•
Number of people assigned
•
The unit’s long-term mission or how far in advance it develops plans.
Direct Leadership
Direct leadership is face-to-face, first-line leadership. Subordinates of direct leaders see
them all the time at the team, squad, section, platoon, company, battery, squadron, and
battalion levels. The direct leader may command anywhere from a handful to several
hundred people. Direct leaders influence their subordinates one-on-one, but may still guide
the organization through subordinate officers and noncommissioned officers (NCOs).
Direct leaders quickly see what works, what doesn’t work, and how to address problems.
Organizational Leadership
Organizational leaders command several hundred to several thousand people. Their
command is indirect, generally through more levels of subordinates. This “chain of
command” sometimes makes it difficult for them to see results. Organizational leaders
usually employ staffs of subordinate officers to help manage their organizations’ resources.
Organizational leaders are responsible for establishing policy and the organization’s working
climate. Their skills are the same as those of direct leaders, but they cope with more
complexity, more people, greater uncertainty, and a greater number of unintended
consequences. They have little face-to-face contact with the rank-and-file Soldier and
command at the brigade through corps levels. Typically, their focus is on planning and
missions in the next two to 10 years.
Strategic Leadership
Strategic leaders include military and Department of the Army (DA) civilian leaders from
the major command level through the Department of Defense leadership. Strategic leaders
are responsible for large organizations and influence several thousand to hundreds of
thousands of people. They establish force size and structure, allocate resources,
communicate strategic vision, and prepare their commands for their future roles. Strategic
leaders consider the total environment in which the Army functions. They may take into
account such things as congressional hearings, Army budgetary constraints, new-systems
acquisition, civilian programs, research, development, and interservice cooperation.
Leadership Versus Management
As you can see, leadership operates through a wide range of levels, organization sizes, and
conditions. Depending on the course of your career as an officer, your path might lead to
almost any of these levels and assignments if you are willing to work hard to develop
your character, competence, and behavior.You should prepare to embrace the opportunity
for promotion when it arises. This path will also take you on an exciting journey through
Army life that will almost always provide fulfilling work. One aspect of your job to which
you should pay particular attention is the tendency toward the “management mindset.”
Granted, much of your work as an Army officer will be managerial: putting people and
resources to work in the most efficient ways. And managers and good leaders have much
in common as both focus on results.
But as Table 1.4 shows, managers and good leaders differ in how they approach their
jobs. For example, managers administer, while leaders innovate. And while leaders, like
managers, must also keep the organization running smoothly, as a leader you must
constantly ponder the next steps, come up with better ways to accomplish the goal, and
creatively engage your subordinates to produce more or better results.
10 ■ SECTION 1
The Art of Delegating
Downward
The challenge of
command is to empower
your subordinate
leaders. Give them a
task, delegate the
necessary authority, and
then let them do the
work. Check on them
frequently enough to
keep track of what is
going on, but don’t get
in their way. Your
mastery of this skill will
improve through
practice.
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