Good questions;

How can you create a climate within your organizations where Soldiers can come forward without fear of reprisal?

1) Climate is created from day one when you come to a unit. Do I spend my time worrying about what others think, or am I focused on what is going on with my Soldiers? The number one thing that I personally lacked for many years, and have seen some leaders lack is an understanding of how important “self-care” is. Subordinates and Soldiers pick up on what we care about, and eventually start to care about it too. There is a time when caution must be thrown to the wind, and self-perseveration is deserted in order to save our fellow Soldiers whether in combat or in daily life. However, on a daily basis a good climate starts with how we treat ourselves, and those around us. Are we trying to be healthy, practicing good habits and behaviors, or are we trying to burn the candle on both ends even when it isn’t necessary? Do we know when to shut things down, and are we prioritizing what is really important in our lives? If we aren’t, then Soldiers won’t either. Are we genuinely concerned about their health and welfare, or are we more concerned with checking the block? Are we focused solely on meeting higher’s expectations and achieving some sort of ambitious goal that may or may not have anything to do with the readiness of our unit? Readiness starts and ends with the health and welfare of our unit.