[August 8, 2016] One thing that I learned early on in the U.S. Army was to pay close attention to army sergeants. This applies, certainly, to all military services. The U.S. Army’s Command Sergeant Major (CSM) is the most senior enlisted rank as noncommissioned officers and one of the most respected. Senior Flag Officers are advised by senior enlisted sergeants, so yes, you can learn a lot from an Army sergeant.
I asked one of the most respected U.S. Army’s CSMs, retired, to give me a list of those things that people could learn from an Army sergeant. I asked that he keep those lessons generic so there is no discussion on the experience of combat. Perhaps I’ll save combat lessons for another blog post in the future.
“The sergeant is the Army.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S. Army General and 34th U.S. President
Here is his list of 14 things we can learn from an Army sergeant:
- Take the time to teach, coach, and mentor others and to keep good folks in your organization.
- Be open-minded about differences: physically, intellectually, and socially.
- Develop professionalism through personal growth.
- Lose your ego and drop biases and stereotyping.
- Train others that it’s about not just having knowledge but knowing what to do.
- Work hard, train hard, play hard, but always be part of the team.
- Values are at the heart of any organization and without them everyone will fail.
- Inoculate yourself and others against fear; fear is a mind-killer.
- The importance of good, quality training.
- Learn from your mistakes, don’t fret over them, apologize as necessary, and move on.
- Know when to flout the rules.
- When you get knocked down, get back up.
- Get your hands dirty.
- Appreciate your country for its goodness.
Many will read this list and simply say, “oh another list.” But to ignore any of these lessons would be a crucial and avoidable mistake for any leader.
“All of us who have served in uniform – from the newest recruits to four-star generals and admirals – have respected and learned from the outstanding men and women who wear the chevrons, anchors, and stripes of our noncommissioned officer and petty officer corps.”1 – General Martin E. Dempsey, 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2014
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