Title: Leader Development
Headings: Leader Development
Leader Development
Command Sergeant Major Joe B. Parson
Combined Arms Center, Leader Development & Education

Content: A fundamental flaw in many organizations is the premise that leader development is merely made up of a counseling program and a handful of leader professional development sessions. For some organizations this mindset has become further clouded either because of a deliberate view or an inattentive focus on leader development where it has become something that resides solely in the realm of professional military education. Either through deliberate planning or lack of attention, those organizations have in effect abdicated responsibility to develop their subordinates and have become overly reliant on an educational system designed to provide the fundamentals of leadership. In some cases our expectations of each domain (operational, institutional and self-development) have become somewhat skewed. A great organization places the appropriate amount of focus on training, education and experience in all three of the domains by deliberately planning, preparing, executing and assessing their organization’s leader development program. Cadet Jack Lacy, of Texas A&M University, negotiates an obstacle during Field Leadership Reaction Course training at Fort Knox, Ky., July 16, 2019. The course challenges cadets’ leadership skills while also encouraging squad growth. ( U.S. Army photo by Luke Heibert, CST Public Affairs Office)
So what does this mean to you and your organization? You need to turn this strategy into a mission and that mission into a plan; so start with what you know.