What do you think makes a "bad" leader?

[Huggy Bear]

No doubt in my mind that failure to communicate ranks right up there. This includes not putting out important information, or putting it out too late for anyone to act upon it with any measure of effectiveness; failure to communicate expectations or give proper direction - expecting subordinates to be mind-readers, then chastising them when they come up with solutions which differ from the commander's. Those are among my biggest frustrations and have continually been the most complained about things among JOs in my several commands. If you think you're communicating enough, redouble your efforts at every opportunity.

Brett

Sounds like one of my old skippers. He would stand by the duty desk and stroke his chin thoughtfully while not saying a word. 3 days later we'd hear from the OPSO about something or other we JO's did that he did not like. One of our Ground O's finally blew up about this one day saying: "We are all grown men here. If you don't like something we are doing just tell us instead of complaining to the OPSO for us to hear about it days later!"

 

[LazersGoPEWPEW]

An interesting question posed by an Army Major in AROTC at my school was

"Are leaders born or are they made?"

It's a question I still mull over at times. I personally don't have a solid answer to the question because I haven't been around long enough to see someone go from ground up. Maybe some of you older guys have some better insight on this.

 

[picklesuit]

An interesting question posed by an Army Major in AROTC at my school was

"Are leaders born or are they made?"

It's a question I still mull over at times. I personally don't have a solid answer to the question because I haven't been around long enough to see someone go from ground up. Maybe some of you older guys have some better insight on this.

IMHO they are born. You can't teach integrity, honesty, boldness, decisiveness. Just like you can't cure stupid. No science to back that up, just my gut after watching my kids on the playground interacting with other kids. My son gets what he wants, my wife and I are the same way, as was my dad and grandpa.

 

[nittany03]

IMHO they are born. You can't teach integrity, honesty, boldness, decisiveness. Just like you can't cure stupid. No science to back that up, just my gut after watching my kids on the playground interacting with other kids. My son gets what he wants, my wife and I are the same way, as was my dad and grandpa.

Disagree. While those are important, you also need to be willing to learn from your experiences and make an occasional hard gut check when you realize that your view of the world and how you act in it does not conform to reality. What bothers me more about the sub-par leadership I have met in the Navy so far (not that all the leadership has been sub-par), is when people don't realize that the rest of the world thinks they're an asshole. I wonder how they have lived their lives without anyone cluing them in, or cluing themselves in that they are doing it wrong.

I've got flaws, as a person and an officer. We all do. I've made mistakes in the Navy and in life that make me flinch when I think back. But I am at the same time heartened that I do flinch, because it means I'm not like that anymore. What scares me is what I may flinch about in the future that I don't know about yet! People won't always out and tell you they don't like you or something you do. You have to watch, listen, and observe how the world reacts to you.

A few appropriate quotes from a man who has been dead over 1500 years and still taught me a hell of a lot by reading his notes.

It's silly to try to escape other people's faults. They are inescapable. Just try to escape your own.

When you run up against someone else's shamelessness, ask yourself this: Is a world without shamelessness possible? No. Then don't ask the impossible. There have to be shameless people in the world. This is one of them. The same for someone vicious or untrustworthy, or with any other defect. Remembering that the whole class has to exist will make you more tolerant of its members.

The best revenge is not to be like that.

 

[snake020]

IMHO they are born.

http://www.mca-marines.org/programsGroundDinnerOct.asp

Read paragraph 6 please.

 

[bunk22]

I cast my vote(s)...but, IMNSHO, by far the worst trait a leader can have is not taking care of his people.

I agree.

 

[eddie]

"Are leaders born or are they made?"

I think that's pretty simple.

Both, if not always a combination.

 

[Brett327]

An interesting question posed by an Army Major in AROTC at my school was

"Are leaders born or are they made?"

It's a question I still mull over at times. I personally don't have a solid answer to the question because I haven't been around long enough to see someone go from ground up. Maybe some of you older guys have some better insight on this.

Everything in life is a combination of nature & nurture.

Brett

 

[Scoob]

"Are leaders born or are they made?"

They're made. But can only be made if they're born with the ability to evaluate themselves and others, recognize the application of positive and negative leadership traits, and learn to adjust themselves accordingly.

 

[DanMa1156]

Along the same line as bad communicator, but in my limited experience, I've seen both SEL's and Officers use knowledge as power as they don't distribute it and hold it close to them like poker cards. I understand that obviously certain things are sensitive in their nature, but there are way too many times when someone in a leadership position uses knowledge as power and does not distribute it to their people (even if its his/her own expecations!). I wish I could think of a specific incident, because I know I've seen in it in my short time as a Mid, but I can't. I'm sure most of you know exactly what I'm talking about though.

 

[DanMa1156]

To further the discussion about the leaders being born/made, we also had this discussion in my plebe leadership class. I recall that I and most others came to the conclusions that there are innate qualities that leaders need to have, but it is up to them to build and constantly refine qualities that can be developed.

Ex: Innate qualities include having high energy (someone who is naturally lazy, always sleepy, or just plain lethargic, will likely suck as a leader), being a person who enjoys other people (after all, we're LEADING PEOPLE, not machines), and other things that can't really be taught, learned, or gained through experience. Being optimistic I'd say might fall into this category as well - at least being outwardly optimistic.

On the other hand, things such as being a good communicator, learning the technical aspects of your job, good time-management, acting judiciously, etc. are all things that can be learned through experience, careful analysis and reflection, and study - and a good leader ought to seek to be always developing these.

 

[insanebikerboy]

The interesting thing comparing the top two so far, dishonesty and inconsistency, is that if someone is dishonest, you can usually get a grasp on their dishonesty and adjust accordingly. However, if someone is inconsistent, you can't adjust anything because it's always going to be different and you'll never know what to expect or how to respond.

 

[eddie]

The interesting thing comparing the top two so far, dishonesty and inconsistency, is that if someone is dishonest, you can usually get a grasp on their dishonesty and adjust accordingly. However, if someone is inconsistent, you can't adjust anything because it's always going to be different and you'll never know what to expect or how to respond.

Might dishonesty just another form of inconsistancy?

"Can I trust you today? Maybe... maybe not."

 

[insanebikerboy]

Might dishonesty just another form of inconsistancy?

"Can I trust you today? Maybe... maybe not."

Yeah, it's possible, they can somewhat go hand in hand. But, imo if someone is dishonest, you can generally "count" on them being dishonest. It's much harder to "count" on someone who is inconsistent.

 

[DanMa1156]

Dishonesty may not have anything to do with inconsistency - it in fact may just be that people don't have any respect for someone who is dishonest.