Leadership is ultimately about one thing - leading troops to accomplish the mission. Leadership is influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improve organization.
Leaders need:
• Purpose: The reason to accomplish the mission.
• Direction: The means to accomplish the mission.
• Motivation: The will to accomplish the mission.
Leaders use Command and Control (C2) to influence their troops to accomplish the mission. Command is the authority leaders exercise over individuals in the organization by their assignment. Control is the direction and guidance of their soldier to ensure accomplishment of the mission and a good, enjoying team. Leadership is the art of exercising C2 to influence and direct troops in such a way to obtain their confidence, respect and cooperation to accomplish the mission. Leadership is the most vital component of C2.
NOTE: Like all courses, a full understanding of the Leadership Page and how to facilitate its knowledge in the field is required before conducting the Operational Leadership Course.
MILITARY LEADERSHIP
Professional military leadership involves a combination of personal character and professional competence with a bias for the right action at the right time for the right effect. Leading troops in combat is the team leaders most important challenge.
There are three type of core principles that underline the application of tactical leadership by example, authority and mission command.
LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE
"Bound by Nothing" – TF Reaper's leadership motto best summarizes the principle of leadership by example. This simple expression is further developed into the armed forces leadership philosophy: Be, Know, Do. Character describes what a leader must be; competence refers to what leaders must know; action is what leaders must do. These concepts do not stand alone. They are closely connected and together make up who leaders seek to be.
AUTHORITY
Authority is the delegated power to judge, act or command. It includes responsibility, accountability, and delegation. All soldiers in positions of authority are leaders. Leaders exercise authority as they make decisions to accomplish their mission and lead their soldiers. Authority involves the right and freedom to use the power of position to carry out military duties. It carries with the responsibility to act. Battle command is the exercise of authority against a hostile, thinking enemy.
Although leaders alone can enforce obedience under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, all leaders can expect their troops to follow their orders. Commanders and leaders who delegate authority to troops are responsible to ensure that their subordinates correct orders are followed.
Leaders also have another source of authority; personal authority. It stems from values, attributes, personality, experience, reputation, character, personal example, and most of all, tactical and technical competence. Personal authority, freely granted to a leader by troops, ultimately arises from the actions of the leader, and the trust and confidence generated by these actions.
RESPONSIBILITY
Leaders have three major responsibilities.
First, leaders are responsible for accomplishing all assigned missions.
Second, they are responsible for the health, welfare, morale and discipline of their troops.
Third, they are responsible for maintaining and employing the resources of their element.
In most cases, these responsibilities do not conflict. However, the leader’s responsibility for mission accomplishment can conflict with his responsibilities to his subordinates. In an irreconcilable conflict between the two, including the welfare of the leader himself, while mission accomplishment must come first, the health of his subordinates must always be subjugated as the primary responsibility regardless of circumstance in any event. Leaders must also understand that the excessive loss of troops and resources can severely inhibit their ability to accomplish their mission.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Leaders are responsible for their own decisions and for the actions, accomplishments and failures of their troops. Accountability is non-negotiable and makes up the very backbone of the chain of command. It is impossible to exercise authority without accountability. Accountability is included in the core values of a leader and is what enables up to achieve and maintain legitimacy.
DELEGATION
Leaders delegate authority to allow troops to carry out their duties, and when necessary, decide and act on behalf of themselves. While leaders can delegate authority, they cannot delegate responsibility of the outcome of their soldier’s actions. Subordinatess are accountable to their leaders for how they use delegated authority.
MISSION COMMAND
Mission Command is the conduct of military operations through decentralized execution based upon mission orders for effective mission accomplishment. Successful mission command result from team leaders at all elements exercising disciplined initiative within the commander’s intent to accomplish missions. It requires an environment of trust a mutual understanding. A fundamental tenet of mission command is the importance of people over technology and equipment.
Mission orders that allow maximum freedom of planning and action to accomplish missions are an effective leadership technique in completing combat orders. Mission orders leave the “how” of mission accomplishment to the soldiers. This way of thinking emphasizes the dominance of command rather than control, thereby providing initiative, the acceptance of risk, and the rapid seizure of opportunities on the battlefield.
FIELD LEADING
Any member with the grade of E-4 or above may actively hold a Team Leader position in an element. The most important part is to use experience to lead troops. Every leader should constantly be learning and training themselves to be a better leader. Regardless of circumstance, everyone - including leaders - will make mistakes. However, turn the mistakes into experiences; learn from them and make better decisions in the future.
As a Team Leader, subordinates are fully counting on the Team Leader to build on their foundation that was laid during training. Team Leaders are the one who must dedicate themselves to guarantee that their troops achieve successful potential as well accomplish the mission and can operate effectively in an element.
Pre-Combat Checklist
• Weapons
• Ammunition
• Marking Tools (Colored Smoke, Lights)
• GPS/MicroDAGR/Rugged Tablets
• Entrenching Tools
• Tripods
• Flashlights
• IR Strobes
• Pen and Paper
• Maps
• OPORD
• Wire-Cutter
• Communication Cards
• 9-Line MEDEVAC Card
• Fuel Cans
• Zip Ties
• Graphics
• Routes
• OBJs (Objectives)
• LZs (Landing Zones)
• Load Plans
• Toolkit
• Radios and backup communication
• NVGs (Night Vision Goggles)
FIELD EXERCISE (CLASS ONLY)
During the Operational Leadership Course (OLC) there will be a Field Training Exercise involving drills and live fire training exercise.
Prepare for the following drills prior to the OLC:
• Communications (Team to Team Communication)
• Formations and Maneuvers
• Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT).
• Field Engagements
OLC is a GO/NO GO exercise, all personnel will, over a period of two days with 2-4 hours live exercises each day, be evaluated according to this and the Leadership Guidance page.