The study of leadership fascinates me, the psychology involved in leaders and followers, communication interaction, and potential for a leader to improve their leadership skills and methods interests me personally. I have been in various leadership positions in personal life and professional life and no doubt everyone is in a leadership situation at some point in their lives. Personally I was an ROTC student in a previous college experience and participated in many military leadership classes. Additionally as an enlisted Army Soldier I attended the lowest level of leadership training for a Non Commissioned officer. In the military, leaders are appointed based in part on rank. Rank is achieved through various different criteria and grading. In my military experience, it seemed that the Army uses multiple leadership theories and methods, however in reflecting on certain situations, the Army employs team leadership. I can remember a quote from military leadership training I attended made by an instructor ‘every good leader is first a good follower’. I never knew what was meant by that, however I think that it pertains to team leadership. The actual meaning of that quote is, that anyone can be a leader in many situations, not necessarily the appointed leader. The Army exercises what is called Sergeant’s time, which is time dedicated solely to the first line supervisor. The intent of sergeant’s time is for the first line supervisor to facilitate training on soldier tasks. In order for this leader to facilitate training effectively, he or she must first analyze the training need. It is because sergeant’s time training is specific to enhancing abilities within the team, this is an example of one of McGrath’s critical leadership functions (Northouse,p.293). In determining the training topic and completing this analysis the leader is diagnosing group deficiencies internal to the unit’s operations (internal monitoring). Upon determining the areas where the unit or team needs improvement, the leader conducts the training in accordance with their experience, military manuals, etc. Training of the soldiers is remedial action to the deficiency noted previously (executive action) where the leader acts to fix the problem (Northouse,p. 292).
Another duty of a non-commissioned officer is to “shield his or her troops” from a lot of the non relevant communications and environment external to the unit itself. The leader observes for factors beyond his or her control that is negatively affecting the team (forecasts environmental changes)(Northouse,p.293). After either predicting or realizing negative external factors that will possibly affect the team the leader must take appropriate measures to prevent these factors or at least minimize them. In the Army often times “one person messes it up for everybody”, meaning an individual soldier will violate a policy or Army core value. In response to this infraction, higher ranking leaders will impose sanctions (additional duties) in an effort to punish the unit (within which many smaller teams exist) and deter any additional behavior of this type. If possible the appropriate leaders of the smaller units (NCOs) should find ways to ensure his or her subordinates do not participate in these punitive activities.
Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice – Sixth Edition. Sage Publishing – Thousand Oaks, CA.
Army Field Manual (FM) 6-22