Canadian Armed Forces Chief Warrant Officer – Chief Warrant Officer Bob McCann, MMM, MSM, CD

Based on our doctrine and policies, including the CAF Ethos “Trusted to Serve”, my vision revolves around cultivating an agile, adaptable and highly proficient cadre of trustworthy professional non-commissioned members (NCM). Our members will embody the attributes of skilled leaders, dedicated mentors, and knowledgeable experts (in their field).

Through effective career management, a fair and transparent succession plan, a tailored coaching and mentoring program and a robust professional development framework supported by professional military education delivered at the Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Robert Osside Institute, we will prepare our NCMs for the challenges they face now and will face in the future.

Applying character based leadership is essential for our Sailors, Soldiers, Aviators and Special Forces Operators as it plays a crucial role in ensuring the effectiveness of military operations and the overall readiness of their units, both in terms of technical proficiency but also the capability to lead, motivate and inspire others. Character-based leadership is important because it promotes ethical behavior, trust, and positive organizational culture. Leaders who prioritize strong character traits contribute to the long-term success of their organizations and create a work environment that fosters respect and integrity.

The Canadian Armed Forces Chief Warrant Officer (CAF CWO), also known as the Senior Enlisted Leader (SEL) is the most senior NCM of the Canadian Armed Forces and the principal non-commissioned advisor to the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS). As such, the CAF CWO's role includes fostering tactical, operational, and institutional leadership, and acting as a co-steward of the Profession of Arms in Canada. This role also includes, among other things, acting as the custodian of the NCM Corps and the Champion for the CWO Robert Osside Institute, the Centre of Expertise for NCM Professional Military Education & Professional Development.

The CAF CWO advises the CDS on all issues and matters relating to the welfare, morale, development and employment of NCMs. They communicate and reinforce the CDS' intent, especially in areas of significant change within the CAF and the Department of National Defence.

To ensure that NCMs are ready to support all CAF missions from the tactical through to the strategic levels, the CAF CWO is involved with the development of the NCM Corps as both occupation specialists and as institutional leaders. The CAF CWO consults with and seeks the advice of all professionals and works in partnership with the CAF CWO Inner Council, which is comprised of the most senior appointed CPO1/CWO of each environment and command in the CAF.

At the most fundamental level, the CAF CWO must strive to ensure that the NCM Corps' culture mirrors the greater military ethos, and that character-based leadership guides the actions of all NCMs.

One of the CAF CWO's greatest responsibilities is to connect with Canadians to keep their trust and respect, and to ensure they continue to have confidence and pride in the Sailors, Soldiers, Aviators and Special Forces Operators who wear the CAF uniform.

I remain dedicated to promoting several initiatives, currently underway, that contribute to the cultural growth of our institution. These initiatives will contribute to the quality, and delivery of a range of programs that align with the current and future needs of the CAF. Our goal is to build an NCM Corps that demonstrates sound competencies and character-based leadership that is recognized for excellence, at home and around the globe.

These initiatives include amongst others, the implementation of the CAF Ethos Trusted to Serve. In June 2022, the Launch of Trusted to Serve was followed by a review of the NCM Developmental Period 2/Primary Leadership Qualification course that focuses on the development of the human dimension competencies that are required of junior leaders such as Emotional Quotient Intelligence (EQ-I). These tools are all aimed at enhancing resiliency and promote a better understanding of Professional Conduct and Culture related issues. As a follow-on we will build the capacity to deliver Executive Coaching to our NCM Corps, to further our understanding in the human domain. These programs will all be delivered from our Centre of Expertise for NCM Professional Military Education and Professional Development, the CWO Robert Osside Institute.

Following the signing of the CPO1/CWO Corps Military Employment Structure Implementation Plan (MESIP), tremendous work has been done and will continue to be done to modernize the Chief’s Corps Succession Model to include the addition of an Independent Civilian Member as part of the selection process. The aim of this governance framework is to enhance transparency, optimize the selection process and effectively balance the experiences and attributes of CPO1/CWO employment within the Corps. The next step will also include the creation of promotion pools at the CPO2/MWO rank to be promoted into the CPO1/CWO Corps. The main stakeholders are working together to operationalize this model for the Fall of 2024.

These initiatives are the result of the collaboration and commitment by our principal partners and the CAF CWO Council to meet the CDS’s intent to modernize and improve the NCM Corps. As members of the Profession of Arms, we must all dedicate ourselves to life-long learning, and personal and professional development.

We all have a role to play in effectively leading the members of the Canadian Armed Forces of today and ensuring they are ready for the challenges of tomorrow.

As CAF CWO, my focus areas are:

• CAF Reconstitution: As we reconstitute, we need to look at and rethink how we attract, how we process, how we train, how we educate and how we will retain our talent.
• Evolution of our Culture and Professional Conduct: “Leaders create culture, culture drives behavior, behavior produces results, and results contribute to operational effectiveness.” The CAF needs to be a workplace that is inclusive, where everyone belongs and can bring their best self to serve everyday.
• Modernizing Ourselves: Seizing every opportunity to modernize our equipment, our tactics and how we train because what got us here will not get us to where we need to be in 10 -15 years. We need modern equipment, modern war fighting platforms and modern ways to lead troops on the battlefield as we transition from industrial age to information age.
• Achieving Success in Operations: This is what we do, it is who we are, it is what defines us. We are one of Canada’s lines of defence and therefore, we need to train, and be ready for the unknown, for the next conflict or natural disaster, because this is an area where we cannot fail. Achieving success in operations is something to strive for every time we go out the door, at home or abroad.

The importance of my four focus areas cannot be understated, but their emphasis will not lessen my dedication and commitment to:

• Lead the Profession of Arms;
• Reinforce an ethical culture of respect, inclusivity and dignity;
• Support our members and their families;
• Prepare our NCMs for the future evolving security environment;
• Promote physical fitness and mental resiliency;
• Ensure we have open lines of communications with our members; and
• Maintain a cooperative and constructive relationship with our allies and partners.