Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard
A problem I think many reformers struggle with when discussing such a topic is what I think BLB was talking about in his post - the difference between leadership and command. As experienced soldiers know, they are not the same thing, for not all commanders are good leaders, and not all leaders are good commanders. George McClellan, for example, was a truly inspirational leader who won the total devotion of his troops, yet consistently failed to achieve decisive victory in battle and politically challenged his CinC (a career ending move if there ever was one). On the other hand, U.S. Grant was an excellent combat commander to whom few in his command showed any great affection.
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I agree with Richard...There is no greater honor than to lead, in my opinion. Leaders have to be both accountable and responsible…some leaders are not comfortable with these concepts…and focus on their own survival in lieu of concentrating on their people and the mission, exhibiting these “toxic” traits. We don’t always select the right folks to advance and/or lead our people…I have seen plenty of Commanders here that could not lead someone out of a brown paper bag…folks that would be considered my peers. There are only a hand-full of leaders in my career that I have worked for that I look up to…what made them great was what they left behind and their impression they made on their people; they were accessible and approachable. I think where we are weak as an Army is in our mentorship program, or lack thereof. Most of you know and served with my mentor and I was fortunate to have many years of his advice/knowledge…a couple of good beatings from the Bulldog definitely gets you on the right path.
But most Officers I know, if you ask them, have very few positive role models/influences in their career. Not sure how to fix the problem of mentorship…other than 1 Soldier at a time. Most of you on this site are extraordinary mentors, whether you realize it or not…
As a current Commander, I often wonder why I was selected to lead over others. I am leading a rather large unit (2,220+) in a mission I have very little experience with and that is definitely outside my comfort zone. (Sometimes the Army does have a sense of humor.) One of my biggest concerns was the “how”…how was I going to lead this large group in unfamiliar territory. But I quickly realized it all comes down to taking care of people… If you take care of your people, the mission takes care of itself. Make decisions, trust your team, allow you people to latitude/flexibility to do the job, defend them at all costs, and don’t ask them to do anything you haven’t done or are not willing to do right alongside them…take point. Really rather simple…
Dan