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Originally Posted by incommin
COl Jack, I once had a COL tell me that when you make COL or General you are no longer a "leader"; that you become a manager of leaders and that is why officers jump from command to staff, back and forth as they move up the chain...... how does that square with your comments???????
Jim
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It does not sit well with me, probably because I was a soldier that happened to be an officer. First of all those at that level that see themselves as managers vice leaders should be backing up to the pay table. You have just as much responsibility to exercise leadership with those leaders for whom you are responsible as does a squad leader for those fire team members for whom he is responsible. The approach is different but the goal is the same-enable your subordinates to succeed. What you are hearing from those that provided you with what they see as sage advice is the Harvard Business School approach to "leadership". You might well manage resources and a bottom line but you still have to provide the leadership to those you provide the resources and manage those resources in such a way to allow those folks to succeed. That means that it becomes your responsibility as the leader who provided the mission requirements to prioritize the resources needed and manage them (time, money, materiel, etc) in such a way that those that need the most grease for that wheel you want turned get it. But unlike the manager your presence as a leader is felt either through your stated or implied vision and more often than not your physical location at the most vital points of the effort on site. Unlike the manager, you still have to set the correct command climate, personal example, etc.