Posted on Jan 6, 2021
SPC Team Leader
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Just finished up DLC 1, and I have a question. Are Job and Leadership Books more commonly used in other units and duty stations? At least my company doesn't use them at all, and the same with my other team leaders. Why is that?
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CSM Darieus ZaGara
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This is material is there to assist leaders in processes and to initiate plans and policy. They are guides only. If used properly they serve to have developed muscle memory to left and right limits for each level of leadership and Soldier activity in any given situation. Used properly they are an asset, collecting dust they are nothing. The Army spends a great deal of time developing its processes and they work.
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1SG Operations Sergeant Major
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Popularity of leader books has dropped for several reasons. Firstly, we just got lazy, myself included. They are a pain in the butt to maintain and units got stupid busy during the GWOT. Secondly, units made these giant counseling packets, that look like we are trying to start a new country, that contain a vast majority of what goes in a leaders book. Why create a binder with a boat load of info about a Soldier when I can just open their counseling packet and see what they had for breakfast on their third Army birthday?
Thirdly, we went digital. Part of the force modernization Army directives was that units below Brigade do not maintain trackers for something that is an Army Program of Record. So we have emilpo, dtms, medpros, vantage, ucfr, and god know how many other programs that track eveeything that goes in a leaders book, almost instantaneous.
All this and I will say it is a practice we need to get back into. I still maintain binders full of erbs, pt and won qual cards for my company. It's not easy for 100 something Soldiers, but I ha e a training room. 3-9 people is manageable, but will take constant vigilance to maintain records. Use the digital systems, print the tables out and insert them into your books. Below PL and PSG, access to gov computers is limited, so it's better to maintain analog records.
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SGT Jim Ramge, MBA
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You need to decide - are you a follower or a Leader? How will you handle your troops and manage their day-to-day activities, maintain order, their affairs, which you have now been charged? I charge you to be an NCO, Lead by example, keep track of your personnel and their well-being. You are now being placed in a position of authority AND responsibility. How you take responsibility for them as you grow from 1-3 as a Team, 5-7 Squad, 35-75 PLT, etc., as you grow, and are promoted, SGT, SSG, SFC is baselined now. Find a Sr. NCO (SFC-CSM) and request mentorship.
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SGT Jim Ramge, MBA
SGT Jim Ramge, MBA
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One more thing - depending on the type unit, as well as the level of access of information you have access. Read this FOUO link and find out your COC guidelines in case your book goes missing. Last thing you need is a security infraction as you rise thru the ranks and possibly obtain a clearance, to lose it!

https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/InformationOperations/LogisticsInformationServices/Customer%20Outreach/Subscriptions/J6_ForOfficialUseOnly_160113.pdf
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