Taking on Leadership: Your Experience

[Devil's Due]

Hello, Escapist!

Today I was lost in thought about one topic: Leadership. I've been part of a Junior Reserve Officer's Training Corps (JROTC) unit (a military high school class that teaches citizenship and discipline), and was told that I was highly recommended to run for the Unit Commander: a person in charge of 175 other cadets, over a dozen operations and programs, and an eighteen year old unit known for community excellence and academics.

I don't personally feel I'm a leader, even though everyone has been saying otherwise the multiple years I've been in my unit, and I don't think jumping from a Squadron Commander (leading nine others) to a Unit Commander (leading 175 others) is an appropriate jump, but many are desiring me to be the one to take control of that.

So I began to wonder while I was here: What does the Escapist feel about leadership? Have any Escapists held any leadership positions (in school, work, organization, or even just a everyday situation, etc)? What was their feelings when offered the task, and while they were doing the task? And most importantly: has it improved your character?

Please feel free to contribute. Even if you haven't had an example to give, you can still talk about any of your friends you've notice go through changes or take on leadership roles and how you feel about that.

 

[Forgetitnow344]

I was actually in AFJROTC myself all four years of high school. I was a prominent member from the get-go and was a Flight Commander for a year. Then in my senior year (despite some bad choices that would have led to expulsion in any other part of the school) I was promoted to Captain and the Vice Commander of the whole Corps. The more I put into it, the more I got out of it. Now I simply can't let things slip by me without at least trying to resolve them. It's actually led me to a terrible reputation with the moderators on here because sometimes the hard truth involves hurting some feelings... And feelings are the oh-so-sensitive treasures of the forum members here... I never give up on anything, and people turn to me when they need something done.

If you have people turning to you to take authority of a situation, that is an extremely good sign. Take charge. If something needs to be done right, be the one to do it. It's an incredibly fulfilling feeling and it looks fantastic on your resume. If your Corps needs you, step up. You won't regret it.

 

[LostAlone]

Leadership is an interesting thing, because there are so many different ways that it works. Very few people are good at all levels and types of leadership. Particularly military leadership is different from practically any other form, partly because its more authoritarian, but also because the only way to advance is to command more people. If you wanna go up the ladder, you'll need to learn, but you can do it.

In any civilian leadership role, you rule by charisma and negotiation. In the forces its different. If you give the orders, the guys will do it. What you need is confidence in your own ability. Confidence comes from knowledge and experience. So build your knowledge, ask questions, read books. Pester your superiors and trainers until you feel that whatever your saying is the right thing. Once you're at that point, the guys following will follow you without any problems.

Personally, I can hold together a smallish group of people (under 30 say) just with sheer charisma and an ability to convince people I'm right or at least righter than them. But once the group gets bigger I have problems. I have no confidence in my ability to lead by decree (ie giving orders) and even if people will follow me I don't feel comfortable about my ideas without having to aggressively defend it to the people who have to make it happen. Luckily, I'm not in that position often.

 

[balol]

I've had a few leadership experiences, mostly being president of my university's anime club. Natural charisma, confidence, blah blah, those are all well and good, and do help. But, what my friends told me made me a good leader were a few qualities in particular.

Responsibility: Yes. Good old fashioned responsibility. Without, go home. You are in charge of rounding up your charges, making sure everyone has fun, making sure everyone is safe, and playing the mom/dad of your group sometimes, which can come down to something stupid like being the only person who remembered to bring some Tylenol and band-aids to an anime convention.

Decisiveness/initiative: Democracy is great and all, and you want everyone happy, but the faster you can reach a decision, the better. Leadership requires you, no matter how you do it, to take the reigns and crack the whip. You basically have to know what your group wants/needs before they know it.

Lastly, and this sorta combines the two, is a capacity to see the whole picture and work everything out. My friend who replaced me as president said the last con was rough on her because she hadn't managed to consider every single thing and manage it well. Leaders honestly require some knowledge of every field(Or ability to put someone in charge of said field). Budgets, location, food, transportation, knowing your group and who they get on with, everything. You really have to be well rounded and grasp everything on your plate at least to a degree.

That's the best sum I'd give for leadership. I was happy to rise to club president because no one else wanted. I loved doing it, and it was fun, because I'm happy when everyone else is. My year as anime club president really helped me grow as a person, and I'm better for it. I know better now what I like doing, who I am, etc etc. I'd say the only thing I disliked is it did take up a good deal of time. Worth it in the end though.

 

[Cazza]

I have never been in a major formal leadership position. When something comes around normally something no one else wants to do. Something no one wants to take responsibility for. When the spot is free I take it. It's been noted by people I do well in these positions and I get a lot of respect for taking charge.

Though I can't help but feel I still won't be anyones first choose. I have been working on my leadership skills. Maybe when I get more experience I will be better suited for the role.

 

[Devil's Due]

I'm amazed that The Escapist has had a good deal of users that took a leadership position, it's a great trait to have as a community when something needs to get done.

Thanks all for taking your time to respond, I am enjoying these well-thought out responses! I'll take a moment to direct my questions or comments to each of you (if possible). Hopefully it's not too long of a read!

If you have people turning to you to take authority of a situation, that is an extremely good sign. Take charge. If something needs to be done right, be the one to do it. It's an incredibly fulfilling feeling and it looks fantastic on your resume. If your Corps needs you, step up. You won't regret it.

That's something I've been hearing a lot lately is "What can you do for your Corps?" I'm surprised that my VC and SEA both cornered me and asked me to step it up, especially considering the many factors that most CC's usually have had I don't even come close to having. I've only been in for two years (this is my third now), a 2nd LT and a Capt, never been on the Drill or such teams, only twelve ribbons, never commanded a flight (only a squadron and club), and no medals. But so far they've told me that their other leadership for the next semester is lacking, and that every position I've held has excelled by a complete revamp and reorganization. I'm just terrified at the prospect of being a CC with still so little under my belt, such as what if I'm not cut out for it and screw up somehow?

But either way, I'm glad a former Cadet who knows what it's like can give me some advice. I'll still take my chances and go for the interview next Semester and see what happens, and if all else fails; there's always XO!

In any civilian leadership role, you rule by charisma and negotiation. In the forces its different. If you give the orders, the guys will do it. What you need is confidence in your own ability. Confidence comes from knowledge and experience. So build your knowledge, ask questions, read books. Pester your superiors and trainers until you feel that whatever your saying is the right thing. Once you're at that point, the guys following will follow you without any problems.

I agree, the only issue is that I feel I'll be too reliant on looking for help than being able to power house my way through interdependently. I used to be like that a lot, and lately it's been going away after I've been in command longer, but once your leadership numbers times itself by 20, you just feel like standing back and hoping for safe, reliable methods instead of anything that could be risky when it involves so many people. Would you suggest still taking on that risk to get the desired outcome, or to become another fine, working part of the system that does nothing more than necessary and keeps things flowing smoothly?

Lastly, and this sorta combines the two, is a capacity to see the whole picture and work everything out. My friend who replaced me as president said the last con was rough on her because she hadn't managed to consider every single thing and manage it well. Leaders honestly require some knowledge of every field(Or ability to put someone in charge of said field). Budgets, location, food, transportation, knowing your group and who they get on with, everything. You really have to be well rounded and grasp everything on your plate at least to a degree.

This is what I'm afraid of most, not being properly trained to take on my task by the former Commander or in return not properly training my replacement either. It's a huge issue in my Unit lately that caused the last two years to crash, and a re-structure this year to fix it, but the lack of training and letting someone to go in blind can mess up the whole system. What would you suggest (or anyone reading this for that matter) in how to combat this?

Case in point: Our current Commander has trained the Vice to take over for next semester, but the Vice instead cannot do it and is giving up the position to someone who can give 100%. Because of this, the entire training has gone and whoever gets the new title will have to find and tackle the old Commander or Vice and get help.

 

[balol]

Lastly, and this sorta combines the two, is a capacity to see the whole picture and work everything out. My friend who replaced me as president said the last con was rough on her because she hadn't managed to consider every single thing and manage it well. Leaders honestly require some knowledge of every field(Or ability to put someone in charge of said field). Budgets, location, food, transportation, knowing your group and who they get on with, everything. You really have to be well rounded and grasp everything on your plate at least to a degree.

This is what I'm afraid of most, not being properly trained to take on my task by the former Commander or in return not properly training my replacement either. It's a huge issue in my Unit lately that caused the last two years to crash, and a re-structure this year to fix it, but the lack of training and letting someone to go in blind can mess up the whole system. What would you suggest (or anyone reading this for that matter) in how to combat this?

Case in point: Our current Commander has trained the Vice to take over for next semester, but the Vice instead cannot do it and is giving up the position to someone who can give 100%. Because of this, the entire training has gone and whoever gets the new title will have to find and tackle the old Commander or Vice and get help.

My experience is a good leader needs to be able to pass the legacy on. This was easy for me, because I just told the new president and leadership to shoot me a text or call if they ever needed me (Which they took advantage of when expenditure proposals came around).

To answer your question more broadly, leaders have a responsibility to take care of their charges, and this definitely includes their successors. Training manuals might help, but really, this is about timing. I see two easy solutions the problem: leaders need to sit down with the next in line and leave a trail of breadcrumbs for them to follow, and leaders need to be able to be "tackled".

I only did this a little, but your superiors really have a responsibility to tell you what to do/expect to do. My case, I should have been clear of what events to plan for, when they were going to happen, and what needs to be done to prepare. To be able to pass this on, experience is the only medicine. They are the only ones who are going to be able to help you.

Now, you shouldn't worry about doing this yourself until the time comes. But when it does, aka, you know who is going to replace you, sit them down, go eat dinner, and just explain what is expected of them. If you're rising to the occasion of leadership, the fact that you're aware you need to pass this on means you're miles ahead of the game.

The second aspect is leaders ultimately have to accept that leadership is usually a learning process. No one is perfect, and no one should expect -you- to be. That said, you should not hesitate to hunt them down for information. By simply voicing your worries to them, and on our dear Escapist, it shows your committed more than your average Joe. You clearly care. And I'd wager your superiors will be glad to hear you do, and it only confirms your capacity to do this. Most leaders are willing to be a coach. No, they won't, can't, and shouldn't hold hands. But knowing your own inadequacies is and equally important skill. If you feel uncomfortable, ask for help. My best advice on that is what my dad always said. "The worst anyone can tell you is no." So go tackle them, prove you're capable, and be ready to ask a few questions when you need to. Stay flexible to their schedule, but emphasize the timely nature of the situation. Your concerns are legitimate, and once again the worst they can say is no.

The flip side of this is once you accept leadership, you'll gain the same responsibilities to your successors. All you can do is give your successors a phone number/email whatever and be available for them. Again, you can't, shouldn't, and won't hold their hand. But being able to give your time and experience is more than enough.

In your particular situation, someone is gonna have to bit the bullet. Your Commander and Vice both have the aforementioned responsibilities to ensure your success. I sincerely doubt they can't be reasoned with. They can't shirk their responsibilities anymore than you can. Your initiative is admirable. Now just have sincerity and confidence and you'll do fine.

 

[Devil's Due]

In your particular situation, someone is gonna have to bit the bullet. Your Commander and Vice both have the aforementioned responsibilities to ensure your success. I sincerely doubt they can't be reasoned with. They can't shirk their responsibilities anymore than you can. Your initiative is admirable. Now just have sincerity and confidence and you'll do fine.

Thank you! Your response did help me a quite a bit in this area of getting a successor. The final issue that I have with that is that I cannot choose my successor; the former Commander, Vice, and two Instructors are the ones who choose who's the new Commander and Vice, and the next best candidiate they're talking about is another Senior as well, so once the final Semester is over, both the old semester and new semester Commanders and Vice Commanders will have passed on to a university or college. I'll probably have to talk to the other candidate and discuss a possible third in command to be someone who's a year younger so they can become a replacement for next year. They won't be trained that well because of their difference in their tasks compared to the Commander and Vice's, but we'll still give them tips from time to time.

There's also a new thing we're discussing making (but no one other than me is seeming to be making it for our Squadrons, apparently), is a Continuity Folder, which we put in detailed information of a position on how we ran it and looked at things, and then pass it on to the next replacement. It's not a guide how to do their job, but a statement on how the former excelled in theirs. I'll just have to figure out a good thing to fit that in with my schedule then. But this is all assuming I make the job; and if not, I do have a good chance making the Vice, which is still powerful enough as the Commander.

For anyone reading this thread: You don't have to respond to my leadership questions, but you can talk about anything you've done. I am really surprised at the amount of leadership the Escapist has shown so far in their posts, and hope I can hear about more examples!