Review of Leader Competencies in Army

Introduction: Leadership competencies are leadership skills and behaviors that contribute to superior leader performance. Are leaders born or made? Thesis statement: A leader can be made, not born. Background: This does not mean that someone that is not in a leadership posotion cannot be taught to become a great leader. The Army has created Basic Leadership Course (BLC) for Junior enlisted Soldiers to become the future of the greatest force on earth. BLC teaches Junior enlisted Soldiers in the Army basic leadership skills to become the leaders the Army needs. Although it may take time for a leader to become great at his or her role as leader it can be done through life experience, work experiences, through mentors and coaches. A leader strives to make his or her work area better that they foumd it. Army leaders Leads, Develops and Achives goals. However, there are more leadership competencies that can make a good leader. Social intelligence, Interpersonal Skills, Emotional skills, Courage, Conflict Management among others. Do smart people make a better leaders? A smart person is not always a good leader, some who we consider geniuses do not always make good leaders, for example, scientist, brilliant mathematecians are not always the best leaders.

Topic sentence: It is imperative that a leader learns how to LEAD effectively. A leader builds trust, influences, communicates with peers, and leads by example. A leader builds trust by showing his or her Soldiers that the leader is on their side and stands up for them. Evidence & citing: Soldiers perform above standard when they feel they are treated fairly and being recognized for their outstanding performance. A leader’s ability to influence is achived by specific goals and objectives. Gaining influence on a team can help everyone work together more effectively to reach the objective. A leader must ask questions, by asking questions the leader will undertand if the Soldiers understand the mission. Engage in two-way conversations to and give feedback to Soldiers. The famous line “That is what I said but not what I meant” can be avoided by communicating. Commentary: LEAD by example, get your hands dirty. Go out and show Soldiers you are part of the team and engage alongside with Soldiers in tasks. Make sure to follow the norms and polocies. Leaders who lead by “Do as I say not as I do” lose respect from their followers. A leader must advance his or her knowledge of the job at hand, and does the work of the trade. It does not require to be the most advance person, but it is important to have in depth of the job.

Topic sentence: Development is taking actions to teach and guide another toward learnings resources, in order to broaden his or her skill set and understanding as necessary for advancement to greater levels of proficiency and/or reponsibility. (Kruse March 2019) Evidence & citing: A good positive enviroment can be reached when a leader listens. When a positive environment is created Soldiers, feel free to express their ideas and opinions. Recognize the hard work of Soldiers and let them know they are making a difference on the team. Recognizing Soldiers who work hard motivates them to keep up the good work. Take advanced classes; go to schools to advance your knowledge for your job. A leader must advance his or her knowledge by investing in skill sets and capabilities to improve the Soldiers taking over leadership positions. Investing in the development of Soldiers is important and is by far a rewarding thing a leader can do. Ask questions; get to know your Soldiers. Commentary: As a leader, look for opportunities for your Soldiers that are aligned with their development needs. Do not think about choosing the most qualified Soldier for the assignment. Instead, think about picking the right assignments for the right developmental assignment for the Soldier. Leadership requires stewardship by taking care of people, resources, and responsibilities.

Topic sentence: Achievement is more than just getting things done and completing the mission. It also requires, integrating tasks, resourcing and prioritizing, improving performances, giving feedback, executing, and adjusting to what a Soldier is capable of doing. A leader increases productivity of his or her staff by integrating tasks. Evidence & citing: The average person today is working at 50 percent of capacity. (Tracy International) Adapting to a person’s ability to work will improve performance. Observe the personal and position them in a strategic way to improve the overall performance. After adjusting and having a clear view of your Soldiers, you can start executing. After executing the mission successfully, a leader expands influence among the team and his or her leaders.

Conclusion paragraph: In conclusion, Leader Competencies in Army are skills that encourage leaders to manage goals, missions, and tasks. Not everyone is born a leader, however, without a doubt one can be taught to become a great leader. Applying good followership will help set someone up as leaders for the future. When a leader fails to communicate, your team will fail, as they will not understand the mission and goals. By leading, developing, and achieving, a leader will have a better chance to accomplish missions with great success. A competent leader will influence their team and have them with full force behind them. Leadership Competencies are traits, skill, and knowledge that the Army attempts to measure to screen potential leaders.

Works Cited

1. Kevin Kruse March 21, 2019https://leadx.org/articles/developing-others-leadership-competency/
2. https://www.briantracy.com/blog/leadership-success/how-to-delegate-the-right-tasks-to-the-right-people-effective-management-skills-for-leadership-success/