“The day the soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” – Colin Powell
The following are a few questions that leaders and cadets should be asking themselves candidly and critically. We owe it to the Army, its soldiers, and the nation to be introspective, especially considering that we are looked to as examples of American virtue. This is particularly true at times of high social tension, specifically regarding today’s discussions about race.
First, why should this matter to me?
This month has seen global focus on racial injustice and systemic racism. Organizations of all sizes and in all sectors have taken clear positions against racial inequality with statements promoting diversity, engaging in conversations about racism, and listening to and learning from their communities. The Army is one of these organizations. The Army’s own official statement reaffirms that the Army Values and Equal Opportunity Program have no tolerance for racism and stress the importance for leaders at all levels to engage with their soldiers about these issues, rather than waiting for soldiers to initiate the conversation.1* The Army’s statement goes on to say “racial division erodes that [civil-military] trust”. Racial division does not just erode civil-military trust—it erodes trust within our ranks as well. Trust is the foundation to building strong teams, and strong teams win wars.
Next, how do I build trust within my unit?
Army Doctrine Publication (ADP) 6-0: Mission Command and APD 6-22: Army Leadership provide further detail about the importance of building and reinforcing trust. ADP 6-0 states, “Trust is gained or lost through everyday actions more than grand or occasional gestures.”2 Your daily actions build trust within your team. Talk to your soldiers. Get to know them, their families, and where they come from. Let their stories move and inspire you. It is important to approach these conversations without preconceived notions or assumptions. This connection is not a one-time thing or counseling session. It must be sustained by daily and weekly interactions.
Get to know your team while you are conducting maintenance on a vehicle. Invest time with them during lunch, at formation, during PT, or at chance encounters in the PX. Get to know what makes them unique, and what they bring to the unit that others might not. Learn their strengths and their struggles. Likewise, let your soldiers and leaders get to know you – your strengths, struggles, and stories. Be candid with them. Soldiers can sense a lack of authenticity from a mile away. To do this, you must also show up for your soldiers, in physical presence and through character. Collectively, diversity of identity, personality, skill, and ability will be the framework for your strength as a team. As a metal alloy is stronger than pure metal, so is your team when you embrace diversity and apply its inherent advantages.3
What can I do?
As a new leader, you are responsible for setting the climate in your unit. Your soldiers and non-commissioned officers need to know you care about more than just ‘EO violations are wrong’. They need to hear you say, explicitly, that equality and fairness are essential to trust within your team. Your team needs to understand, through your words, that racism, sexism, or prejudice of any kind is utterly unacceptable. They need to believe as you believe- service to this nation as a member of the US Army is what binds us together in a way that social divisions can’t break apart.
They also need to see it in your actions. The first time confronting a racist or sexist comment or joke can be intimidating – do it anyway. Do it again and again until it is second nature. Start now, don’t wait until commissioning. It might feel unnatural to correct others, be it peers, friends, or teachers, but living by the Army Values and having the personal courage to stamp out ignorance is part of what makes you a leader. This isn’t always easy. Some may ostracize you or regard you with hesitation and unease. But more often than not, those same people will see that you are willing to stand up and speak out about your values. And that strengthens trust. Your example will set the tone within your unit and beyond. Trust is built slowly but lost quickly when opportunities to act in the name of fairness are ignored. Trust is also quickly lost when you fail to follow up on commitments. Your actions, or inaction, might only impact one classmate or one soldier, but the effort is always worthwhile. Your choices set the tone for trust in your organization today, and chart the course for the kind of leader you will become tomorrow.
What about my campus and community?
Everything thus far equally applies within your commissioning source. You are without a doubt building trust in teams through the shared adversity of FTX’s, leadership labs, and summer training. You rotate through various leadership positions and plan and organize events. Building trust and strengthening teams is not something to wait to do “when I get to my next unit,” “when I have more rank,” “when my position is more significant,” or any other excuse. This applies to both within your organization and your community. Make the best of the community you are in or the team you are on while you are there. Don’t wait to start being a leader.
There are many ways to get involved in your campus or community, be it at home or school. Work with your cadre to set up partnership events or local volunteer opportunities. Maybe your school’s multi-cultural center or division of equality hosts monthly events that you can partner with or attend as a group of cadets and cadre to positively reinforce your program’s reputation and commitment to building trust in the community. Maybe you or your program has something to offer and can host an event. With summer training canceled, there might be some extra calendar time for individual volunteerism either on campus or at home. Maintaining partnership events with regular frequencies (quarterly, semi-annual, etc) not only strengthens your teams but it promotes civil-military trust. Even if you aren’t on campus due to travel or lockdown restrictions, get involved in the community you are in while you are there. Stewardship is one of five characteristics of the Army Profession. Be a good steward of your community and organization, no matter how long you are there, and leave them better than you found them.
Begin the conversation now.
If you want your program to have a conversation about racism, I encourage you to work with your cadre to prepare a structure: set ground rules that everyone is treated with dignity and respect that everyone is there to listen and learn, and prepare topics and questions in advance. I am not too proud to admit that my soldiers often have better ideas than I do, and if I created something without their input, it would be nowhere near as successful as it would be if we worked as a team. Racism, or any other problem, cannot be addressed individually. Building trust is not the only way to combat racial injustice, but it is an essential element. As a team, we are in this together. Sergeant Major of the Army Grinston’s campaign “this is my squad” promotes this exact sentiment. Together, we can start with building trust to set the foundation for a strong team. Building trust is not a one-time event. It takes time, effort, requires follow up, and will need to be built with every new unit, assignment, or move. Even as a cadet, to your community you are a leader and an example of American virtue. Speak up when you see opportunities to make it a more welcoming and diverse place, and watch it become better and stronger as a consequence. Ultimately, your commissioning source is your community—what have you given to it today?
1 U.S. Army, “A message to the Army community about civil unrest,” June 3, 2020, https://www.army.mil/article/236157?linkId=90054790
*If you have not read the statement made by our senior leaders, take a minute to read it.
2 U.S. Army, “ADP 6-0: Mission Command”, July 2019, https://fas.org/irp/doddir/army/adp6_0.pdf
3 Metal alloys are generally stronger than pure metal because they are made up of atoms of different sizes. Pure metals are made up of the same size atoms in layers, which can easily slide over each other. Alloys on the other hand, are made up of different sized atoms, which require greater force to slide over each other, generally increasing strength or capability. BBC, “Metals and Alloys,” n.d., https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z8db7p3/revision/2
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