Discussion Board L510

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US ARMY SERGEANTS MAJOR ACADEMY
Sergeants Major Course (SMC)

L200: Developing Organizations and Leaders

Lesson Plan for L209
Leadership and Communication

L209 Reading A

Leadership Communication

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Leadership Communication

Levels of Leadership

He who is a good ruler must have first been ruled.

– Aristotle, On Politics

Generally, the role and focus of a leader depends on the level at which they work.
Organizations have four levels of leadership:

Leader of Organizations—These leaders are primarily concerned with providing the
vision, direction, and resources to guide the organization into the future.

Leaders of Leaders—Those leading at this level exercise direct leadership over
subordinate leaders and indirect leadership over the organization below them.

Leader of People—Those leading on this level exercise the direct, face-to-face
supervisory skills required to accomplish tasks and facilitate team building.

Follower—As a team member, a future leader develops a foundation of values,
character, and proficiency. You cannot learn to be an effective leader until you have
learned to be a good follower. For this reason, leaders must strive to build good
followership skills in their team members.

Although the basic principles of leadership are the same at each level, the way that they
are applied and the techniques that must be used are different, depending upon where in
the organization a leader is working. It is not uncommon for a leader to be in three or
four categories at the same time.

Communication—The Tool of Leadership

Leadership is the art of influencing and directing others to an
assigned goal in such a way as to obtain their obedience,

confidence, respect, and loyal cooperation. Military
leadership is the same art demonstrated and applied within

the profession of arms.

Leadership for Commanders of Divisions and Higher Units,
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, 1949

Communication represents the how of leadership. You cannot lead unless you can
communicate. Communication is to the leader what water is to the body.

Communication is the exchange of information and ideas. Effective communication
occurs when others understand precisely what you are trying to tell them, and you
understand exactly what they are trying to tell you.

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Effective communication creates the kinds of bonds that allow your unit to follow you
and act appropriately as they carry out their mission. It is the glue for teamwork and unit
activity.

For communication to be effective, the role of the sender and receiver must switch
frequently. After receiving a message, the listener acknowledges the message by
providing feedback. Feedback can be sent verbally or non-verbally.

The message that you communicate is not just the words you speak. The packaging of
your communication—your tone, voice, body language, and gestures all combine to
communicate your message to the listener.

You must win your unit’s trust and confidence before going on a mission. How and what
you communicate can enhance or damage the strength of the relationship between you
and your people. Unit discipline and cohesion depend on the strength of this
relationship.

Effective communication implies that your team listens to and understands you. Because
people listen to leaders who listen to them, you must work hard at listening to your team.
Becoming a skilled listener is hard work and takes constant practice.

Command Climate

What you do speaks so loudly, I cannot hear what you are
saying.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803 – 1882
American author, poet, and philosopher

Command climate is different than organizational culture.

Organizational culture refers to the environment of the larger institution or agency.

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Command climate refers to the environment within the influence of a particular leader
or chain of command. Command climate describes the atmosphere that the leader
creates to lead the team within the operational environment.

Subordinates share a perception of the command climate based on their understanding
of how they are expected to perform, how they expect to be treated, and how they must
conform to their leaders’ individual styles and personalities.

Healthy command climate is essential to the unity of command of the leadership team
and for unified effort within the staff. When subordinates look at the leadership team,
they look for several indicators to determine whether or not they can trust the chain of
command.

A unified leadership team sends a powerful message. When all members of the
leadership follow the same priorities and go out of their way to reinforce the
commander’s intent through their actions and words, people in the field develop a strong
sense of trust for the team. Unity of command dispels the propensity to second-guess
command decisions as subordinates recognize that the leadership team moves as one
and is solidly in charge.

Command climate also directly impacts an organization’s ability to recover from error.
An unhealthy command climate can stifle communication and inhibit resources from
reporting problems. Good communication and interaction among the team and leaders
are the first line of defense against error chains.

A healthy command climate empowers subordinate leaders to exercise individual
initiative and take appropriate risks and actions when the situation requires. At times, on
dynamic assignments, centralized control becomes impossible or communications are
lost.

A command climate that reinforces a zero defect mentality creates conditions in which
people tend to wait for guidance before taking action, often losing the opportunity to
gain ground on the situation or even maintain control.

Command Presence

Thus it is said that one who knows the enemy and knows
himself will not be endangered in a hundred engagements.
One who does not know the enemy but knows himself will

sometimes be victorious, sometimes meet with defeat. One
who knows neither the enemy nor himself will invariably be

defeated in every engagement.

– Sun Tzu
The Art of War, 500 B.C.

More than anything else, command presence sets the tone for command climate.
Command presence describes how a leader presents himself or herself to others—the
myriad of personal attributes and behaviors that communicate that the leader is worthy
of trust and respect.

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A leader’s character is the foundation upon which command presence is built. People’s
perception of their leader’s character begins the moment they begin interacting. Leaders
reveal their character in every interaction, and their character shapes and permeates the
command presence they project.

People in an organization are constantly sizing up the situation and their leader. They are
quick to pick up on any disconnect between what the leader says and does.

Another component of command presence—demeanor—communicates volumes to
others. Dress, body language, and poise all play a large part in the image and message
projected. Effective leaders project an image that is calm, organized, and focused on
success.

Constancy in demeanor provides a strong anchor point upon which unit members can
key their behaviors. It minimizes hesitancy and uncertainty because a consistent
demeanor modulates overreaction to changes and new situations.

Imagine a pendulum hanging from a string. Unintended agitation occurs at the top of the
string when a leader’s character or stress reactions affect their ability to clearly articulate
their intent and make effective decisions. Vacillation occurs when the leadership team is
not unified or sends out conflicting messages.

The smallest movement at the top of the string causes the pendulum to swing
dramatically, affecting the arc and speed of the mass at the bottom.

The people and the resources at the ground level find themselves trying to keep up and
react to the erratic changes in the pendulum’s speed and direction. This confusion
creates the perception that the leadership team can’t get its act together and contributes
to a negative perception of the leader.

Consistency provides a strong anchor point from which others can key their behaviors. It
minimizes the swinging of the pendulum and inspires confidence in the leaders’ abilities.

The Sun Tzu factors apply directly to the behavior of leaders through a leader’s most
challenging aspect of duty: know yourself.

 Known versus Unknown

 Can Control versus Cannot Control

 Strengths versus Weaknesses

 Danger versus Opportunity

Recognizing your abilities and limitations, seeking out feedback, learning from mistakes,
knowing where to improve and when to seek out others with complimentary strengths—
these are all behaviors crucial to leadership success and directly affect the command
presence that you convey.

Creating an Effective Command Climate

One whose upper and lower ranks have the same desires will
be victorious.

– Sun Tzu
The Art of War, 500 B.C.

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An effective command climate builds mutual trust and respect and allows subordinate
leaders to show initiative and take appropriate actions as the situation requires.

It also creates an environment where people feel comfortable raising issues that may be
problems and engaging in healthy debate over potential courses of action.

First Impressions

A leader’s ability to create a positive first impression is the essential first step in
establishing a healthy command climate.

When first stepping into any new situation or meeting someone new, people immediately
start gathering information, making observations, and becoming oriented to the new
situation or person.

The process is circular: while you formulate your first impression, others are formulating
their first impression of you.

A leader makes an impression continuously through verbal and non-verbal
communication and both conscious and subconscious behavior.

Once an initial perception is formed, it is difficult to change. Whether that impression is
accurate or fair does not really matter. As the old saying goes, you never get a second
chance to make a first impression.

From this first impression and those that follow, leaders set the tone and tempo of
command. A leader creates situation awareness of themselves in others.

Managing Fear

A leader who sets a standard of “zero defects, no mistakes” is

also saying “Don’t take any chances. Don’t try anything you
can’t already do perfectly, and for heaven’s sake don’t try

anything new.”

Leaders are not afraid to make mistakes. Instead, they learn

from them. They cannot be afraid to challenge how they and

their organizations operate. When leaders ask, “why do we

do it this way” and find the reason is, “because we’ve always

done it that way,” it is time for a closer look at the process.

Unless leaders are willing to question how things operate

now, no one will know what is possible.

– Army Doctrinal Publication 22-100

Army

Leadership

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Effective leaders pay close attention to the effect of fear on subordinates.

If subordinates avoid confrontation or conflict, fail to speak up when they notice
something wrong, or fail to take the initiative when appropriate, the team loses its ability
to identify and mitigate errors.

This risk-averse climate is common unless a leader proactively creates a healthy
command climate that reduces organizational fear.

A leader’s own fears also can have an enormous impact on his or her effectiveness. A fear
of responsibility, fear of failure, anxiety over the media—all these fears and others can
cause a leader to over-delegate or become distant. Leaders have the duty to identify and
mitigate the impacts of their own fears.

Communication

Communication is the primary tool used to establish command climate. First
impressions and managing fear—these depend on the leader’s effectiveness as a
communicator. The ability to communicate is universally rated as one of the most
important leadership behaviors in any survey on leadership.

Communication is the foundation that builds trust and enables a unit to develop
cohesion. Communication allows a leader to communicate objectives and intent.
Communication breaks error chains. Communication increases situation awareness.

Human interaction is the engine of an effective team, and communication is the oil that
minimizes friction and allows the parts to function effectively.

Sources of Power

Leaders can draw from several sources of power:

 Position Power

 Reward Power

 Discipline Power

 Expert Power

 Respect Power

Being able to use the appropriate source of power is a component of situational
leadership. Your ability to read the situation and apply the appropriate source of power
enhances your ability to create an effective command climate.

Leadership Styles

Strange as it seems, great leaders gain authority by giving it
away.

– Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale, 1923 – 2005

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Choosing a leadership style—directing, participating, or delegating—depends on a
number of factors:

 Time available

 Values at risk

 Information available

 Clarity of objectives

 Standardization

 Stability of conditions

 Level of coordination

 Experience of resources

Your choice of leadership style directly impacts how people respond to you and,
ultimately, how well the operation runs.

In simple terms, the power paradox describes the seeming contradiction that you gain
power by giving it away.

If you allow subordinates’ control over and input into the mechanisms that control their
lives it strengthens your ability to lead them: Involvement increases commitment.

If you want respect as a leader, give respect to subordinates. If you want the trust of your
subordinates, give trust to them first. Gauging the Command Climate

 Leaders must constantly update their own situation awareness regarding the
command climate. The following are characteristic of an effective command climate:

 Clear priorities and objectives

 Unified leadership team

 Clearly stated standards and expectations

 Consistency in holding people accountable

 Willingness to admit error and to learn from mistakes

 Willingness to seek and act upon feedback from subordinates

 Willingness to delegate authority

 Willingness to recognize and address stress and negative conflict

 Good role models who set the example

 Open communication

 Leaders must have their finger on the pulse of the operation to recognize failures in
any of these areas and to correct errors at their starting point.

Summary

 Command climate describes the atmosphere that the leader creates to lead the team
within the operational environment. When subordinates look at the leadership team,
the command climate enables them to determine whether or not they can trust the
chain of command.

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 A leader’s character is the foundation upon which command presence is built.
Leaders reveal their character in every interaction, and their character shapes and
permeates the command presence they project.

 Recognizing your abilities and limitations, seeking out feedback, learning from
mistakes, knowing where to improve and when to seek out others with
complimentary strengths—these are all behaviors crucial to leadership success and
directly affect the command presence that you convey.

 An effective command climate builds mutual trust and respect and allows
subordinate leader s to show initiative and take appropriate actions as the situation
requires.

 This risk-averse climate is common unless a leader proactively creates a healthy
command climate that reduces organizational fear.

 Communication is the primary tool used to establish command climate. The ability to
communicate is universally rated as one of the most important leadership behaviors
in any survey on leadership.

 Strange as it seems, great leaders gain authority by giving it away.