Over the past few weeks we re-ran #BranchSeries that originally published last summer (2018). Each post was unique in its own way and highlighted the individual leader’s, purposefully focused and tailored, take on their branch. Every branch, in the original series, was accompanied by an interview with a senior officer at the U.S. Army War College by Lopez on Leadership. While #BranchSeries intentionally focused on each branch as separate from the whole, there were some clear trends. Here is a look at a few expectations of a junior leader that transcend any one individual branch.
It’s a Team Sport
Ok, so we gave the first one away in the introduction. Consider it a freebee for all those who don’t read past the lede. This is perhaps the most important lesson for a junior leader. In a series purposefully designed to pit one branch against another, because that’s what you’re asked to do when you have to rank them in your preference sheet, it is amazing that this lesson still shined through. Even the viral and contentious Infantry #BranchSeries post emphasized this; “All branches are critical to the mission and we truly are ONE team that couldn’t do it without the whole.”
Branch rivalries and smack-talk are fun, can promote pride, and build esprit de corps within our tribal cultures. But that has its limits. We can’t forget that we are all small parts of the whole and need each other to accomplish the mission. Consider the beauty and synchronicity of a combined arms breach. To accomplish this task, it truly takes a unit that is more than just the sum of its parts. From the AG admin clerk processing actions for replacements and the logistics team providing resupply, to the engineers and tanks conducting a SOSRA drill for the infantry to assault the objective…the mission requires the whole team. And one constant through all those parts of the team is leadership.
Leadership
Our profession hinges on leadership, no matter the job or the task. Alberto Rios captured the spirit of this in his Chemical Corps #BranchSeries post:
“The best leaders lead by example. They create a climate of authenticity and teamwork. Leaders value each individual, but prioritize the collective. They operationalize their unit and balance intense training with family time and recovery. Finally, leaders encourage creative thinking and use mistakes as teachable moments to develop confidence.”
Notice Alberto didn’t say, “leadership in the chemical corps.” Every branch in the profession of arms requires dedicated leaders and great leadership. As Nina Washington wrote, in her AG #BranchSeries post, “if you take care of your soldiers, they will take care of you.” Regardless of your branch, you are entrusted with the leadership of your soldiers–which brings us to my last point.
They Deserve Your All
Ranger Class 04-19 conducting a waterborne insertion onto Santa Rosa Island.
Your soldiers deserve your 100%. We don’t expect junior leaders to enter the profession fully committed to make a career (20 years) of it. Hell, I don’t expect a senior captain to commit to going 20 years. But, we should all expect our leaders to commit to today with their 100%. Giving your soldiers your all isn’t about making them your entire life, but it is about giving them 100% of your effort in the moment. While you are in uniform, whether that is four years or twenty-four years, remember that this is the profession of arms not the job of arms. Hustle with all you’ve got until you hang it up.
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So congratulations, you’ve received your branch or recently commissioned. Maybe you got your first choice…maybe you didn’t. Either way, the soldiers and noncommissioned officers you will soon lead deserve the very best leadership. They don’t know, nor do they care, about where you ranked in your ROTC, USMA, or OCS class. But they do expect you to come prepared to lead them on day one. What are you doing today to prepare for that responsibility?
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