Leadership

Basics of Becoming a Leader

Leaders

hip

Matt

ers

Story of Stan Goff Winner of the

Distinguished Service

Cross

http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=4827

Prin

ciple

s of

Leaders

hip

Know Yourself and Seek Self Improvement

Look at good leaders around

you and look at yourself

honestly. Ask yourself: What

could I do better? Set aside

time to watch others, to study

good leading and learn how to

turn your weaknesses into

strengths.

Prin

ciple

s of

Leaders

hip

Be Technically and Creatively Proficient.

Learn everything you can about

how to do your job well. Study

the great masters of Film,

Painting, Literature and

Photography until you’re an

expert and people turn to you

for advice and guidance.

Prin

ciple

s of

Leaders

hip

Seek responsibility and take responsibility

for your actions. When something needs to be

done, don’t wait until your told

to do it. Do it now! In taking

responsibility, there’s a special

way: When performance is bad,

take responsibility and hang

onto it; when performance is

good, take credit but pass it on

quickly to your team.

Prin

ciple

s of

Leaders

hip

Make sound and timely decisions.

When you have to act in order

to get the mission accomplished, spend all

available time considering

alternatives. But when your

decision has to be made, make

it! A good decision made now is

far better then the best

decision made too late.

Prin

ciple

s of

Leaders

hip

Set the example. “Follow me and do what I do.”

is far more effective way to

inspire good performance than

“Do as I say.” If you expect your

team to do something, be

prepared to do it yourself and

do it as well as you expect your

team to do it. There is no

technique of leadership more

powerful than this one. It is the

absolute essence of leadership,

in training and during a project.

Prin

ciple

s of

Leaders

hip

Know your team and

look after their welfare. You should know far more about

your team than their favorite

software. You must know what

is inside them what makes

them do things, what makes

them not do things, what turns

them on and off, and what their

needs are. Show that you care

about them by meeting their

needs. Consider them as

people with problems, hopes

and feelings just like you.

Prin

ciple

s of

Leaders

hip

Keep your team informed. Make sure your team

understands the importance of

what you expect them to do in

terms of the overall mission of

the team. If you keep them

informed whenever you have

time, they’ll trust you and not

ask “why?” in critical situations

when you clearly don’t have

time for explanations.

Prin

ciple

s of

Leaders

hip

Develop a sense of responsibility in your

subordinates. When your soldiers have

demonstrated the skill

necessary to do a job, then let

them do it. But make sure they

understand that, along with the

authority to do the job, they

must accept the responsibility

to get the job done right. Give

responsibility in line with ability

and potential. Stretch out each

team member, a little more

each time.

Prin

ciple

s of

Leaders

hip

Ensure that the task is

understood, supervised, and accomplished.

Consider each person’s skill

and will to perform a task

before you tell them to do it.

Explain the task to him in detail

necessary to ensure

understanding. “Task,

Conditions, and Standards” is a

clean way to do this. Check on

them, assist them when

necessary and insist on good

performance.

Prin

ciple

s of

Leaders

hip

Train as a team. Make sure your creative people

have an opportunity to gain

confidence in their own abilities

and in the abilities of others on

their team. Most importantly,

make sure that each person

understands how their

performance affects others on

the team.

Prin

ciple

s of

Leaders

hip

Employ your team in

accordance with its capabilities.

Know what your team is

required to do as a TEAM and

know what they can do as a

TEAM. Make sure the level of

performance you expect of

them is not to far beyond their

capabilities. Likewise, make

sure that the required level of

performance is challenging to

your team. If it’s to easy your

not stretching them out!

Self E

valu

ati

on

COURAGE Taking risks during a project and

with your boss. Acting calmly and firmly in stressful

situations. Standing up for what is right,

regardless of what others think.

Accepting personal responsibility for

your mistakes. Not blaming stuff on

“they.” Making all efforts towards

completing the project, even in the

face of major obstacles.

Making on the spot corrections of

team members who need

correcting. Anywhere.

Self E

valu

ati

on BEARING Setting and maintaining high

standards of appearance.

Avoiding use of excessive profanity.

Controlling your voice and gestures

so that extremes of emotion don’t

show in your actions, except at the

times you carefully choose.

Self E

valu

ati

on DECISIVENESS

Studying your alternatives and

carefully selecting the best course

of action, when time permits.

Picking alternatives and making

decisions quickly when there is no

time for careful study.

Knowing when not to make a

decision.

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on DEPENDABILITY

Being places on time when your

told to be there or when you say

you will. Doing those tasks that you’ve been

told to do and those tasks you’ve

promised to do, in a complete and

timely manner.

Self E

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ati

on ENDURANCE

Maintaining the physical and

mental stamina to perform your

duties under stress conditions and

for extended periods of time.

Ensuring your work has a

consistent quality from beginning

to end.

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on

ENTHUSIASM Consistently communicating a

positive attitude to your team.

Emphasizing your team and their

successes. Never complaining in front of your

team about “the client” or “they.”

Explaining to your team why they

must perform the tasks expected of

them in terms they can understand

and expected of them.

Encouraging your team to take the

initiative to overcome obstacles to

performance.

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on

HUMILITY Ensuring your team receives the

credit due them when they perform

well. Emphasizing to your team how

important they are to the team.

Describe the teams performance in

terms of “what we did,” instead of

“what I did.”

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HUMOR Having fun doing your job.

Joking when the going gets tough.

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INITIATIVE Taking action in situations where

something must be done, even in

the absence of direction from a

superior. Looking for and figuring out better

ways to do things. Planning ahead.

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on

INTEGRITY Telling the truth, to both your

superiors and your team.

Using your power to work for

project accomplishment or for your

team, not for your own personal or

private gain. Encouraging open and honest

communication on your team.

Self E

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on JUDGEMENT Closely considering a range of

alternatives before you act.

Thinking out the possible effects of

what you are about to do before

you do it.

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on

JUSTICE Consistent application of rewards

and punishment to all team

members. Making decisions that support

project accomplishment and that

also take into account the needs of

your team. Listening to all sides of an issue

before making a decision that

affects your team.

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KNOWLEDGE Making sound tactical decision.

Performing administrative and

technical duties well.

Recognizing and correcting

inadequate performance of your

team. Showing your team yourself how

they should perform their duties.

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on TACT Speaking to others with the same

kind of respect you expect yourself.

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on

LOYALTY Passing on and carrying out tough

orders of superiors without

expressing personal criticism.

Defending your team against unfair

treatment from outside or above.

Discussing problems in your team

and the problems of your

teammates only with those that

can help solve the problems.

Self E

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on

SELFLESSNESS Ensuring that the needs of your

team are met before attending to

your own needs. Sharing hardship, danger, and

discomfort with your team.

Taking every action possible to

provide for the welfare of your

team.

REFE

REN

CE

Small Unit Leadership

Col. Dandridge M. Malone, USA

(Ret.) ISBN: 0-89141-173-9