Leaders Developing Leaders

Leaders under fire

Other organizations have their own ways of ensuring that leader develop leaders. In the Special Operations Forces, only the best and brightest people are asked to become instructors. But every person that makes it into an elite unit is expected to develop other people.

Recently, we spent two days at Fort Benning, Georgia, with the U.S. Army’s First Ranger Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment on a visit arranged by Col. David Abrahamson, a ranger at the United States Special Operations Command.

It was during that visit that we saw in action a culture of leaders developing leaders. The Special Operations Forces is known for the complexity

of its missions and its detailed rehearsals and preparations. While at Fort Benning, we watched a simulated mission during which a platoon entered a compound of terrorists (actually, army personnel) who were well-armed and also had chemical weapons.

As the simulation unfolded, we saw that it was anything but the well- orchestrated ballet we expected. It was chaos. Such simulations aren’t, as some people might think, opportunities to become perfect in choreographed maneuvers. Instead, they’re meant to season soldiers to make split- second decisions and risk their lives based in those decisions. In other words, the simulations are designed to develop leaders.

After the mission, a dozen of the platoon and squad leaders gathered at a tent deep in Fort Benning’s wooded landscape. Black camouflage still covered their faces. Despite their fatigue, they met to critique the operation while it was fresh in their minds.

For two hours, they discussed everything that they could have done

better in the 45- minute raid. At the end of the briefing, a senior noncommissioned officer, a 20-year veteran, reminded the leaders of their most important mission.

“Everything we just discussed will let us do our jobs quicker with fewer casualties,” said the NCO. “But don’t forget: What gets the job done is bold, aggressive leadership.

“Nothing went according to plan. We were supposed to face a chain- link fence; we faced triple-strand razor wire. The enemy wasn’t supposed to have night-vision goggles, but they did, so we were compromised before we breached the fence. Our radios were supposed to work; they didn’t.

“That’s going to happen. But we got it done because some men stepped up and made decisions. Whe n the alpha-squad leader went down, his team leaders took charge. When the communication didn’t work, the lieutenant didn’t fiddle with the radio or yell at his communications specialist. He ran around to find out what was going on and gave orders. When the fence turned out to be razor wire, the bravo-squad

9leader changed his approach and commandeered two men to help him get everyone into the compound.

“When you leave tonight,” the NCO told the group, “you can and should work with your men to correct the little things. But before you correct actions, remember to strike a balance. Never do anything to discourage that bold, aggressive leadership initiative.”

- How Leaders Develop Leaders, by Eli Cohen and Noel Tichy (p. 9-10)