@chris_s – have you listened to our very own Leaders Huddle?

Leaders Huddle is on iTunes and also on the Google Play podcast platform.

As an NCO for close to 10 years and then an officer for 16 more, here is my take:

1.  As @Lucas.v.hobbs mentions, as an NCO I wanted to be “friends” with my lieutenant/captain but to me that meant having a friendly/joking working relationship.  I did not expect to be friends that went to dinner together or spent time at each other’s house.  I jus…[Read more]

Dallas,
I believe your response appeared at the bottom because you “quoted” the reply you responded to rather than “replied.” I know that sounds odd but that’s what appears to be happening. When I press “reply” to a sub-reply, the reply box opens directly under the one I’m responding to, however, if I press “quote”, I’m taken all the way to the…[Read more]

Mike,

Welcome to the Team!

Tom

Let’s use 2014-2018 as an example…I am a senior director of an 800+ member private firm, relatively well compensated, and have my own business line as well as being the project management office. My firm relies on me for new business as well as my managing of the teams we assemble for programs. My firm bills for my time, so any period for…[Read more]

I read Pete’s article and have had some time to think about it. I have seen the loyalty to the boss get in the way of what loyalty is supposed to be here in the National Guard for years, and thought it a function of the close ties we have and the closed loop system of promotions and assignments that exist in a small state, but now that I am…[Read more]

Just a quick read at that…why is this a “capable” instead of an “unsatisfactory”.  Requiring supervision/mentoring/coaching=capable.  Leader that shirks responsibility=unsat.

Yes, I’ve given 2 capable, and 1 unsatisfactory OER to LTs under my command.

I would talk to the senior rater on this one. Discuss the background, what counseling (…[Read more]

As much as I would like to believe that some of the sexier options like a cool new weapon, or a buzzword laden tome that supersedes a previously buzzword laden tome that describes the way we think we should fight today, much of my distraction, effort, and time as a commander was directed towards working distractions out of the way of my Soldiers,…[Read more]

When a Soldier or officer has honorably reached the end of their initial term of service, I believe we need to thank them for doing their part, ensure that they have some type of plan for post army life, and offer to help them in any way possible.

Different posts have different issues – some based on location and some based on leadership, etc -…[Read more]

I found that I understood the things I needed to do, I just couldn’t figure out an optimal battle rhythm in which to get them all accomplished.  My lack of knowledge on how to manage my time was a huge distractor for me.

A couple things I do/have done:

Visit posts at off hours to have time to just talk to my Soldiers, and do same with my attachments.

Buy ice cream and take it to posts (always bring enough for the local nationals, though!!!)

Develop competitions at the individual/team/squad/platoon level and purchase some unit and individual awards to go along…[Read more]

Brock, I tackle each of these based on who is offering the opinion.  Sometimes it’s a flat “you’re wrong, and here’s why”, sometimes a “thank you” where I just move on smartly, and at others I work to change the system (most often when it is someone in my rating chain offering the opinion).

I had a battalion commander recommend that I maneuver…[Read more]

Michael,

Not sure if there’s one in the 173d Commander’s Smartbook but you might find some other useful things in there:  173rd IBCT Smartbook

Tom