Taking charge 101: Observe before you act

When I got commissioned as an Army officer, I was terrified about what it would mean to be ‘IN CHARGE’. The reality is that I had actively avoided leadership positions (in theory because I often found myself in charge of something. Lol).

However, I remember I spoke to a Master Sergeant and I asked him, point blank, “What should I do when I get to my first unit as a new Lieutenant?”. To my surprise, he laid out a very simple plan:

1) Wait and observe for about 30 days. He said that too many young leaders want to come in and make changes to show they are in charge but they are not taking the time to evaluate the circumstances they are charged with leading. Look at your assets. Look at your personnel. Look at how the organization does things.

2) Speak to your Squad leaders and Platoon Sergeant (i.e. Talk to your leaders). Take the time to speak with the individuals who have been there and have been in charge. They can tell how things are done. They can tell how to get things done. They can tell you the problem areas, the problem people and the problem process.

3) Evaluate the information. After about 30 days and talking to all of the people, you should have a pretty descent picture of what you are in charge of so you can figure out how to roll out your plan.

4) Pull everyone together and lay out your strategy. Once you have complete picture, you can start laying out the plans for your actions. This way, you can demonstrate to your subordinates that you have grasp on the current culture and dynamics and communicate your vision for the organization.

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