In a 21st-century leadership environment that is dominated by technological advancements, communication between noncommissioned officers and their soldiers is easier today than it’s ever been. Compounding this ease of communication with the United States Army’s long-standing philosophy of standardization, today’s leadership environment has created quite the conundrum for the new era of NCOs. Though the Army’s workplaces are dominated by multiple levels of structure, it is essential for NCOs to understand that the key to effectively developing their Soldiers is individualized leadership.
Leadership is dynamic and ever-changing
Every day in the Army, there is an NCO sitting at a computer utilizing their most faithful tool, the Developmental Counseling Form, DA 4856. The DA 4856 is the primary means of official communication between NCOs and their Soldiers. The DA 4856 is the method by which NCOs establish standards, address issues and concerns, correct deficiencies, sustain behaviors, set and track goals, and develop their soldiers through countless situations and scenarios. When NCOs place an emphasis on uniquely engaging each of their followers with individualized plans of action, they can exploit the most excessive commodity within our Army; their Soldier’s ambition and potential.
Copy and paste leadership occurs when NCOs take a blanket approach to leadership. Instead of investing their time, energy, and focus on creating individualized plans of action, they cut corners and implement the same techniques and practices for every Soldier, regardless of the internal or external variables. A common example is the Failure to Report (FTR) counseling, where most plans of action assign an earlier report time, rather than attempting to resolve the root cause of the deficiency.
Transformational leaders, not transitional leaders.
Copy and paste leadership is enticing because it saves the NCO valuable resources; primarily their time, energy, and focus. This exchange comes with a sacrifice, as it restricts their Soldier’s productivity and efficiency. A one size fits all approach will often be more appealing than an invested one, but NCOs must resist the urge to take shortcuts in their leadership process. When an NCO applies a copy and paste approach, they are depriving their Soldiers of the outstanding leadership that they deserve. This style also spreads ineffective practices to our future NCOs.
Leadership represents an individual’s ability to influence others and create change. Many NCOs have the right intentions, but standardization may be limiting their leadership range and effectiveness. When writing a developmental counseling, NCOs must leverage their experience, expertise, and creativity and produce an individualized plan of action. The counseling should be an extension and formalization of conversations and interactions that the NCO has already had with their soldier. Counseling should never be a surprise, and in conducting the session, it should enable a two-way conversation that shares information and creates a mutual understanding. NCOs must take ownership of developmental counseling and strive to individualize methods on a consistent basis.
The words of a noncommissioned officer should have meaning. When these words are simply copied and pasted, what are you really telling your soldiers?
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