The Cornerstone of Leadership

By Chief Warrant Officer (ret'd) Stephen McNabb - October 15, 2021

Reading Time: 6 min  

When we think of leadership, many times we immediately think of our MCpls and above NCM ranks as well as our officers. Although this is true, leadership does exist at levels below these ranks. Understanding that the key cornerstone of leadership in the Army really does reside at the lowest level, and as leaders begin to grow at that level, it is our responsibility to look for them there. 

The foundation of army leadership rests directly at the section, platoon and detachment level. The leaders of these groups in our units must clearly understand the significance and importance of their position, and we must empower and develop them at this level to ensure the effectiveness of the unit and the Army of today and the institution as a whole. These junior leaders are curious, the same as you would see a child while they are learning, they will emulate their leaders, the same as a child would copy what their parents do and say. Therefore, it is important to lead by example, both on and off duty, to develop the leadership potential of your followers, and to know your soldiers and promote their welfare.  

As a junior leader is learning, they will want to see value in what they decide to take on and utilize for themselves. When they see their leaders continue to develop personally and professionally in what they do, that they see merit and benefit in their leader’s actions, and that they could also profit in their own development by modeling this behaviour, they may choose to replicate this proven method. Leaders must remain mindful of this and build the credibility and the trust necessary to encourage their junior leaders to participate in development building activities. 

Soldiers want to be led by leaders who are inspirational, provide strength, and guidance and who will listen to them and help them become leaders and champions. Mutual trust is one of the most important principles in mission command, for that it is a key factor in the Army profession, more so than any other profession. Soldiers want to be led by someone they are willing to trust their lives to.  

Junior leaders must grasp early that leadership is far from a popularity contest. There are many characteristics of leadership, but popularity is not one of them. Think of many of the popular people you know. You will see that many can be the life of a party, but not necessarily the leader of the pack. Leadership is about getting results and meeting goals and objectives. Leaders put time and effort into self-improvement. They take pride in all areas of their life and set standards by doing. Leadership is also about disappointing your own people at a rate they can absorb.

There is no question that the leaders of our sections, platoons and detachments have a profound amount of influence in their unit. If they are engaged in planning when necessary, care for their subordinates, and are tough when they need to be, they can assist their soldiers work through many of the issues or concerns they might have. This does not mean, solving the issue or concern on their own, but rather assisting the soldier in getting the required assistance. It has been clear for decades, that as leaders we don’t have followers; we have people entrusted to our care. 

Leaders must take the time to ensure they are developing these young soldiers and equipping them with the tools they need to be effective junior leaders. To name just a few, these tools include trust, discipline and fitness, as well as an understanding of CAF programs that can assist soldiers and families when they need help. If you do not have an awareness of all the available programs, dig in and contribute to your own self-development. Be responsive and teach these young leaders. In most cases the senior non-commissioned members are the most experienced, with the most deployments and training exercises under their belt. Offer techniques, tactics and best practices to make their task much more efficient and effective. 

The main point is that the leaders of these smallest groups typically spend the most amount of time with our young soldiers, and if we develop these junior leaders and help them to understand that trust, caring and discipline are essential in forming a cohesive team, then their unit, and the army gets stronger for it. At the same time, they are participating in training and developing their subordinates to take their place. 

Make no mistake, engaged leaders are not just born or hired into the Army, they are groomed and grown from within, through a lot of hard work and strong leadership by senior non-commissioned members. We need to continue to teach young soldiers how to be engaged leaders who know their soldiers and can effectively train them while ensuring that the soldiers and their families are well taken care of. Leader engagement is a key in driving the cultural changes required to achieve soldier optimization.  

Good leaders develop through a continuous, career long process of self-study, education, training, and experience. We simply must do everything we can to ensure we are investing all our resources when it comes to training, mentoring and developing our young leaders, after all, these are the soldiers that will replace you.