Sounds like a few folks in the Army have been around folks
who lead by their rank.
Thats too bad, but it is not the rule. Often, due to your
reactions to situations, and interactions with others, you
can put yourself on the wrong side of the coin.
Take something like leadership. Lets take a very simple
scenario which is something that actually occured. I'd
been away from my MOS and the associated personnel for
three years. I returned and was placed in directly charge
of the 23 men, and indirectly in charge of the 75 men in
the compound. First thing, they started challenging my
authority on day one. Unlike those who used the authority
of their rank, I dealt with the situation just a bit
differently.
I took the most senior folks in and put them charge, and
made them accountable. Next, come that thursday, we had
field day (general cleanup for inspection the next day).
First thing I did, was to go in and start scrubbing toilets,
without saying anything to anyone. Normally, only a few
men are picked to go clean the restroom. Soon, I had
30 men who volunteered themselves to help out, and next
thing I know, they are telling me I shouldn't be doing this.
My response? "If I am not willing to do a task, be it however
meager, how can I ask you to do the same?" I just went and
started accomplishing other things that needed to be cleaned
up, such as washing walls, stripping and re-waxing the deck,
painting items that had paint worn off, so on and so on.
The next thing that occurred was that I was having a very
hard time finding things that needed to be done, as my men
began taking the initiative on their own. The next day, the
Major came down and gathered the men and told us that in his
two years, he had never seen the place look anything close to
what it did. The men had a sense of accomplishment and pride
in their work.
Week 3- I noticed that the physical fitness levels were not
where they should be, or at least where I felt they should be.
I institued mandatory physical training. I started hearing
some backlash and such. So, instead of tennis shoes, I wore
combat boots, cartridge belt, first aid kit, two canteens,
and a flak jacket as we did the physical training. Those guys
that complained quieted down, as they watched my example. Soon
thereafter, several of the men did the same. Before I know it,
everyone is doing the same. Our SgtMajor calls up, along with
the Major, as they have heard from other commands who were quite
motivated by what they were seeing, and the call was about what
I was doing with my men, and if I was forcing this on them.
Nope, I said, they are doing this of their own accord, we stared
in nylon shorts and tennis shoes. Later we had inspections, and
as the men felt better about themselves, they took better care
of their uniforms, ate better, got haircuts better than the regs,
and worked even harder.
I was assigned a young man who was a "dirt bag", and had been
one for at least three years, and was known to be a major problem
for everyone. So I spent a alot of time working with him, and
asking him his opinion as we troubleshot different problems. Nope,
knowledge/skill was not the problem. Turned out that he was a rebel
who had a hard time interfacing. So I gave him some responsibility,
showed him the basics, taught him where to go and how to teach himself.
And I held him accountable and let him stumble on his own. Over time,
he realized the program was his, and it was a personal reflection of
his character. Next thing I know, he is working on Saturday (when he
was usually on the beach chasing girls), and the program was soon
what it had never been before, and he received a outstanding evaluation
during the audits of his program. I rewarded him for his efforts and
even gave him a few days off for the extra time and effort he put in.
He turned out to be one of our best men.
Just a few very simple examples.
When I left, I was credited for increasing production by 30%,
and reducing the returns by over 75%, increasing the morale and
motivation of my men, increasing the skill level and knowledge of
my men, producing men who were ready to take responsibility of the
next higher rank, setting the example for all others in the commmand,
and increasing the physical fitness and readiness of my Marines.
Good luck in the pursuit of your hopes and dreams of the future.
Semper Fidelis,
Douglas Leeper
SGT USMC
1986-1998