Upon reading this article, I identified three leadership qualities, mentioned in the article, that I believed to be particularly important. The first quality was to “Know your men, and be constantly on the alert for potential leaders - you never know how soon you may need them”. As platoon leaders, our interaction with the lower rank enlisted soldiers will be limited. Thus, it is important that we have strong and capable enlisted leaders below us, that ensure our orders and instructions are aptly carried out. Thus, when we first arrive at our unit, it is key to identify that Private First Class, Specialist or Sergeant who is going above and beyond his/her duties. Such individuals should be placed on an accelerated track for promotion and placed in vital platoon leadership positions. That way, in combat, if a casualty situation arises, the chain of command is sound.
“Personal contact between a leader and his men” is also an important quality to have. In my National Guard Drills, my platoon leader often emphasizes the first week of interactions a new officer will have with his men. He told us that it is vital for us to establish firm relationships with our men at that time. He suggested that we meet with the soldiers in the platoon once during the first few weeks at our unit in order to get to know them and their situation while also informing them of our standards and expectations. By having maintaining personal contact with those under our command, an officer demonstrates respect and concern for his men, which in turn will be reciprocated.
The final quality I found important was not to “overdo example leadership”. As the article states, a leader's primary job is to delegate. They are there to bring together various assets of the team in order to complete the mission. In attempt to “show off”, if an officer engages in performing duties he is not responsible for, then this becomes an expectation of the platoon. A good leaders is able to delegate...