the cadet nco & the team

32 Pages·2010·3.75 MB·English

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CHAPTER 4
THE CADET NCO & THE TEAM
PROFESSIONALISM IS NOT THE JOB YOU DO, buthowyoudoit.Whenthereare
newrecruitstotrain,thearmedservicesturntothenon-commissionedofficercorps.
Indeed,NCOsareexpertsindrill,theuniform,andfitness,butevenmoretheirprofession-
alismmakesalastingimpression.AirForcepilotsknowtheiraircraftaremission-ready
becausetheytrustintheprofessionalismoftheNCOswhomaintainthem.Whenafighter
jetislowonfuel,itwillbeanNCOcommittedtoanidealofprofessionalismwhorefuelsit
fromanaltitudeof30,000feet.EvenwhentheAirForceneedstotransformofficer
traineesintolieutenants,theNCOs’professionalismmakesthemreadyforthechallenge.
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VOLUMETWO:TEAMLEADERSHIP
PROFESSIONALISM
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Inthischapteryouwilllearnabout:
OBJECTIVES:
1. Explainwhat“professionalism”is.
Introduction
2. Defendtheideathatleadersmustbe“professionals.”
Professionalism
Standards
Aleaderisaprofessional.Aleaderstrivestoconducthimself
orherselfwithaspecialqualitycalledprofessionalism.What TheNon-CommissionedOfficer
doesthismean? ResponsibilitiesandtheNCO
NCOReadiness
Intheeverydaysenseoftheword,“aprofessional”issimply
TheNCO’sLeadershipToolkit
someonewhoispaidfortheirwork.Intruth,professional-
ServantLeadership
ismrequiresmuchmore.
Coaching&Mentoring
Supervision&ConstructiveDiscipline
First,professionalsmusthaveahabitofputtingthecommu-
Motivation
nity’sinterestabovetheirown.Thecorevalueof“volunteer
TheNCO/OfficerRelationship
service”showsthatCAPmembersthinkofthemselvesas
TeamDynamics
professionals.Second,aprofessionalissomeonewhohas
TheTeamEnvironment
specialskills.Theirknowledge,experience,andcompetence
TheTeam’sLifeCycle
intheirfieldsetthemapartfromothers.Third,professionals
TheL.E.A.D.Model
holdthemselvesandtheirpeerstoanethicalcode.1They
practicetheirprofessioninawaythatrespectsmoralprinciples. Drill&Ceremonies
Leaders,especiallymilitaryofficersandnon-commissioned
officers,believetheymeetallthreecriteria.Therefore,they
strivetoleadbyexampleanddisplaythatspecialquality
CHAPTERGOALS
calledprofessionalism.
1. UnderstandtheroleoftheNCO
andappreciatetheimportanceof
professionalism.
2. Describeleadershipprinciples
ofconcerntofirst-linesupervisors.
3. Developanunderstandingof
teamdynamics.
Professionalism.
It’saspecialqualityleaderspossess.Itmaybe
difficulttodefine,butiseasytospot.
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STANDARDS
OBJECTIVE:
3. Explainwhata“standard”is.
Standards.Thebestleadershavehighstandards.Ataluxuryhotel,
youcanexpecttoreceiveahighstandardofservice. Afriendmay
tellyounottobuyacertainkindofcarifitsqualityissubstandard.
MichaelPhelpssetanewstandardforathleticismbywinningseven
goldmedalsattheOlympics.Weoftenspeakofhighstandardsand
lowstandards.Whatisastandard?
Astandardisanestablished
“Theleader’sexampleisthe
requirement,aprincipleby
mostimportantstandardofall.” “LineSix,Sir!”
whichsomethingcanbe
Thesentinelswhostandbefore
judged.2Putsimply,astan- theTomboftheUnknown
dardislikeayardstickorbenchmark.Standardsletpeopleknow Soldierlivebyacreed.Its
whatisexpectedofthem.Theyhelppeopleunderstandwhatcounts sixthlineinstructsthemon
asacceptableorinferiorwork. theOldGuard’sstandard.It
reads,“MYSTANDARDWILL
Itisvitalthatleaderssetclearstandardsandcommunicatethemto REMAINPERFECTION.”
theteam.Inthemilitary,standardsarefoundinregulations,in
specialdocumentscalledtechnicalorders,andintrainingmanuals.
Commanderscanalsoestablishstandardsorally,
simplybydeclaringthemtotheteam. Often,
teamssettheirowninformal,unofficialstandards,
theunwrittenrulesteammatesmustfollowtobe
acceptedbythegroup.3Evenmoreimportantly,
howaleaderactssetsthestandard.Theleader’s
exampleisthemostimportantstandardofall.
Notalways“blackandwhite,”standardscanvary
dependingonthesituation.Forexample,your
parentsmayallowyoutodresscasuallyfordinner,
butifspecialguestsarevisiting,perhapsthatstandardisraised.
MeetingtheStandard.
Wiseleaderslearnhowtomakestandardsmeaningfulwithout
TwocadetNCOsdouble-check
allowingthemtobecomesoinflexibleastobeimpractical.
oneanother’suniformsto
ensureeachismeetingthe
Standardsgiveleadersawaytoexpresstotheteamwhatis
standard.
expectedfromthem.
PROFESSIONALISM IN ACTION
Someexamplesofhowyoucanshowyourprofessionalism
(cid:5) Checkingyouruniformandyour (cid:5) Tellingafellowcadetthatwhat (cid:5) Usingdowntimeatabivouacto
airmens’uniformsfrequently shepostedonlineisinappropriate checkyourgearbeforeahike
(cid:5) Re-readingachapteryoustud- (cid:5) Sendingathankyounoteto (cid:5) Surfingthewebforhelpfultips
iedlongagobeforeteachingitto someonewhowentoutoftheirway onpublicspeakingorsomeother
newcadets tohelpyou leadershiptopicyou’reweakin
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THE NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER
OBJECTIVES:
4. DiscussthechallengeoftransitioningfromairmantoNCO.
5. DescribesevenmajorresponsibilitiesoftheNCO.
AirForcenon-commissionedofficersepitomizethe
CoreValues.Theyhaveseveralduties,butifoneis “NewcadetNCOshavetotransition
moreimportantthantherestitisthis:toleadby fromonewhohasbeencaredfor
example.ThechallengeforthecadetNCOisto
toonewhocaresforothers.”
carryonthistradition.
Makingtheswitchfromairmantosergeantcanbedifficult.It
involvestransitioningfromonewhowascaredfortoonewhocares Creed.
forothers;fromonewhowastaughttoonewhoteaches.4Further, Aformalsystemofbelief
inthemilitary,NCOshaveauthoritytoissuelawfulorderstotheir intendedtoguidesomeone’s
actions.
people.Asoneexpertsaid,“Rankdoesnotconferprivilegeorgive
power.Itimposesresponsibility.”5
CREED OF THE NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER
Thereisnocreedofficiallyadopted professionalismatalltimes.Iwill
bytheU.S.AirForceforitsNCOs, strivetoknowmypeopleanduse
butthecreedbelowiswidely theirskillstothemaximumdegree
acceptedandisbasedupona possible.Iwillalwaysplacetheir
creedusedbytheU.S.Army.6 needsabovemyownandwill
bestofmyabilityandwillalways
communicatewithmysupervisor
obeythedecisionsofmysuperiors.
andmypeopleandneverleave
NooneismoreprofessionalthanI.
themuninformed. Iwillgiveallofficersmymaximum
IamaNoncommissionedOfficer,
supporttoensuremission
aleaderofpeople.Iamproudof Iwillexerteveryeffortandrisk
accomplishment.Iwillearntheir
theNoncommissionedOfficer anyridiculetosuccessfully
respect,obeytheirorders,and
Corpsandwillatalltimesconduct accomplishmyassignedduties.
establishahighdegreeofintegrity
myselfsoastobringcreditupon Iwillnotlookatapersonand
withthem.Iwillexerciseinitiative
it.Iwillnotusemygradeor seeanyrace,creed,color,religion,
intheabsenceofordersandwill
positiontoattainprofitorsafety. sex,age,ornationalorigin,forI
makedecisiveandaccuratedeci-
Competenceismywatchword.I willonlyseetheperson;norwillI
sions.Iwillnevercompromisemy
willstrivetoremaintacticallyand evershowprejudiceorbias.Iwill
integrity,normymoralcourage.
technicallyproficient.Iwillalways leadbyexampleandwillresortto
beawareofmyroleasaNon- disciplinaryactiononlywhen IwillnotforgetthatIama
commissionedOfficer.Iwillfulfill necessary.Iwillcarryoutthe Professional,aLeader,butabove
myresponsibilitiesanddisplay ordersofmysuperiorstothe allaNoncommissionedOfficer.
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RESPONSIBILITY & THE NCO MilitaryBearing.
Howthoseinuniformcarry
themselves;bearingincludes
Whataretheresponsibilitiesofthenon-commissionedofficer?7
physicalposture,mentalattitude,
howfaithfullycustomsand
EpitomizetheCoreValues.NCOsmustshowbyexamplethatthey
courtesiesarerendered,etc.
aretrulycommittedtointegrity,service,excellence,andrespect.
Theyarechargedwithdemonstratingsuperbmilitarybearing,respect First-LineSupervisor.
forauthority,andthehigheststandardsofdressandappearance. Aleaderwhooverseesentry-
levelpeople;thelowestranking
memberofaleadershipstaff.
Guide,Instruct,andMentor.TheNCOisafirst-linesupervisor,
someonewhoensuresthejuniormembersofateamaccomplishthe
mission.Todothat,theygenerouslysharetheir
experienceandknowledge.
SupporttheLeader. AlthoughNCOsareleaders
byvirtueoftheirseniority,theystillhavebosses
oftheirown.NCOsbackuptheirleadersby
enthusiasticallysupporting,explaining,and
promotingtheirleaders’decisions.
RewardPeople.Astheleaderwhoisworking
closestwiththetroops,theNCOhasadutyto
recognizethehardworkofpeopleontheir
team.Whentheycatchpeopledoingthings
right,theypraisethemandpointtothemas
rolemodels.
CorrectPeople.
“NCOsstepinandcorrect Becausealeader’sfirstdutyisto TrainingThemRight. CadetNCOs
accomplishthemission,ifanNCO needtobegreatinstructorsand
cadetsinahelpfulway.”
expertsinallfacetsofcadetlife.
seessomeonegoingabouttheirjob
inthewrongway,heorshestepsin
andcorrectsthepersoninahelpfulway.ThisalsomeansNCOs LEADERSHIPforSAFETY
speakupwhentheyspotasafetyhazard.TheNCOcorpstakestheir
dutytoprotectairmen’ssafetyveryseriously.
CareerCounsel. NCOsusetheirwealthofexperiencetohelpairmen
throughcareercounseling.NCOstellairmenwhatopportunitiesare
availabletothemintheirorganization,beittheAirForceorCAP.
Theysteertheirpeopletowardactivitiesthatwillhelpthemadvance
andmeettheirpersonalgoals.
KeepLearning. Asaprofessional,theNCOiscontinuouslytryingto “AlwaysVigilant.” Notonlydo
learnmoreabouttheirspecialtyorcareerfield.ForcadetNCOs,this leaderskeeptheirpeople
meanslearningmoreaboutleadership,aerospace,fitness,andcharacter, safe,theymakesureevery-
oneontheteamwatches
inadditiontotheacademicsubjectstheyarestudyingatschool.
outforsafety,too
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NCO READINESS
The CHIEF
OBJECTIVES: MASTER SERGEANT
5. IdentifytheAirForce’sthreerequirementsforNCOreadiness. ofthe
6. GiveexamplesofhowAirForceNCOreadinessstandardsapply UNITED STATES
toCAPcadets.
AIR FORCE
HowdoNCOspreparetofulfilltheirmanyresponsibilities?TheAir
TheChiefMasterSergeantof
Forceidentifiesthreeareasofreadiness.8
theU.S.AirForcerepresentsthe
highestenlistedlevelofleadership.
TechnicalReadiness. First,NCOsmustbetechnicallyreadyto
Heorsheprovidesdirectionfor
accomplishthemission.Thisrelatesbacktothe“LeaderasExpert”
theenlistedcorpsandrepresents
sectioninthepreviouschapter.TheAirForcerightlyinsiststhat
theirintereststotheAmerican
NCOsknowthedetailsoftheirjob.Whatisthemission?Howdowe
publicandtoleadersinalllevels
performthosetasks?Whatarethestandards–howdoweknowif ofgovernment.
we’vedonea“goodjob”?Whatdoestheregulationrequire?These
Specifically,thechiefservesas
aresomeofthequestionsNCOsaskthemselvestoensuretheyhave
thepersonaladvisertotheAir
thetechnicalknow-howtoleadothers.
ForceChiefofStaff(afour-star
general)andtheSecretaryofthe
PhysicalReadiness. Second,NCOsmustbephysicallyreadyto
AirForce(acivilianappointed
accomplishthemission.Ifaleaderisnothealthy,heorshecould bythepresident)onallissues
hindertheteaminsteadofhelpingit.Becauseofthisrequirement, regardingthewelfare,readiness,
NCOsaretraditionallytheoneswholeadtheirunitsinfitness morale,andproperutilizationand
training.Again,leadershipbyexampleisexpected.IfNCOsdonot progressoftheenlistedforce.
exerciseregularlyandmeetfitnessstandards,whoelsewill?
Becausethejobcallsforaleader
ofimmenseprofessionalism,the
MentalReadiness. Third,ifanNCO’smindisnottotallyfocusedon ChiefMasterSergeantoftheAir
theirprofessionalduties,themissionwillsuffer.Thisrequires Forceisdeeplyrespectedbyall
NCOstoeffectivelymanagetheirstress,asdiscussedinchaptertwo. airmen–enlistedmembersand
Mentalreadinessincludeshavinghealthyattitudestowardschool officersalike.9
andhomelife.Itmeansbeingalertforsignsofdrugabuseand
depression(forexample,talkofsuicide)inoneselfandothers.Cadet
NCOscanshowacommitmenttomentalreadinessbypromotingthe
wingmanconcept(seechaptertwo)andreachingoutforadulthelp
whenlifeseemstobespinningoutofcontrol.
MentalReadiness.
“Readiness”includes
livingthedrug-free
ethic.Nowonder
CAPcadetstrain
withspecialgoggles
thatsimulatethe
effectofalcohol.
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THE NCO’S LEADERSHIP TOOLKIT
SERVANT LEADERSHIP
OBJECTIVES:
7. Define“servantleadership.”
8. Discusswhyleadersshouldbeservantsfirstandleaderssecond.
9. Giveexamplesofservantleadershipinaction.
10. Defendtheideathatservantleadershipis
consistentwithAirForcevalues.
“Leadershipisnotcontrol,
Leadershipisnotaboutcontrollingpeople,butserving
butservice.”
them.10Thisisoneofthecorebeliefsofaleadership
philosophyknownasservantleadership.Simplydefined,
servantleadershipiswhentheleaderseeshimselforherself
primarilyasaservantoftheteam.Thegoalofservantleadership
istoenhancethegrowthofindividualsintheorganizationand
increaseteamworkandpersonalinvolvement.Theleadership
theoristwhofirstcoinedtheterm“servantleadership,”introduced
itasfollows:
"Theservant-leaderisservantfirst…Itbeginswiththenatural
feelingthatonewantstoserve,toservefirst.Thena[willfulchoice]
bringsonetoaspiretolead.Thatpersonissharplydifferent
fromonewhoisleaderfirst,perhapsbecauseoftheneedto
[fulfill]anunusualpowerdriveortoacquirematerialpossesions…”11
TO SERVE ... or TO BE SERVILE?
Aservantchoosestohelp
peopleandisgiving.Anybody
canserve,soanybodycan
lead,evenouryoungest
cadets.
Butbeingservile,ontheother
hand,meanstobetreated
likeaslave.Whileothers
enjoyalifeofleisure,your
workneverends.
Leaderschoosetoserve
becausetheyrealizethere’s
nothingdemeaningabout
beingaservant.
NicolaesMaes
TheIdleServant,1655
TheNetherlands
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SERVANTLEADERSHIPANDTHENCO
Earlierinthischapter,wediscussedthe
challengeofswitchingfromairmanto
NCO,fromonewhoiscaredfortoonewho
caresforothers.Servantleadershipisan
importantconceptfornewNCOsbecause
itcanhelpthemmakethattransition.
Itiseasyfornewleaderstobecomearro-
gant,toshowofftheirrankanddelightin
bossingpeoplearound.(Dopeoplewho
arefullofthemselvesinspireyouorturn
youoff?)Somuchofwhatwethinkwe
knowaboutleadershipisbasedonold
conceptsofpower,notontheleader’spotentialtohelpindividual Tough,butaServant.
peopleandtheteamsucceed.Servantleadership,then,isthenew Asaservantleader,perhaps
thisfirstsergeantisthinking,
leader’svaccineagainstbecomingself-centeredorabully.It
“Iwanttohelpthesecadets
focusesthenewleaderontheneedsoftheteam.
surpassmyhighstandards.”
Butsheisnotdoingthehard
workforherairmen,norisshe
EXAMPLESOFSERVANTLEADERSHIP
abully.Servantleadershelp
individualsandtheteamgrow.
Forexample,anNCOinformedbytheideaofservantleadershipwill
notusehisorherranktotakeapositionfirstinlinetoeat,butrather
willeatonlyaftertheteamhasbeenfed.Theairmencomefirst.
Whenconductingauniforminspection,theservant-leader’sgoalwill
betohelpeachindividualmeetCAP’shighstandards,nottryto
intimidatetheairmenorplay“gotcha.”Servantleadershipisnot
HumilityasVirtue.
aboutapersonalquestforpower,prestige,ormaterialrewards. Notevenaslavecouldbe
madetowashanother’sfeet.
ThehistoryofChristianitygivesusafamousexample Here,Christdoesjustthatas
heteachesaboutservice.
ofservantleadershipthataspiringleadersfromall
backgroundscanappreciate.IntheBible,Jesustells
theapostles,
“YouknowthatamongtheGentilesthose
whomtheyrecognizeastheirrulerslordit
overthem,andtheirgreatonesaretyrants
overthem.Butitisnotsoamongyou[the
apostles];butwhoeverwishestobecome
greatamongyoumustbeyourservant,and
whoeverwishestobefirstamongyoumust
beslaveofall.”12
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SERVANTLEADERSHIPINTHEMILITARY
THE NEW DEFINITION
Inanorganizationthathasatop-downhierarchy,likethemilitary
OF GREATNESS
withitsformalchainofcommand,isitpossibleforranktobe
Ifyouwanttobeimportant, emphasizedtoomuch? The“Iorderyouto…”approachiseasyto
wonderful.
takewhenaleaderliterallyhasthepowertoimprisonthosewho
Ifyouwanttoberecognized, disobey.Pullingrankisoftenseenasalazy,immature,andcounter-
wonderful.
productivewaytolead.Proponentsofservantleadershipwould
Ifyouwanttobegreat,
advisemilitaryofficersandNCOstoseethemselvesasservantsfirst
wonderful.
andauthoritariancommanderslast.14
Butrecognizethathewhois AproperreadingoftheNCOCreedsaysasmuch,asdoestheCore
greatestamongyoushallbe Value“ServiceBeforeSelf.”Therefore,servantleadership,andthe
yourservant. ideaofcaringwhichitisbuiltupon,isanaturalfitfortheAir
That’sthenewdefinitionof Force.“Caringbondsustogether,”accordingtoaformerChief
greatness. MasterSergeantoftheAirForce. “Whencaringislacking…mission
failureisaveryrealpossibility.”15AirForcenewspapersarefilled
ThismorningthethingIlike
withessaysfromcommandersendorsingservantleadership.
aboutit–
Notonlyisservantleadershipawiseapproachtoleading,everyone
bygivingthatdefinitionof
greatnessitmeansthat hasthepotentialtobeaservant-leader. AsMartinLutherKingonce
said,“Everybodycanbegreat,becauseeverybodycanserve.”
everybodycanbegreatbecause
everybodycanserve.
Youdon’thavetohaveacollege THELEADER,THEWORKER,& THEBYSTANDER
degreetoserve.
Pictureacountryroadleadingthroughawildernesstoariver.Adozen
Youdon’thavetomakeyoursubject
soldiersaretryingtobuildabridge,buttherearenotenoughmenforsuch
andyourverbagreetoserve.
achallengingtask.It’s1776andtheRevolutionaryWarisunderway.
Youdon’thavetoknowabout Nowcomesonabeautifulstallionanimpressive,seriouslookingman.
PlatoandAristotletoserve. Thereissomethingpowerfulabouttheway
Youdon’thavetoknowaboutEin- hecarrieshimself.Hecommandsrespect.
stein’stheoryofrelativitytoserve. “Youdon’thaveenoughmenforthe
Youdon’thavetoknowaboutthe job,doyou?”asksthemanonhorseback.
secondtheoryofthermodynamics “No,wedon’t,”answersthe
inphysicstoserve. lieutenantinchargeoftheworkdetail.
“Themenwillneedalotmorehelpifwe
Youonlyneedaheartfullofgrace, aretofinishthebridgeontime.”
asoulgeneratedbylove. “Isee,”repliesthemanonhorseback.
Youcanbethatservant.13 “Well,whyaren’tyouhelpingthem?Youare
juststandingbackandwatchingthemwork.”
REV.DR.MARTINLUTHERKINGJR.
“That,sir,isbecauseIamanofficer!”snapsthelieutenant.“Ilead,I
don’tdo.”
“Indeed.”Themanonhorsebackthendismounts,tossesasidehis
cap,androllsuphissleeves.Helaborswiththemenunderthehotsunfor
severalhoursuntilatlast,drenchedinsweat,heproclaimsthejobdone.
“Lieutenant,”saysthemanashemountshishorseandpreparesto
depart,“thenexttimeyouhavetoomuchworkandnotenoughmen,the
nexttimeyouaretooimportantorhighrankingorproudtowork,sendfor
theCommanderinChiefandIwillcomeagain.”
ItwasGeneralWashington.16
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COACHING & MENTORING THE MANY FACES OF
COACHING & MENTORING
OBJECTIVES:
11. Define“coaching.”
12. Explainhowcoachingrelatestoservantleadership.
13. Discusstheelementsofsuccessfulcoaching.
14. Giveexamplesofsometechniquestouseduring
coaching’sdialoguephase.
Inchaptertwo,wediscussedmentoring: howyourmentor
canhelpyouandhowasanaspiringleaderyouneedtobecome
“mentor-ready.” Thenextstepistoconsidermentoring(or
coaching,aswe’llcallitinthischapter–itisnotyettimeto
distinguishbetweenthetwoterms)fromtheperspectiveof
theleader.
COACHINGDEFINED
Inleadership,coachingistheprocessthroughwhichleaders
trytosolveperformanceproblemsanddeveloptheirpeople.17
Coachingisaperson-to-
personexperience,a “Ifit’snotpositive
relationshipbetweenan andhelpful,
experiencedperson(the
it’snotcoaching.”
leaderorcoach)andan
inexperiencedperson(the
followerorcoachee).18Expertsinthefieldofcoaching
borrowprinciplesofservantleadershipbyteachingthat
coachingrequiresabondoftrust.Ifit’snotpositiveand
helpful,it’snotcoaching.Coachingisallaboutproviding
someonewithguidanceandsupportbecauseagoodcoach
isaservant.
THENEEDFORCOACHING
Whendoessomeonerequirecoaching? Anytimealeader
identifiesaneedtohelpsomeonereachahigherlevelof
effectiveness.19 Perhapsanairmanishavingtroubleexecut-
inganaboutface.Orabasketballplayercannotletgoofa
feelingthatshewasfouledandnowherangerisgettingthe
bestofher.Whensomeonestrugglestoreachanewlevelof
excellence,thatmightmeanit’stimeforcoaching.
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