During Captain Sobel’s training of the 506th PIR, he showed character flaws, which lead his company to hate him and respect his rank but not his person. He was hated so much that “Easy Company’s junior officers found they simply could not emulate the image of Sobel and live with himself.” As an officer in the United States Army, one is charged with leading soldiers, this is no simple task and comes with its fair share of difficulties. The difficulty of this task is no excuse for reckless behavior nor is it an excuse for overbearing standards. An officer should expect the best from his soldiers, but one must not act in a way that Sobel did by expecting the impossible. A way in which one prevents this from happening is clear communication with the chain of command and self-discipline. An officer must possess the self-discipline and self-regulation when he is dealing with anyone, especially his own soldiers. It is very important to set a maintainable bar for his soldiers to reach, and only when there is a clear deviance from these standards should an officer take action. …show more content…
LT. Winters is an example of an officer with achievable yet high standards, he emulates this through his leadership style of doing by being a good subordinate while providing constructive criticism to his subordinates. This is evident when he reprimands one of his soldiers who was gambling with enlisted soldiers. He provides a clear reason as to why it is not okay to do this, that is because “you should never take anything from them.” and he is able to get his point across without an unrealistic
An inherent ability to balance these attributes is shown by Captain Winters whilst in the midst of the action building up to the Battle of the Bulge. However as delineated by General Powell above, leadership is not a selectively permeable membrane in which input and results flow in one direction; for the actions of ones followers directly affect and illustrate the effectiveness of the leadership being shown. Similarly, just as followers affect the leadership dynamic so does the environment and context in which it takes place. Throughout the events displayed in “Band of Brothers: Crossroads” Captain Winters proves to be an efficient, dynamic and mature leader.
On Wednesday, 28 February 2015, I was given instructions and failed to do so by taking initiative and went to talk to my Platoon Sergeant SFC Taylor. I understand my mistakes and what they can cause that is why I am writing this essay about the importance of following order, with emphasis on how it applies to our unit and our specialty. Failing to follow instructions, no matter who delivers them or how trivial they may be considered to be, to anyone, is a serious offense and I understand that it will not be tolerated. My actions and example have a negative effect on unit morale and discipline and threaten the
Furthermore, many times there are questions of what type of characteristics makes a good leader and how do one successfully achieve the rank of general. In the book, Nineteen Stars: A Study in Military Character and in Leadership by Edgar F. Puryear, Jr., the author interviews four generals and their perspectives of their styles of leadership. The four men in which the author interviews are General of the Army George C. Marshall, General of the Army Dougals MacArthur, General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, and General of the Army George S. Patton, Jr. These men give their views from different stages within their careers. It is noted that every officer experiences different phases of setback within their careers. The purpose of this book report is to show how character and leadership evolved within the
As a senior NCO, SFC Davis’ ability to lead, develop and achieve contributed to my personal growth as an NCO by forcing me to acknowledge that I am a Soldier first and foremost. For example, I did not immediately appreciate the importance of a high PT score or weapons qualification. SFC Davis understood that these basic Soldier tasks were the bedrock of credibility when it came to dealing with infantrymen who viewed these shortcomings as another reason intelligence Soldiers belonged “in the rear with the gear.” He put a lot of hours into PMI and remedial PT, but at the end of the day he got us there. He got results. And I was proud to wear an expert marksmanship badge and PT badge on my uniforms. I saw how rare these accomplishments were among the rest of Soldiers on the US Army Alaska (USARAK) staff and HHD. This helped foster a positive climate in the G2 shop. We felt like we were the best section, and I made sure new Soldiers filling the ranks of this newly formed DISE knew the standard.
This paper will be on the case study of Sergeant George Welsh. We will look at how I would have handled this situation if I was the supervisor in charge. This paper will cover the major motivational techniques that I could use and the basic need that drives each officer. It will also assess my management style. It will also go over if my level of formal education, or the education of the officers will become an obstacle for me.
The book Black Hearts opened my eyes to how leadership from a single Officer can have a grappling effect on such a wide range of soldiers from the lowest of ranks. One of the best takeaways from Black Hearts is to never do anything: illegal, unethical, or immoral. Although this is a easy statement to repeat, Black Hearts demonstrates the difficulties that lie behind these words. It has also painted a picture of how leadership can topple extremely quickly from a top down view. The Army is portrayed in a bad light throughout the book relentlessly. This is due to the concentration of poor leadership of the 1-502nd Regiment (Referred to as “First Strike”), a battalion of the 101st Airborne Division.
For the military leader, the maintenance of good order and discipline is essential for a military force to be effective. An undisciplined military force is a losing one (Hoversten). General Robert E. Lee was one of the greatest military leaders of all time and was firm when it came to discipline. It was important to him that his soldiers understood that, in addition to efficiency, discipline guaranteed a solder’s safety; that if his forces did not prepare themselves for war when they had a chance, they would pay dearly (McBride). Discipline can be best defined as “a state of training, resulting in orderly conduct.” (McBride). This “state of training” must be achieved as well as maintained during peacetime so
To learn can mean to obtain some kind of skill by study, reflection or repeated action. In my first assignment as a Sergeant in his Majesty the Kings Guard, I was still in a very early phase of my military career, with only one year at sergeant school in my backpack. The lessons I learned this first year are many and varied. The purpose of this paper is to discuss three lessons I learned regarding leadership during this time. To face a problem although it hurts, gaining respect and commitment by including my soldiers in decision-making, and gaining discipline by being professional, are lessons that have followed me since my first year as a leader.
By reflecting on leadership techniques and methods exhibited throughout history, a more "situational" soldier can emerge, ideally being able to: analyze a given situation, potentially compare it to any knowledge of prior situations that might be parallel in nature, and respond to it appropriately and concisely with a vast arsenal of leadership experience. In this way, qualities of character and competence become reinforced over a large spectrum of individuals within the military. The many leadership traits that George Washington has since been renowned and celebrated for are becoming standardly indoctrinated in our current generation of servicemen and women (ADRP 6-22, 2012; Harvey,
A leader unwilling to sacrifice individual goals for the good of the unit cannot convince other unit members to do so. The mission suffers with potentially devastating effects. While personal goals often coincide with Army goals, there is no room for personal agendas at the expense of the institution or the American people. It is a standard in the hierarchy of military customs and courtesies that the leader must display to his subordinates that he is willing to put in extra effort, sacrifice personal time, and show initiative and motivation in order to achieve the same from his Soldiers.
As a career Soldier and Senior NCO you have the incredible opportunity to influence a great amount of Soldiers as they serve our country. What you do each day while wearing the uniform builds your legacy as an Army Leader. You can be remembered as a toxic leader or you can build a legacy that will have a positive impact on your generation and generations of Soldiers after you leave the military. The purpose of this paper is to identify 1SG Blake Beasley who had a profound impact on my growth of leadership abilities and individual Soldier skills through his impeccable character, presence, and commitment to standards. 1SG Beasley’s attributes and competencies have greatly contributed to my personal growth as an Army Leader, the Army and NCO Corps, and have helped me discover the legacy that I would like to leave behind for my Soldiers. The legacy I will leave puts Soldiers first and takes care of them but always holds them to the standard.
In conclusion, it was great to see my “the beliefs, values, and principles”, my philosophy, align up with two very respectable military leaders that I highly regard. As I prepare for command, I have identify strengths and weakness that I will capitalize and improvements upon. Strengths include, Willpower (I’m self driven), I am a team developer, I like to surround myself with wise mentors and advisors, and I like to empower my young leaders. Weakness on the other hand; I scrutinized myself way too hard. I don’t always take “constructive criticism”. I like “feedback”, but unfortunately, “constructive criticism” entails unprofessional tune and delivery – and I have a short fuse. I have had to learn the hard way to control my frustration and counter-delivery.
As a father, husband, and a senior Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) within the United States Army, I have long been regarded by my family and friends as being a protector, and an instiller of standards and discipline. Never had I envisioned myself as a leader, nonetheless, a decorated combat veteran, but this was an image that was bestowed upon me after having served four combat deployments and sixteen years of active duty service. After enlisting in the Army May 10th, 2000, it quickly became apparent that
Society’s expectation of military officers are demanding, and I intend to meet and exceed those expectations. The most important
Time after time, Colonel Shaw fights on behalf of his men. He observes, seeks counsel, is decisive, and takes bold risks in doing what is right and rejecting what is expedient. These are qualities which speak to his strength of character and elevate him beyond his rank or responsibility in the eyes of those he commands. He does not manage or direct … he leads. And it is these same qualities that I have observed and experienced in those who have not only been my manager, but also a leader.