Posted on Sep 10, 2014
Whose leadership style do you emulate more: LT Lynn "Buck" Compton or LT Richard Winters?
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Out of these two types of leaders, who would you prefer as your boss?
What do you like and dislike about their leadership style?
What do you like and dislike about their leadership style?
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 19
Neither. CPT Ronald Spiers. Get the job done. Get it done efficiently. Do what a soldier needs to do. Everything else is excess.
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LTC Paul Labrador
It's based on an old Samurai proverb: "Fate is in Heaven, the armor is on the breast, success is with the legs. Go to the battlefield firmly confident of victory, and you will come home with no wounds whatever. Engage in combat fully determined to die and you will be alive; wish to survive in the battle and you will surely meet death. When you leave the house determined not to see it again you will come home safely; when you have any thought of returning you will not return. You may not be in the wrong to think that the world is always subject to change, but the warrior must not entertain this way of thinking, for his fate is always determined."
Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578)
Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578)
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COL (Join to see)
LTC Paul Labrador, I think I almost shed a tear there. Almost. Then I beat myself with a saber.
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COL (Join to see)
Band of Brothers - Lipton & Speirs
Lipton and Speirs talk about the rumors, leading Easy Company and Lipton's promotion. I really like this scene from the end of "The Breaking Point", which ha...
And...there's merit to your men thinking that you're the meanest, toughest SOB in the Roman Legion...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JhIFd-iKz8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JhIFd-iKz8
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I aspire to be more like Dick Winters. He was a great leader. He was very tactical and analytical of the situation he found himself in. He wasn't afraid to lead and would often lead from the front. Even when faced with difficult situations he always took care of his men. After all of that he volunteered for more. Buck was also a great leader not on par with Winters.
Although Spears was pretty bad ass.
Although Spears was pretty bad ass.
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LTC Paul Labrador
I think the difference between the two was the Winters never served as a PL in combat and Compton served as a PL but never rose to company command. So their styles evolved accordingly. Compton was very much a hands on leader at the PL level, but never really had to deal with the "big picture". Winters could definately lead personally, but from D-Day on had to eschew the direct, hands-on leadership and focus almost entirely on the "big picture". I think Speers was one of the folks LTC Grossman described in his book as a "controlled sociopath" who was perfectly suited to the job of killing.
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Neither. Leadership is situational--that's the thing we don't teach well. Effective leaders adapt to the situation. For example, they may need to rely more on junior or senior advisers, they may need to listen more and talk less, they may also need to be more directive--depending on the situation and the mission. There is no one size fits all leadership style. Â Better to glean the best of what you like and remember the worst lest you repeat it. Â One article I wrote for the Army: Â "The Greatest Leader I NEVER Knew" Â might be worth reading.
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SSG V. Michelle Woods
Thank you sir. From my little experience, I think this is the best advice but it's frustrating not being that perfect balance yet. I'm awful at being reserved and firm. It's my nature to be outgoing, hyper and zealous. I want soldiers to see me as approachable and compassionate but I also want them to respect me. I know it takes time to develop my leadership skills and style. I just want to be a badass leader who has it all figured out right now lol. I'll keep working on it and I'll look up that article after class. I'm currently in ALC.
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SGM (Join to see)
Michelle, remember what I said yesterday about how God created Time and Grade and Time in Service for a reason.  Time in Grade is to learn your job better, allowing for honest mistakes. Time in SERVICE is another thing--service  to others.  Alertness to the needs of others--including the needs of soldiers and the Army is the Hallmark of a leader.  Having an attitude that Every Job is My Job is a winning spirit that can trump petty politics.  You will always encounter naysayers. Become a NaySlayer.  Read as many regulations as you can, especially the footnotes--know the exceptions to the exceptions.  They you can show me rather than tell me how to get things done.  You are doing fine!
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Ok, so I had to look up who the two were? Yes, I did see Band of Brothers, but if you try to emulate the leadership style of others you are doing favors to no one.
Your leadership style has to be your own and no one else's. Over my 25 years I've had great leadership, and I've had totally toxic leaders. Being threatened with a courts martial every time I did something my 2LT PL didn't like is very bad leadership. I watched and learned. How was the Frankenstein monster created? With parts of others, but in the end you would have to say that all those different parts were actually Frankenstein?
At one point in my career I was offered the chance to go to the SGT Morales board, I declined the offer because of all the time it would have taken me away from my team. In hindsight I kick myself a lot over that decision, but I was sent in front of many, and won, NCO of the month, NCO of the Quarter, and lost by 1/2 point in the separate battalions board. What did I learn from all those boards? That appearance, confidence, and knowing what you are talking about is key.
I brought all these qualities with me to every position I was posted, whether team level, squad, section, platoon sergeant, and platoon leader positions.
Every leader has their own leadership style and should be proud of that point, if you try to use someone else's style you are only failing your subordinates. Because leadership has to be flexible or something is going to break. Like CPT Sobel in the mini series, he was the type that was 'My way is the only way' is the only way and he would not bend.
There are good leaders in garrison, and there are good leaders in the field. It's a rare breed who are both, IMHO.
There will be those who disagree with the type of leadership I used, but for me it worked, not 100% of the time but you can't please everyone.
As for the original question, Winters.
Your leadership style has to be your own and no one else's. Over my 25 years I've had great leadership, and I've had totally toxic leaders. Being threatened with a courts martial every time I did something my 2LT PL didn't like is very bad leadership. I watched and learned. How was the Frankenstein monster created? With parts of others, but in the end you would have to say that all those different parts were actually Frankenstein?
At one point in my career I was offered the chance to go to the SGT Morales board, I declined the offer because of all the time it would have taken me away from my team. In hindsight I kick myself a lot over that decision, but I was sent in front of many, and won, NCO of the month, NCO of the Quarter, and lost by 1/2 point in the separate battalions board. What did I learn from all those boards? That appearance, confidence, and knowing what you are talking about is key.
I brought all these qualities with me to every position I was posted, whether team level, squad, section, platoon sergeant, and platoon leader positions.
Every leader has their own leadership style and should be proud of that point, if you try to use someone else's style you are only failing your subordinates. Because leadership has to be flexible or something is going to break. Like CPT Sobel in the mini series, he was the type that was 'My way is the only way' is the only way and he would not bend.
There are good leaders in garrison, and there are good leaders in the field. It's a rare breed who are both, IMHO.
There will be those who disagree with the type of leadership I used, but for me it worked, not 100% of the time but you can't please everyone.
As for the original question, Winters.
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For the most part I think I am like Winters; calm, reserved, analyticle and respectful. On occasion there is a little bit of Spiers that comes out when a job just has to get done. Might be an awkward mental ballance but it has worked well enough for me so far.
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Well SSG V. Michelle Woods , I am more like Gen. Patton, JUN JIN (To the front) as was said in Korea, of course mines don't count.. lol
But I was actually wondering since your currently in the military which one do you emulate?
But I was actually wondering since your currently in the military which one do you emulate?
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SSG V. Michelle Woods
I definitely emulate more of a LT Compton leadership style but I find that with rank, his leadership style tends to cause more trouble :-/
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Little of both.
If "Band of Brothers" was even remotely realistic, Buck Compton had a very familiar style of leadership that worked well at the company level. Dick Winters had a more professional, yet still personable, style that served him better in his commands.
The common thread was that they both clearly demonstrated "Mission first, Men always."
If "Band of Brothers" was even remotely realistic, Buck Compton had a very familiar style of leadership that worked well at the company level. Dick Winters had a more professional, yet still personable, style that served him better in his commands.
The common thread was that they both clearly demonstrated "Mission first, Men always."
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I would like to think that I emulate both. However, I believe that I am more like Buck Compton. He was definitely concerned with morale and welfare and I strive to do the same.
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LTC Paul Labrador
SFC Mark Merino, it would have been interesting that if he became more like Winters. If Compton had one fault (according the book and TV series) he was a bit too close to the men. that is a pitfall when you are a direct leader like a PL. When Toye and Guarnere where hit (and to whom he was close to) in the Bulge, it destroyed him. Winters also cared for the men, but he was able to keep some distance (a bit easier to do when you are a commander vs PL) which insulated him somewhat when the unit took losses.
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LTC Paul Labrador
SFC Mark Merino, what I find interesting (and never really addressed in the book) is why Nixon was moved to battalion staff as the 2 and why he stayed there when the battalion started running short of competent officers to lead. From all sources, Nixon was a competent officer....but when you pull someone to staff, it's usually because they are competent, but not necessarily a "leader".....
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SFC Mark Merino
I loved that scene where he took a shot to the helmet...."Stop looking at me like that!" I wondered that too. I figured COL Sink was keeping some power players close to him so they could help make him look good enough for General. He would have been a good Company Commander. Not as good as Ronald Spiers, but good.
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