Army Level Commander Analysis

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I feel very competent in leading at the squadron and group level, things around the tactical/operational level. Specifically employing and delivering lethal airpower to the enemy whenever and where ever our nation needs, but I am now realizing being the Michael Jordan of the B-1 is no longer what the Air Force or the military, as a whole, needs from me. I am now taking that leap into uncharted territory where being the best aviator will no longer enough to achieve or meet the needs of my superiors. My superiors are no longer at the lower echelons of leadership; they are senior leaders, both military and civilian. My mind and my knowledge are what the military is my greatest asset now. While there are several areas I need to focus on as …show more content…

Being the tactical expert is no longer enough; you need to be able to translate the vision and objectives of those above you at the highest levels, which is often not definitive and is fuzzy, to those below you in the organization. They are the ones who are going much of the heavy lifting and they need more direction to make it happen, often times they are viewing the world through their own soda straw and do not realize it. General Powell used a great analogy to explain how unit level commander does not know what they do not know when he expressed that a brigade commander knows about as much about the formation of army policy as a worker in the Chevy factory knows about what goes on at the General Motors headquarters. This does not mean lower level command jobs are needless; on the contrary, they develop one as a leader and provide them with the skills needed to succeed at the more senior levels. Powell stated he was chosen for Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) for several reasons; one was he had the right military commands previously. Unlike Powell I have not spent vast amount time in National Capital Region; he was in and out of various jobs ever since he was a Lt …show more content…

You have got to trust those below you are doing the right thing and providing the information you need even though you are no longer the subject matter expert. Colin Powell showed how he could do this even though he was somewhere with no real experience when he went to the Department of Energy (DOE). Charles Duncan knew he was the man to help him organize the recently organized DOE. Duncan understood the value of surrounding yourself with people who get the job done and to help him set the culture within the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). His Special Assistant John Kester was the one who controlled the bureaucracy. Everything flowed through him prior to getting to the Under Secretary and in turn the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF). However, I am a little caution of letting any one person becoming the sole gatekeeper to the senior leader because that gives them lots of power and there is a chance your vision for how the organization runs may not occur and you may not be able to see

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