NCO
CORNER
A few years ago several of us learned a humbling lesson that has stayed with me throughout my career. We were taught the value of letting soldiers do their jobs. It was a painful, embarrassing, and educational lesson.
Our 1SG saw that in some of the sections, the chiefs were the only ones giving orders within the sections. The junior leaders were not being given the opportunity to develop or practice their leadership skills. In a few sections, young leaders were afraid to take charge no matter how simple the task.
The unit had been deployed to the field for several weeks and was preparing to occupy a new tactical position in preparation for an intensive period of training that would begin in a couple of days. The 1SG told the battery commander that the time was right to show the senior leaders of the battery how they were developing their subordinate leaders.
As the battery began to occupy the position, the battery commander sent his driver to meet each section at the pickup point. His driver was told to direct each platoon sergeant, chief of section, and battery officer to immediately go to the top of a hill overlooking the new position where the commander and 1SG were seated. As we reached the top of the hill without telling us why, the 1SG told us to sit down and watch the occupation of the position. Everyone said that they didn't have time to sit and watch, that they should be pushing troops. The 1SG shook his head no and said that watching was more important.
From the hilltop, as we anticipated, we saw things were not happening the way they should. In one case, my case, nothing happened. Everyone in my section sat down and waited for me to come back and tell them what to do.
After 20 minutes of agony and frustration, the 1SG asked us what we saw. Some sections occupied the position as if the chief was there. Others, like mine, never started, much less finished. Those of us who had seen our sections give a less than a competent performance were anxious to get back and make things happen the way they were supposed to. The 1SG asked us to tell him why some of the sections had done well and others had not. Everyone except the 1SG agreed that it was because of our absence.
As we talked about what happened, we began to see that the real reason was that we had not trained our subordinate leaders to take charge in our absence. They were not being allowed to learn or practice the responsibility that was entrusted to them with their oath of promotion. What we all took away from that hot dusty hilltop was that we must train our subordinates to assume the responsibilities of their leaders at any time and without any warning. They must know what has to be done and how without being told.
For a leader to have the skill and confidence required in a critical situation, he or she must have had the chance to learn and practice leading soldiers. Leaders at all levels must prepare and teach their subordinates to take charge. Sometimes they may not get it right at first, but it is our responsibility to show them where they erred, help identify the correct way, and give them the opportunity to try it again until they get it right.
Table
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Fire
Support Planning
Editor's
Notes
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