Leadership Development
Leadership Development
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I got promoted two months ago and my senior ncos are constantly telling me I need to be confident and need to get out of the SPC mentality. Any tips or advice to achieve that?
SGT
Leadership Development
Leadership
NCOs
Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 160
168
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When I was a senior Specialist, I used to just take over and do things. I had a "if you want it done right, do it yourself" mentality. This carried over when I became a SGT.
Then one day at formation I had a small, but critical event in my development. In my unit we rotated guidon duties between each platoon every month. It was a new month and my platoon had forgotten the rotation. I ran up to the First Sergeant's Office, grabbed the guidon and sprinted down to the already formed up company and took my place next to the First Sergeant.
He stopped and looked at me, and specifically my 3 stripes on my chest. He yelled at me. "Damn it Squires. If you want to go back to being a Specialist we can arrange it. You are an NCO now. LEARN TO DELEGATE!" I was rescued by one of the Specialists in my section that ran up and took the guidon from me.
Later that morning, I had a talk with the First Sergeant. He told me that he keeps on seeing me do everything like I used to do and explained that one of the most important things for an NCO is to learn how to delegate, how to use your authority as an NCO to get the pieces moving to work towards accomplishing the commander's intent.
I don't know if you have an issue with this, but I suspect if you practice delegating tasks, you will start to think like an NCO. You will start to consider the larger picture an how you can lead your team by spreading the responsibility among them. I'm not saying be a bossy arm-chair quarterback; still be involved in the effort. But by splitting up tasks, knowing the capabilities of your team members, and properly delegating sub tasks, you will find that soon others will learn to expect that kind of leadership from you.
Then one day at formation I had a small, but critical event in my development. In my unit we rotated guidon duties between each platoon every month. It was a new month and my platoon had forgotten the rotation. I ran up to the First Sergeant's Office, grabbed the guidon and sprinted down to the already formed up company and took my place next to the First Sergeant.
He stopped and looked at me, and specifically my 3 stripes on my chest. He yelled at me. "Damn it Squires. If you want to go back to being a Specialist we can arrange it. You are an NCO now. LEARN TO DELEGATE!" I was rescued by one of the Specialists in my section that ran up and took the guidon from me.
Later that morning, I had a talk with the First Sergeant. He told me that he keeps on seeing me do everything like I used to do and explained that one of the most important things for an NCO is to learn how to delegate, how to use your authority as an NCO to get the pieces moving to work towards accomplishing the commander's intent.
I don't know if you have an issue with this, but I suspect if you practice delegating tasks, you will start to think like an NCO. You will start to consider the larger picture an how you can lead your team by spreading the responsibility among them. I'm not saying be a bossy arm-chair quarterback; still be involved in the effort. But by splitting up tasks, knowing the capabilities of your team members, and properly delegating sub tasks, you will find that soon others will learn to expect that kind of leadership from you.
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SPC Tamara Trammell
I'm training to be a civilian EMT right now and I was rather surprised to see one of the 'duties' I have to master as a rookie is how to... delegate. Whether we're the FNG, NCO, or whatever, it's important to stay in your lane. =)
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MSgt William Broussard
I had a senior NCO as my flight chief (USAF). He was so good at delegating that he delegated all his responsibilities to other NCOs in the flight. During a morning meeting with the commander, he was asked a series of questions and his response was, “That is Sgt so and so’s program . I’ll have to ask them about it.” The commander finally had enough and said words to the effect, “you better stop delegating everything to someone else or I’ll delegate YOUR job to someone else”.
It’s okay to delegate, just don’t forget you still have to have the answers for everything under your control and that a never be, “I’ll have to ask so and so about it”.
It’s okay to delegate, just don’t forget you still have to have the answers for everything under your control and that a never be, “I’ll have to ask so and so about it”.
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Capt Edward Egan
I was taught (and learned) right from the start that you can delegate duties and authority, but you cannot delegate responsibility.
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Being an NCO isn't easy. If it were, Officers could do it. You have received great advice here. Advice from very respected and seasoned NCOs. The only thing I could add is something that is along the lines of SFC Boyd. Consider every aspects from your previous and current leaders. All of their great traits and all of their bad traits. Then once you've done that, mold your own style. Delegate, lead from the front, eat AFTER your Soldiers, take care of your Soldiers. Everything else will fall into place.
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LTC Philip Marlowe
MSG (Join to see) - SFC Livingston, I know, but some who read it may take it literally and I think it is important that young NCOs understand the difference between NCO / SNCO and OFFICERS; what the difference is so they simply understand. Do you recall when the Army decided to Commission Warrant Officers? I do...they went down that path kicking and screaming because they are 'technicians; the best in their fields usually and didn't want the accountability that comes with a Commission - now, Warrants can Command and are therefore accountable. Its a tough pill to swallow SFC Livingston. Example, when I had my change of Company command, the incoming commander found I had 40 blankets missing out of my supply room. BOOM, hit with a report of survey and a finding that I was accountable to buy all 40 @ $10 a piece. When I reported to my BNCDR, he simply laughed and said I had gotten 'stuck' with the 'infamous 40 blankets' that heretofore, supply Sgts had simply passed them around to ensure the incoming CDR always had 40 blankets to 'count'. My Supply Sgt made the call NOT to do that anymore (wish she'd have told me), ergo - the end result of the 'musical blankets' was when the music stopped - I paid for 40 blankets I counted, but could not explain their loss. THANK GOD...it was only blankets, I knew a MAJOR in Germany who, as the Commander of an Engineer Company, lost $2.4Million in equipment (even a bull dozer - who loses a bulldozer?) and he was forced to resign or bite a huge financial bullet. Again, simply to point out to a young SGT the 'why'. Thank you for your feedback on my post. I truly appreciate it. Vr PMarlowe
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Find an NCO who’s leadership style you like and spend more time with them, then copy the things you like about them.
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SGT Allen Treviranus
I would say the opposite. Find someone who has a different style especially since hers doesn’t seem to be working all the time. My best mentors were people I did not necessarily like, but tough love works.
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SSG Jimmy Darby
Man I love this site. All great advice for sure. As you can see we all learn to lead in different ways. I think you will get it if you go to the NCOA. By now you should have a class date. If not, get with your first shirt and get there. The pic will be much clear to you after your school. Come back and let us know how your school went when you get done. Love to know. Remember, this could come at a bad time (Training schools) Lol. For me I hit Korea and 30 days later July 1981 I was in school. No I did not enjoy the 4th of July for sure. Jan 1986, Germany. Just got in country, with wife and 2 kids. 3 weeks later I was in school for 30 days. Bad times can happen. But now I look back and laugh about it all. Get to school and good luck sergeant.
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SGT Michael Van Geertruy
This strategy works both in and out of the military. I have given the exact same advice to executives in large companies, and it works well.
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