Supportive behavior or Supportive “Leadership” is something
that I use in my job with the US Army. I believe that this is a real asset to
an individual who holds a leadership/managerial role because it allows the
individual to show the humanistic side and appear as an approachable leader.
Drifting away from the stigma of the position that a person holds
(leader/manager) and perceiving that person is unapproachable or not being able
to speak to that person because of the hierarchy or chain of command, meaning that
anybody with a position of power is unapprochable. I do agree with the concept
in the readings that it allows to win over the loyalty of your subordinates. In
my organization, we appreciate that subordinate work ethics and habits are
crucial to obtaining the higher goal or intent.
As an Army officer I was told I was to be a mentor to my
subordinates. That is why I truly believe in this concept of supportive
leadership. Going up to a random soldier that is not in my direct supervision
and simply asking the question “Hey soldier, how are you today? How is everything
going?” as if I knew the soldier my whole life goes a long way with the soldier or subordinate showing them as a
leader that you “care” which is rare to find in leaders in my field. I
encourage my soldiers every time I see them to accomplish things above the
standards of what the army asks of them, I do my best to lead by example and
ensure that I do not tell them something that I have not yet attempted or done.
Another story I would like to share is when we were deployed to Afghanistan in
2012, a lot of my soldiers were going through a lot of financial, relationship,
and spiritual issues and as their leader I had to ensure I was compassionate
and empathetic to their needs. Something that actually to my surprise, was a
natural instinct for me.
In the Army, we write up awards for our soldier’s quarterly
and annually to recognize their accomplishments. I encourage my soldiers to do
their best every time and take the time to recognize it and ensure they are
properly awarded for their efforts. One philosophy I try to teach my soldiers
is that they should not try and outshine their Army brothers on their left side
or right side, but rather to work as a team to outshine the other units in
organization. The logic behind my philosophy is to incorporate teamwork so that
one day when they reach a leadership position they follow suit and remember
that our organization is not about individual accomplishment, but team
accomplishments as a whole.
For example, when a soldier is in the wrong or fails to
accomplish a task I do not immediately loose my temper in front of them or scold
them, I try to incorporate a plan for them to fix their failure. If they fail
after three attempts or to the limits stated in the regulations, I warn them
and or counsel them in a professional manner and remind them to always do the
right thing. I also remind them that at times I have to make the “hard right
versus the easy wrong” decisions, and if it means that someone gets discharged
from the Army, then that is what has to happen.
No comments:
Post a Comment