Management
Creating New Opportunities
Management is a job and leadership is about getting things done through inspiration. There are times that I did have to use my rank in the Corps of Cadets in order to get things done. I know that I can’t make everyone happy, but the ones I lead will respect me for telling them the situation up front. Knowing the objective has made everything more clearly defined for everyone around me to include the Corps and organizations such as the Student Retail Association. In future jobs, I expect nothing less for the requirements necessitated by management positions.
Management did not come to me instinctively, initially I was not very comfortable ordering around squad leaders in my command. I needed several objectives to be met throughout the year to include academic, physical fitness and military discipline reports delivered up to me. Because of my previous role as a squad leader many senior cadets believed that I would fit in naturally as a platoon sergeant. That was not the case I didn’t learn delegating is just as important as getting an objective done by yourself. I enjoy leading by example, but the requirements expected of a platoon sergeant are to complete tasks through others.
Throughout the year I eventually understood the best way to get things done through my squad leaders. It was necessary for me to be up front about turning in reports in a stern and emphatic manner. I was not there to be a friend but to do a job. My role was too important for the Platoon Commander’s success and the platoon to feel uncomfortable about telling the squad leaders to go do their job. Quickly identifying myself as a facilitator of tasks and information, the reports and tasks became completed in a much more timely fashion.
Management is not only the key to my success for the men I have led, but also for me. In my first leadership role for Texas A&M University’s Corps of Cadets; I was the platoon sergeant for Company C-2. Having never experienced the challenges of being in charge of several people (25 cadets), I struggled mightily by expending effort to take care of each cadets problems. In my situation the squad leaders required my trust in order for the organization to succeed, instead I tried to micromanage each individual to ensure they met my goals.
