Regimental Sergeant Major

Creation and documentation of leadership philosophy is not something one often thinks about without being asked. Prior to starting an endeavor like this, one should first try to fully understand the definition of leadership philosophy. Jon Mertz (2014) defines leadership philosophy as “a theory or attitude held by a person or organization that acts as a guiding principle for behavior.” (What is philosophy section). Leadership philosophy should be a single, concise statement, and it should encompass one’s core values and priorities. Individual interpretations of leadership philosophy may vary, and there is no one right or wrong approach to developing a leadership philosophy. There are, however, definitive benefits to putting one’s leadership philosophy in writing. One immediate benefit is that it allows one to evaluate one’s own thoughts and ideas objectively. Preparation is not a new concept. It has, in fact, been used dating as far back as history records. In The Doctrine of the Mean (2014), Confucius is quoted as saying “In all things success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” (para. 74). One can hardly argue with the wisdom of this statement. Taken one step further, it can be said that preparation is crucial to taking an individual’s leadership capability to the next level. When leaders fail, oftentimes the source of that failure can be directly traced back to the leader’s own lack of preparation.…

and/or organization. Legacy Leaders are considered to be “Leaders of Influence” because they create an environment conducive for developing others through professional and personal growth; they build team cohesiveness through trust; and they produce effective leaders and professionals who are capable of getting results and accomplishing the mission. I’ve chosen the individual below as my “Leader of Influence” due to the impact this individual has had on the Army and NCO Corp, as well as the…

physically tough, mastering fundamentals, and doing the right thing through a foundation of trust based on teamwork, communication, discipline, and fitness. As the brigade commander, I know it is critical that my vision is nested in that of my higher command to ensure we are meeting the Commanding General’s intent. It is also important that the vision, and the accompanying strategy to implement the vision, be imaginable, desirable, feasible, focused, flexible and communicable. In…

With the evolving role of the aviation warrant officer, future development and mentorship is required for success beginning at the company level. As intermediate level technical and tactical experts, Warrant Officers perform the primary duties of technical leader, trainer, operator, manager, maintainer, sustainer, and advisor utilizing staff procedures to provide information to the appropriate level of command. Warrant Officers must discontinue any thoughts of inflexibility to perform outside…

No organization is perfect whether it’s the military or a civilian organization. Perfection is what we strive for. There will always deficiencies that one always complains about and say that if they were in charge they will do it differently. Sometimes though that’s just not possible but at times it may be. I myself am currently working as the Executive Officer of a Maintenance Company and these are a few of the issues that I have seen and noticed at my position that I would recommend changing…

The History of the Army noncommission officer dates back to 14 June 1775 with the birth of the Continental Army (FM 7-22.7) PG1-3. In the Beginning of the Continental Army there was little to no standards to what a Noncommission officer duties or responsibilities were. In 1779 the duties and responsibilities of NCO would come to be after inspector general Friedrich Von Steuben wrote a regulation that standardized NCO duties and responsibilities. The regulation was named, Regulations for the…

Continental Army he put plans into action. Baron von Steuben didn’t speak english so it was hard for him to communicate with the troops want he wanted them to do. So he hired translators who later help him establish standards of sanitation and camp layouts that would still be standard a century and a half later. Baron von Steuben picked 120 men from different regiments to form an honor guard for General George Washington and those men would train the rest of the troops. Those men would in turn…

Julius W. Karangi is one of the highly regarded Kenyan general officer cadre who in November 2003, transitioned from an operational role within the Kenyan Military into a senior leadership position, the rank of Major General. As a result of his ability to impress his seniors in the daily decision-making process, that enhanced Kenya Defense Force’s (KDF) efficacy and competence, he rose up in rank to Lieutenant General. In addition, his personal dimensions eventually saw him further get promoted…

Trust is the groundwork for any successful team. Just as the commander will learn to trust me, I in return will have to trust my commander. As a Command Sergeant Major (CSM) or Staff Sergeant Major (SGM), I realize that my Soldiers will not trust me right away, and I must gain their mutual trust through my daily interactions. Setting good examples and living the Army Values will assist in building mutual trust. My commander and I will plan team-building events often to maximize opportunities…

I took the situation too lightly and that was not my place to brush it off and assume that everything would get better. I know now that as an NCO it is my job to take care of my soldiers but it takes more than one NCO to do so. By keeping my squad leader and platoon sergeant out of the equation I limit my resources for help on evaluating and fixing the…