Posted on Dec 24, 2015
Great Leadership Has Nothing To Do With Gender
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RP Members do you agree or disagree?
It is not gender, but rather leadership and integrity that matter when it comes to the people we want serving in the armed forces.
It is not gender, but rather leadership and integrity that matter when it comes to the people we want serving in the armed forces.
Great Leadership Has Nothing To Do With Gender
Posted from taskandpurpose.com
Leadership
Gender
Women in the Military
Leadership Development
Leader
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 19
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As a Battlion Commander of a Forward Support Battlion I had (5) female Company Commanders that I wouldn't have had any problem serving with in combat - they were excellent! They worked hard to earn those positions and great leadership qualities!
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CPL J Sannizzaro
Have seen great make and female leaders. That said have worked for 2 females that I'm sure should never lead, I have assumed they were promoted on agenda. They didn't have the respect of any of the men or women working under them. Yes I've seen this in male leaders also, but considering the ratio of male and female leaders I'd say more women are promoted on agenda than men. I can't wait till its s perfect word and only leaders get put in a position to lead, and no one cares if they are male, female, yellow, white, brown, or black. Until then the practice of promoting those considered minorities who aren't deserving or at least ready, only fosters problems.
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Sgt Joe LaBranche
Never had a female Commanding Officer while in service, but my wife keeps telling me she's the Commander in Chief.
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It's a good piece. But in reality, it's two pieces that are "badly joined" together.
The thing we must realize is that LEADERSHIP (& Management) is NOT PHYSICAL. These are NOT physical traits, nor are they physical skills. They are mental traits, and skills. They are Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma based.
Although there are perceptual issues, where the physical comes into play, Leadership itself has almost no direct physical aspects. Someone can be wheelchair bound and be an amazing leader. Our own history proves this.
So once we acknowledge that the physical is irrelevant to LEADERSHIP, we realize that the Physiological Differences between the genders are also irrelevant (to Leadership).
Now, that does not mean those differences will not affect COMBAT PROWESS. But Leadership & Combat Prowess are two separate categories, and must be looked at differently. They assist each other, but they are not the same.
One can be highly efficient and effective at Combat Skills, and a piss poor Leader. Conversely, one may be an exceptional Leader with no Combat Skills. Our goal is to find those with the highest ratio of both and place them in the most demanding of fields, just as we place those with the most Administrative ability in those fields.
Gender should never be an issue.
The thing we must realize is that LEADERSHIP (& Management) is NOT PHYSICAL. These are NOT physical traits, nor are they physical skills. They are mental traits, and skills. They are Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma based.
Although there are perceptual issues, where the physical comes into play, Leadership itself has almost no direct physical aspects. Someone can be wheelchair bound and be an amazing leader. Our own history proves this.
So once we acknowledge that the physical is irrelevant to LEADERSHIP, we realize that the Physiological Differences between the genders are also irrelevant (to Leadership).
Now, that does not mean those differences will not affect COMBAT PROWESS. But Leadership & Combat Prowess are two separate categories, and must be looked at differently. They assist each other, but they are not the same.
One can be highly efficient and effective at Combat Skills, and a piss poor Leader. Conversely, one may be an exceptional Leader with no Combat Skills. Our goal is to find those with the highest ratio of both and place them in the most demanding of fields, just as we place those with the most Administrative ability in those fields.
Gender should never be an issue.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
CPT Toby Forbes - And I comment on those perceptual issues. But mistaking Physical Characteristics for Mental Abilities is doing everyone a disservice. It implies that just because someone has more physical strength they have more Leadership potential.
Audie Murphy was 5'5" and was as far from a "Physical Specimen" as you can get. However he was a LEADER. More fitness helps, and I specifically mention that when talking about Combat Prowess. But Combat Prowess and Leadership are not the same thing. When we focus on the physical, we end up with strong but dumb leaders.
Audie Murphy was 5'5" and was as far from a "Physical Specimen" as you can get. However he was a LEADER. More fitness helps, and I specifically mention that when talking about Combat Prowess. But Combat Prowess and Leadership are not the same thing. When we focus on the physical, we end up with strong but dumb leaders.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
CPT Toby Forbes - Nor are Leadership and Physical Prowess Intrinsically Linked.
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It depends on what you are leading. I have worked for a number of excellent women managers in the corporate world. They knew their business, did it well and set a solid example for all.
If you are talking combat leadership you better be able to outperform those around you or you will lose credibility. At least that used to be the case. You better hump the load, out shoot, out PT and out perform your charges or you will have a hard time gaining and keeping respect. It is a respect based leadership model. You earn it or you never get it. Rank will only get you so far. Women have not demonstrated in any objective way the ability to do the actual work of the fully loaded grunt.
Can women lead, absolutely. They do in both the military and civilian worlds in many capacities. Because they can in many does not mean they can in all.
If you are talking combat leadership you better be able to outperform those around you or you will lose credibility. At least that used to be the case. You better hump the load, out shoot, out PT and out perform your charges or you will have a hard time gaining and keeping respect. It is a respect based leadership model. You earn it or you never get it. Rank will only get you so far. Women have not demonstrated in any objective way the ability to do the actual work of the fully loaded grunt.
Can women lead, absolutely. They do in both the military and civilian worlds in many capacities. Because they can in many does not mean they can in all.
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1stSgt Eugene Harless
While you need to be extremely competent in all areas its highly unrealistic to expect a leader to outperform all his subordinates in every area.
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Cpl Jeff N.
1stSgt Eugene Harless . I didn't mean to imply they needed outperform everyone in every area. If they are shooting low marksman, a 3rd class PFT and falling out of forced marches and formation runs and the like they will have zero credibility. They shouldn't be get promoted either but it does happen.
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1stSgt Eugene Harless
Cpl Jeff N. - While Not Qualifying with a weapon will get you bad paper, being a low shooter won't. I knew plenty of Pizza Box Shooters that were great leaders. Now if you fall out of runs or humps, or run a 3rd class, your shits in the wind.
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