US Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus Fichtl
By presidential appointment and congressional approval, the commissioned officer corps of the United States military serves as the principal leadership cadre of the armed forces. The duties of small unit leaders are often delegated to non-commissioned officers, but the ultimate responsibility of mission accomplishment or failure always rests with the commissioned commander.
For young lieutenants, this reality is often misunderstood. By their commission, they are expected to lead from the moment they are bestowed with their gold bars. Yet that responsibility is often clouded by sound bites such as “listen to your NCOs” or “you can’t spell lost without LT.”
Yes, listening to one’s noncommissioned officers is the right and smart thing to do when it comes to technical and tactical experience. However, when it comes to understanding mission objectives and task prioritization, the officer should seek guidance from their immediate supervisor. He or she has been in the lieutenant’s position, and the objectives the officer is trying to achieve were assigned by the supervisor. Coming to a clear understanding of the mission, key tasks and desired end-state assigned is the most import part of Troop Leading Procedures (TLPs) or the Military Decision-Making Process (MDMP). All the planning in the world will fail you if leaders do not clearly understand what they are being ordered to do.
In the case of platoon-level missions, a platoon leader and platoon sergeant should counsel together behind closed doors. Each has their role in mission planning and accomplishment. The platoon leader must understand the company commander’s intent and desired end-state as well as communicate their own to the platoon sergeant, who assists the platoon leader in conducting TLPs to analyze the mission and make recommendations for mission success. After considering the opinions and recommendations of subordinates, the officer decides and take ownership of the plan. Once the plan is set, the officer should be the one to brief it to both superiors and subordinates. This concept also applies to officers in staff positions who have subordinates working for them on a project.
The nature of the Officer’s Commission requires even the most junior second lieutenant to oversee Soldiers and senior NCOs. Therefore, an officer’s place must be is in the front, briefing, answering questions, and leading the way. An officer should never give away their authority, because once they do, they will never get it back. Moreover, one cannot give away their responsibility, and being responsible while being without authority is a dangerous place to find oneself.
Once planning and preparation are complete, officers are responsible for giving the order to execute the plan, supervising implementation, and adjusting as issues arise. The officer in charge is expected to be present throughout the operation. It is not enough to plan the field problem — reschedule that dentist appointment and lead the team!
“Leadership is more than knowing where you are, where you want to go, and how you are going to get there. Leading includes inspiring others to take the journey with you. All officers are leaders, regardless of duty position. You must be ready to make decisions, move the mission forward, and lead by example. Great leaders never ask a subordinate to make a sacrifice that he or she is not willing to make. If we hold ourselves to the same standard that we hold our Soldiers, they will strive to meet or exceed that standard.”
Soldiers and NCOs in your unit are watching. They watch to see how leaders react in stressful situations. They watch to see if leaders will make the hard right choice over the easy wrong. They are watching to see if they can trust the leader to keep their word. Trust takes a long time to earn and a short time to lose. The most valuable asset a commissioned officer has is their integrity. Officers, especially those in command positions, have no “personal” life. They are judged for everything they do, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. An officer who drinks too much is telling their Soldiers it’s OK to do the same. A commander who is disrespectful to others gives those under their command permission to do the same. The leader must be an example of “what right always looks like.” If that sounds like a lot of responsibility, it is.
The Army is the greatest job there is, but sometimes it is terrible. Soldiers work long hours, spend days, weeks, and months away from home, training in the rain, and fighting in the mud and dust. They operate on very little sleep and crappy food. Other challenges are less dramatic; PowerPoint is tedious, the motor pool doesn’t sweep itself and the barracks never stay clean. These are just some of the hardships Soldiers endure. How leaders choose to face those hardships will make a significant difference to subordinates. Officers and senior NCOs should use a smile and use their rank help Soldiers have a better day. For example, if there is no reason to keep Soldiers at work, send them home after lunch occasionally. Remember that a pat on the back or a corny joke can work wonders in a tense situation.
Officers, especially junior officers, are going to screw up. That is not only okay but expected from time to time. Field grade leaders should help pick them up and learn from it. Honest mistakes are usually forgiven so long as one does not compromise their integrity or use rank for personal gain. Officers should remember that the commission is bigger than any single officer; it represents the special trust and confidence the American people have in our Armed Forces.
This is the first in an eight-part series by Major Nathan Player on “The Eight Essential Characteristics of Officership,” an original article written by Player and published by The Field Grade Leader here. This and subsequent essays are aimed at junior officers, but the principles remain the same and may be applied at many levels. Player believes ours is the science of leading people, including individuals, small teams, organizations, and institutions. This essay highlights the first of Player’s essential characteristics of officership – Lead.
Major Nathan Player is currently a student at the Superior School of War in Bogota Colombia. He is assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg following graduation. He has 13 years of combined enlisted and officer service, has commanded at the O3 Level, and served in various joint staff and professional education assignments.