Leader Development

The One Question That Every Leader Should Ask

Bigger Sibling’s Advice for Post-Platoon Leader Life

As I prepared to move across the hallway and take over as our company’s Executive Officer (“XO”), I was sick-to-my-stomach nervous. Sure, I had been reasonably successful as a Platoon Leader, but what on earth did I know about running a company? It wasn’t like I had my hand held as a Platoon Leader (“PL”), but the XO sure did an awful lot on our behalf.

Whether we were getting ready for the field, preparing to support a sister company, or scrambling to get out the door for a prepare-to-deploy mission set, the XO always seemed to have the right answer tucked up their sleeve. Could I really live up to that?

Like most things in life, it just took some time, a few stumbles along the way, and a ton of support from great teammates before I found my groove. For those of you experiencing those familiar nerve-wracking feelings as you prepare to move from your platoon to the company level, here are five bits of advice that worked wonders for me.

Behind the Camera: The Purpose of Unit Public Affairs

By Haylee Gagnon 

Taking the job as the Unit Public Affairs Officer (PAO) and Battalion Adjutant is not what every Infantry Officer prepares for. Trading in my ruck for a camera was terrifying for the simple fact that I wouldn’t be doing what an Infantry Officer, in my mind, should be doing. How am I supposed to run social media accounts and display the Regiment’s image to our following if I barely have social media myself? I am not trained as a photographer, so how will I take quality enough pictures to display our training? 

I am not a social media expert. I am not professionally trained in Public Affairs. However, I was tasked with handling our battalion’s social media. While I was scared as I waded into the unknown, working as my Battalion’s PAO has been both a great job for my development and an impactful experience. Each day I go to work with the opportunity to shape the experience of those in our battalion, their families, and potential recruits. Public affairs are the voice, the expression of our culture, the entity that allows for the sharing of our courage and showcasing the Army’s greatest asset: our people.

Culture 

Confessions of a Fixed-Mindset Leader

By Brandon Frei

“I have not failed once… When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”       -Thomas Edison

The Army I grew up in was full of leaders who were rewarded for accomplishing the mission at the expense of unit morale. 

I once had an S3 who would go berserk when upset. He was known for clearing tables and throwing phones. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel because our commander cared more about the results he achieved than the toxic environment he created. 

I also had a leader who refused to accept an outstanding officer as his XO because that officer did not have a Ranger tab. That same leader would torpedo people’s career once he perceived they were underperforming or had limited potential. 

These poor leaders, I‘ve come to see, shared one thing in common: a fixed mindset. Unfortunately, their behaviors had long influenced me more than I realized. Recently, the Army has adopted policies to transform its fixed-minded culture. I found inspiration in these initiatives, as well as Dr. Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset the New Psychology of Success. I am applying these concepts into my leader philosophy to undo what I learned from fixed leaders. You can do it too. It is never too late to shed your fixed mindset and adopt growth-minded practices. 

Your Biggest Barrier to Clear Thinking Under Stress: Bolstering

By Jared Massie

Stress can be a double-edged sword for leaders. It can heighten awareness and prompt decisive actions, but too much has the potential to paralyze, cloud judgment, and impede logical reasoning. When our stressors seem too weighty for us to bear, can’t it lead us to feel hopeless? As if our cause is lost or our leadership is failing? 

The 1977 book Decision Making: A Psychological Analysis of Conflict, Choice, and Commitment details how we make decisions. A key takeaway is that we naturally seek to reduce anxiety and conflict when making stressful decisions. Tough decisions typically bring some degree of internal conflict, so we tend to seek ways to make that hard decision easier to manage. This makes us want to make leadership decisions based more on our emotions than logical reasoning. Making decisions that are affirming and comfortable, specifically when stressed, actually serves our self-interests—a concept known as bolstering. 

Soldiers With Stripes: A Perspective On Junior NCOs

By James Duncan

Recently, I engaged a trusted squad leader for some much-needed feedback. I wanted to know his perspective on the state of the company: what are we doing well and where do we need a course correction? After several minutes, the NCO steered the conversation in a direction that really struck me. 

When describing the landscape of junior NCOs across our military police formation, he said that an alarming number of team leaders are simply playing the part of a leader instead of truly carrying themselves as one. From what he has witnessed, “Soldiers with stripes” are being put into leadership positions without the tools to properly coach and mentor our young Soldiers. 

His observations mirror my own. Our sergeants, the most critical leaders in the formation, have consistently demonstrated that most do not possess the experience, technical expertise, support system, or mindset to perform at a high level or prepare our Soldiers for professional excellence.

Identifying Bias in Your Workplace? Read Kim Scott’s Just Work

by Aidan Looney

As a West Point Cadet, I often hear that the academy is a leadership laboratory. Cadets are given the space and opportunities to experiment in leadership and learn how they want to lead before going out to the operational Army. 

In this leadership laboratory, I had several formative experiences both as a trainee and a trainer in West Point’s version of basic training. Afterwards, a mentor recommended I read Kim Scott’s Just Work: Get Shit Done Fast and Fair. Reading this book helped me organize my thoughts on building a cohesive and effective team. From it I learned a great deal about creating more equitable work environments by working to eliminate bias, prejudice, and bullying in the units I lead at West Point. 

In Just Work, Scott provides a practical guide on how to create a more just working environment through identifying workplace harm, taking personal responsibility to address it, and understanding what happens to the workplace culture when harm is left unaddressed. While her book is directed toward the corporate setting, it is still very applicable in all leadership settings, especially in the military.