The Reason Toxic Commanders Keep Getting Promoted

Pretty good article there 2LT Aaron Hrdlicka. There's a lot to be learned about good leadership that gets the mission accomplished and that simultaneously takes care of your people. I remember an early lesson in the Field Artillery about glass balls and rubber balls. You need to quickly recognize those tasks you can bounce like a rubber bal while the extra sensitive ones get handled like glass so you don't break them. I also always tried to get to know my Soldiers. There's always hurry up and wait time available. Keep learning growing and evaluating. In the course of learning leadership I learned when you take care of your people they take care of you.

I think part of it, as the article indicates, we have removed the ability to be leaders - the volume of required tasks and training, making sure the powerpoint is green on issues that must be completed, takes away from leadership. It is more important to, as said, respond to 5 m to 50 m targets - which is about completed checklists. And as indicated, that is what rated on. Completed x number of y. Leadership on the OER/NCOER is not how they took care of Soldiers (unless a quantifiable standard). With this, comes the person who just focuses on tasks assigned. It may not even be mission completion that is as important as making sure all got the annual training requirements but have no clue what they trained on. Comprehension and application are not what is monitored, just completion. The additional problem which is not looked at...today's communication levels has decisions being made at higher ranks. This doesn't develop leadership. Compare how much ability to make decisions a CPT or MAJ had during WWII with how much they have now.