I don't know if you've seen this show on CBS, but a CEO of a corporation spends a week in the trenches in his/her company, learning how their mandates have affected the people they employ. The process helps them understand how hard their employees work, what issues are affecting their people and company, their own weaknesses as well as understand how the demands from the higher ups are received by the rank and file. I've seen a few CEO's truly realize how they're perceived and how regulations they created have been difficult or even ridiculous for their employees.
I think the idea of leadership putting themselves in the shoes of those they lead is or should be necessary. Many times as a teacher, I wonder if the administration remembers what it is like to be in the classroom or has been out so long, they wouldn't be able to handle how kids have changed. Nothing is more frustrating than feeling like your boss doesn't know or worse care what you're going through. Yet, most employers, administrators, managers, etc. don't have an opportunity to put themselves back into the ranks in order to improve their leadership or direction.
My husband has been in both the Marines and Army and has experienced many different types of leadership, some better than others, most not good. He doesn't communicate much about his current situation so today, I'm writing about his experiences previously and in general the issues I see and hear throughout the military.
One of the biggest problems in the military is that leadership has absolute power. If someone above you orders you to do something, as long as it isn't illegal, you pretty much have to do it. They can order you to stay at work every night until midnight and be back at four without any regard for your family or health. They generally don't do those kinds of things, but sometimes, they do. As anyone knows, absolute power corrupts absolutely. When you put someone on strict deadlines with serious consequences to get the job done, they tend to delegate as much of those duties as possible and then hold the people below them to impossible standards for doing jobs that aren't theirs. I've witnessed this over and over through my husband and friend's husbands.
But the biggest issue I think that leadership in the military faces is that officers come right out of college, get their commission and outrank all enlisted personnel. My husband has been to Iraq four times, faced all sorts of convoys, combat, IEDs, local issues, etc. but a second lt. whose never been anywhere is sending down mandates that make paper sense, but not real sense and no one can question his authority. Even if what he orders is stupid, ass backwards and dangerous or even putting lives at risk, questioning his orders (not disobeying, just asking a question) could end your career if he wanted to court martial you, write you an unfavorable evaluation, not give you credit for positive things you do, put you on the worst and most dangerous duties imaginable - and all you can do is take it.
The military combines guys with book knowledge, but little field experience with absolute power and creates a lot of awful situations for the enlisted soldiers. Some officers are great, make it a point to be aware of their soldiers below them, but even if the very top guy is great, their can be twenty below him who warp his orders or delegate too many responsibilities putting too heavy of weights on the soldiers below. Oh, and if you happen to have a leader who has some issues with rage or mental health - there is no way to address that either. Just suffer in silence.
Playing devil's advocate, there are, I'm sure, all sorts of regulations about how to deal with tyrannical, maniacal leadership, but the reality (like seeking mental health help) is that if you attempt to deal with a situation and the leaders above the one you have issues with don't support you or you can't even get to them through the crazy guy, you've put yourself in a madman's hands with your life at his whim. Have plans this weekend, no, you got pulled to take over staff duty desk (24 hours of watching a phone and private barracks). Or worse, get put with the weakest soldiers and then evaluated poorly for their failures, even though you've only been their leader a week. I could spend a week thinking of all the ways a leader (nco or officer) can makes the lives of those below him miserable.
I don't know what the answer is. There needs to be a way (even if rarely used) to protect a soldier who addresses a serious concern about the fitness of leadership against retaliation and losing his career. I really think that the modern army has lost the ability to promote enlisted with experience into leadership roles. My 33 year old husband with four tours under his belt, shouldn't take orders from a 21 year old who just got out of college and has never been to combat at all, or at least not with impunity. Officers should have to spend a month being enlisted, see what they see, experience how the officers edicts affect their lives and sanity.
No one should lead until they know how to follow. True.
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