Leader Development in the Texas State Guard

From the desk of CSM Thompson:

Good afternoon. It is time for another of my periodic leadership rants. Today’s topic is leader development, and specifically enlisted leader development.

NCOs are the backbone of any organization, whether it’s the Army or the Texas State Guard. We lead the way. We take the commander’s intent and turn it into results. We are the leaders, the boots on the ground. NCOs make things happen while the officers take more of a managerial role in the organization.

Leaders are not born, they are made. A person can have the natural attributes; like the ability to speak well, confidence and charisma. Those attributes must be honed. This is done through training and experience. A leader with no training might think they are doing the right thing, but it could backfire on them. The same goes for an inexperienced leader. The situation may call for a light touch, but because they may have not been in a similar situation previously they could come down harder than necessary. With time and experience, a leader can learn to read the situation and take appropriate action. In all leadership, whether civilian or military, it is important to ensure that the people are trained the right way.

Civilians seem to think that the military is all about “blind obedience”. Nothing is farther than the truth. One of the primary reasons for the United States military’s wartime victories is because our troops are taught to think for themselves at the lowest level possible. While the “Commander’s Intent” covers a broad set of objectives, latitude is given to subordinate commanders and NCOs as to how the job is going to be accomplished. In the TXSG, a Private on a POD should be able to make adjustments based on what is happening at the time, as long as it falls under mission parameters, without requesting permission to make those changes. This is known as decentralized command and it should happen at the lowest levels. We need to empower our junior enlisted with the ability to make these decisions and not worry about “getting chewed out” by their chain of command.

This is where leadership development comes in. Every single person in the Texas State Guard has the ability to be a leader. We start developing our troops from the beginning. At BOT, certain troops are put in leadership positions during the training. When back at their home units, our Privates and PFCs should be given the opportunity to lead small projects as a way to assess their abilities and potential. NCOs then need to start the development process. The question becomes; what does that development look like and what constitutes leadership training? Leadership development and training comes in many forms. It can take the form of classroom leadership training, such as NCO Academies and Professional Development classes. In these courses students learn leadership theories, principles and practices. These classes allow the students to improve on skills such as conducting drill and ceremonies and personnel inspections. They also learn about regulations, instructions and policies and are instructed as to where these documents can be found.

Other forms of leadership training that can be very effective are “hip pocket” training and Sergeant’s time. These can be formal or informal and sometimes can be conducted during unexpected “gaps” in the training schedule. One example of this type of training is to review case studies of historical events and then discuss leadership decisions made during the event. One of my favorite leadership classes has been to watch scenes from the movie “12 O’clock High” and then analyze and discuss the leadership styles and interactions in the movie. I have done this in both military and law enforcement leadership training courses over the last 40 years. Class interactions are always lively and informative. Leaders should make an effort to build sergeant’s time into each drill.

Scenario based training is another effective form of training. In leadership scenarios, troops are presented with a situation in a controlled environment. They then have the opportunity to work through the situation with an experienced leader acting as a facilitator. The facilitator does not tell the student what to do, but helps to guide them in the right direction. The goal is to get the student to make whatever mistakes they might make there. The place for failure is in training. When they fail in training, they can learn from those mistakes, reset, correct them and form positive mental pathways. By going through this process they are less likely repeat them in a “real world” situation. Unlike sergeant’s time instruction or “hip pocket” training, scenario based training may take more time and resources to conduct, but the results are worth it.

I believe one of the best methods of leadership development is passive. It is what is known as “leadership by example” and only requires us to do what we do daily. Leaders are always being scrutinized. Whether in uniform or not; on or off duty, people watch what we do and how we do it. Many troops look at their chain of command and emulate what they see. If they see a supportive and nurturing NCO that has their best interests in mind, that is what they will strive to become. The morale in units with this kind of leadership will be high and there will be a sense of espirit de corps. The troops will willingly do the hard jobs because they know their leadership is doing everything they can to ensure they are being taken care of. Conversely, if they have an overaggressive, overbearing NCO, it can go either way. While some will believe that is the right way to do things and will take on the persona, others will immediately identify this person as someone they do not want to be like. The goal is to be the first type of NCO.

Our jobs as NCOs is to ensure our Service Members know “what right looks like” from the very beginning. Leadership development begins with our recruiters, RTU Cadre and BOT instructors. They are the tip of the spear. They should be the best trained, and most militarily disciplined troops we have to offer. They are the first role models for our new troops. Squad leaders, platoon sergeants and first sergeants are our next line of defense. Every leader should instill the Army Values in their troops and most of the time they do this by being themselves.

Good leaders never quit learning. Whenever you have the opportunity to attend courses offering new leadership theories, techniques or practices, take them. Learn what you can, utilize what is effective for you and pass that information on to the next generation. We always need to remember that we are training our replacements. The future of the Texas State Guard depends on what we develop now. The video attached to this post discusses why leader development is important. Even though the TXSG does not train for warfighting, these concepts are just as important in our humanitarian mission.

In closing, we all need to remember three things as we continue this ongoing journey we call leadership development. First, as leaders we are not in it for ourselves. It’s about the people of the state of Texas, our Service Members and the organization. If we have any other agenda, it’s a foul. Second, as I always say….KEEP YOUR DAMN EGO OUT OF IT. Leadership decisions should be made from the point of detached objectivity. Take a step back, remove yourself from the situation and analyze it. Then make an informed decision and carry it out. Decisions made as emotional kneejerk reactions are almost always bad. Finally, I will end this leadership rant with the leadership my father gave me years ago. MISSION, MEMBERS, ME!!!!!

Thank you for your time.