Cadets are often told to listen to our NCOs after we commission. How can we achieve a good balance between taking advice and being in charge?

When I was a 2LT and was given a mission I would draft my initial mission order to my platoon, then get with my PSG and run it past him. He would help me to "flesh it out" for me. I would rewrite it, then call in the platoon and issue the order. He would stand back, listen, then say, "all right, lets move!" or whatever was appropriate at the time. The point is, by consulting with my senior NCO he and I became a team, and his support propelled our platoon into successes. He was fully invested in helping to mold a young officer into a soldier and a leader.

The best way to develop your bullshit meter is to work toward BE-coming the subject matter expert through self-certification. It's not something that you will be able to do instantly. But, as you certify yourself, you will meet the NCO that has certified themselves and you will KNOW them by the way they DO their leadership and take care of their Soldiers. They're the ones that are DO-ing what they KNOW they are supposed to BE. Are you seeing the trend in this message? BE, KNOW, DO. This should resonate loudly to every officer who reads this. A good NCO is BE, KNOW, DO. FM 22-100. ARMY LEADERSHIP. BE, KNOW, DO. If you want to know which NCO to follow, read this manual like drinking a fine wine. Open it. Let it breathe. Let it get into the air. Inhale the bouquet. Then, when you think you've got an idea of what this will taste like, drink it all in. Let it become a part of your blood. There is no better bullshit meter to have than to be the same kind of leader that you expect your NCOs to be. Your good NCOs will recognize this in you and you won't have to look for them. They will find you. The most important thing to being a good leader is being a team builder. You build a team like you build anything good. Set an unbreakable foundation and build it UP from there.

You don't run into officers like LTC Mackay everyday. I would listen to every damned thing he's saying like it was the Bible.

Well said, Col. Mackay! Your brand of wisdom and intelligence seem to be more difficult to find, every day...

MAJ Norm Michaels - Sir, your are absolutely correct. That is why they are the Platoon Leader (PL). The Platoon Sergeants (PS) job is to advise the PL and make sure the PL orders are carried out. Besides the last time I check the OPORDER came from the LT not from me

SFC (Join to see) - Thank you. Some Platoon Sergeants get offended that some college kid is in command, but oh well; such is life... :-) I did both sides of this, but even when I wan an NCO, I always understood that the officers were the bosses, no matter my experience or theirs. Funny thing = my first joint assignment, there was an Air Force TSgt that asking me to coordinate with the Zeros on stuff. Zeros? I asked him what he meant; he said, " you know zero-1s, zero-2s, zero-3s, zero-4s". I said, " you mean O-1, O-2, O-3s"? His answer was classic = "you call them Os (ohs), we call them zeros".

MAJ Norm Michaels - That Tech Sgt was a punk. Major, I would agree that the PL is in charge and any SNCO, or NCO that is worth his salt understands that there is a chain of command for a reason. It undermines their own authority and credibility to front the Platoon Leader. At the same time ignoring the years of experience, advice and mentoring that a young PL can get from their senior and staff NCO's would not be any more prudent on the part of any PL, whether they are a 2/1 LT or Captain. With all due respect Major, good ideas, strategies, tactics etc can come from any where and just having a shiny stuff on a lapel doesn't make a person the end all be all of leadership.

The platoon is a team and like any other team, each part needs to know and understand it's role, responsibility and how to function as a part of the team. I didn't get any more offended by a young LT, or a Pvt with a good idea; I always tried to give the PL my best advice and in the end his decision and I implemented his orders. We don't need arrogant over-bearing know-it-all officers any more than we need arrogant over-bearing know--it-all NCO's.

Good leaders know how to get every brain in the game and engage all at their appropriate level without having to impress anyone above, or below them and they know how to make sure everyone knows their proper place without having to be a punk about it. As you say, the chain of command is what it is...just be a great leader.

Let's face facts here we all know that running a platoon is a balancing act. At the end of the day the platoon will either make you or break you.

Exactly! My OIC had many heated discussions behind closed doors; once the decision was made in how we were going to proceed, everybody was all in.

Well said Capt. two thumbs up.