her responsibility to seek out someone whom she thinks can be a good mentor. I also informed her that I would be honored to mentor her but she never asked me to mentor her. Again, yes it's my job, by sometimes it's nice to be reminded or formally asked.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2015 12:45 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 May 2015 12:45:12 -0400

Mentors are sought out by the junior leaders; so if we aren't seeing active mentorship taking place or if, as a senior leader, you aren't mentoring a Soldier, the question should be, why aren't you looked to as someone who to others would want to be and/or follow? Mentorship success requires quality leadership and leadership is seen from within despite any superficial facade that doesn't align with ones inner character. Therefore, it doesn't matter how great you think you are or even how successful you feel you've become, others see the heart and desires that lead you; the character founded at your core on a belief system that encompasses the army values, ethos, and ethics along with your personally driven morals and beliefs. No amount of flair in the use of big words and cheap smiles will ever truly hide your true self. Leadership is about others more than yourself. Take your eyes off of your own greatness and discover what others need and desire to become the best at who they are; then you'll start to develop qualities which enable quality mentorship!

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made May 2 at 2015 12:55 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sat, 02 May 2015 12:55:17 -0400

It should be your professional duty to train subordinates to prepare for your job.

Response by PO2 Skip Kirkwood made May 2 at 2015 12:58 PM

PO2 Skip Kirkwood — Sat, 02 May 2015 12:58:17 -0400

What does "mentor" mean in this context? I hear the word used a lot in military discussions. To me, it doesn't mean "train" or "supervise" - it goes beyond that. It means "a respected and trusted advisor." So a mentor is selected by the protege, based on respect and trust, and asked to provide advice and counsel.

Are you seeing senior leaders say "No" when asked to mentor a junior?

It seems that in the Army, "mentoring" is something that seniors are expected to "do to" juniors, which does not apply the consensual relationship that I understand.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2015 1:05 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 May 2015 13:05:49 -0400

When I am actively mentoring my subordinates should not realize I am mentoring. My goal is to guide them to where I want them to be, all the while thinking they came up with the idea themselves.

Response by SGT Anthony Rossi made May 2 at 2015 2:00 PM

SGT Anthony Rossi — Sat, 02 May 2015 14:00:03 -0400

My first counseling statement given to my soldiers after I Finnished PLDC said something like this.

"When you enlisted in my Army you had a vision generated within yourself of what a soldier is. It your responsibility to become that soldier! You can not blame any leader or lack of leader for not uphold that Ideal. If you fail to accomplish that vision (that image of what a soldier is) you have failed yourself. I'm here to help you get there. NOW WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE?

My soldiers loved it and they responded inkind.

Response by CSM Michael J. Uhlig made May 2 at 2015 4:13 PM

CSM Michael J. Uhlig — Sat, 02 May 2015 16:13:02 -0400

Who is YOUR mentor? Do you have one, have you asked someone to be YOUR mentor?

We are all mentors, and we all act in that capacity. While there are "required/mandatory" professional development/leader development requirements within units, for the immediate mentor, you must reach out to someone you trust, and ask them to be your mentor.....it is more a mutual agreement, you cannot sit back and wait for it (mentorship) to be issued....this entry is for all whom cares to read it, not just to SSG Private RallyPoint Member, although I am glad he had the guts to bring the subject up.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made May 3 at 2015 12:15 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 03 May 2015 00:15:08 -0400

I may have gotten really lucky or maybe it's what is expected now, but I had an NCO start to mentor me almost immediately when I got to my unit. He has since moved on, but the impact was there none the less. The difference I am seeing between my experience and the other posts here is that I wasn't (consciously) looking for a mentor, just hoping I had great leadership.

Regardless, a mentor/mentee relationship formed. He showed me what I could do, even as a pv2, to set my career up in the path that I want to travel on. Point being, for a kid just out of high school and very vague ideas of what I wanted to do in this new setting, having an NCO guide me like he did was really good to have.

Granted, now that I've been in a little longer and gained more knowledge, having a mentor has become a much more formal idea and taken work on my part to initiate. But for a new soldier out of AIT, I think it is important for a leader to at least try to open that kind of relationship.

Response by 1SG Michael Blount made Jul 15 at 2015 8:30 AM

1SG Michael Blount — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 08:30:20 -0400

SSG Private RallyPoint Member - Well, you have the bright lights at HQDA to thank for the lack of SNCO mentors. That's because many are being forced out.