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.Â
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.Â
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.