Follow the Leader

Photo By Emily McCamy | Coast Guard Reserve Petty Officer 2nd Class Marc Slagle works with an inter-service team to build a tower out of Tinker Toys as part of a class exercise that helps troopers to identify various alternative leadership strategies, effectiveness and mission success, Nov. 7. While the course was designed specifically for Coast Guard members and mandatory for rank advancement, the class was open to all Joint Task Force Guantanamo service members. JTF Guantanamo conducts safe, humane, legal and transparent care and custody of detained enemy combatants, including those convicted by military commission and those ordered released. The JTF conducts intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination for the protection of detainees and personnel working in JTF Guantanamo facilities and in support of the Global War on Terror. JTF Guantanamo provides support to the Office of Military Commissions, to law enforcement and to war crimes investigations. The JTF conducts planning for and, on order, responds to Caribbean mass migration operations.  

11.14.2008

Story by Staff Sgt. Emily McCamy 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs

By Emily Russell
Joint Task Force Guantanamo

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba – Coast Guard Reserve Port Security Unit 307, deployed to Joint Task Force Guantanamo to provide maritime security in the water around the JTF and U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, held the Leadership and Management School last week as a training course for enlisted troopers looking for self-improvement and advancement. The course, designed specifically for the Coast Guard and mandatory for rank advancement, was open to all service members and attended by members of the Coast Guard, Army, Air Force and Navy.

"This course is about getting your people to work hard for you," said Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Doug Van Oort, a LAMS instructor from the Leadership Development Center.

"There are various stages of group development and it's important for a leader to understand their role during each stage so they can effectively manage their people."

Realizing different people require different types of leadership and applying the appropriate style is strategic leadership – a key concept of the course. Troopers learn to assess the needs of the service member and determine whether they require motivation or additional instruction. Practical exercises throughout the course helped to demonstrate how various styles of leadership can affect a group of people.

"When a group of people know how to do a job and the leader stands over them telling them how to do it, [that] causes service members to lose motivation," said Van Oort. "It's a strategy mismatch."

"The Coast Guard is just like anywhere else – we want to hang on to good people," he continued. "Someone may enjoy doing their job, and love [their branch of service] but if their supervisor treats them poorly, they may get out [of the military]. We can improve supervision and retain good people."

An exercise using Tinker Toys allowed troopers to experience different forms of leadership. Each group received the Tinker Toys with various instructions, but with the same goal to achieve. The groups were then tasked to build a tower.

"We're trying to demonstrate the assessment of different leadership strategies used for different tasks," said Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Pam Robin, a LAMS instructor. "You wouldn't use the same leadership style when defusing a bomb versus putting together Tinker Toys. This exercise helps [troopers] see how using the wrong leadership strategy can have a negative impact upon team performance."

Communication is another key element emphasized in this course. Knowing how to talk to Troopers, effectively communicate tasks or address behavioral issues is essential to team management.

"I learned how to communicate better with junior and senior service members as well as how to approach problems, assess member personalities and address issues they may have," said Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Brian Jackson. "I can help prepare junior members to step up into supervisor positions, and hopefully help them personally and professionally with what I've learned in this class."

"Being a leader doesn't start at the top," said Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Cedric Davis. "This course should be offered to more junior members, I believe leadership should start at the lowest level possible. Everyone can be a leader."

• Date Taken: 11.14.2008
• Date Posted: 11.17.2008 09:09
• Story ID: 26434