Life Coach - Step 31 of 100 - Pushing the string

Have you ever tried pushing a string? I guess the answer is no, because we know it will not work unless we trick the string to make it rigid.

However that is exactly what we try to do when we keep cribbing that our JCOs and NCOs are no good. I am referring to the ranks of Subedars, Naib Subedars and Havaldars (Sergeants, Warrant Officers). We like to crib about our JCOs and Havaldars - that they are a burden upto no good. (But isint it strange that officers like us only, got them those promotions) Or is it that once the NCOs get promoted to a JCO they no longer have the hunger for the next.

We are only pushing the string.

A leader at whatever level is no good unless the leader is informed what his goals are, what he will be measured against - his objectives, he is held accountable for his duties and most important has the power to ensure that things happen.

I have worked with some excellent JCOs Sub Paras Nath 2 Trg Bn who I have quoted earlier, Subedar Dharam Singh 67 ER and others. What differentiated them from other commanders was that they made themselves indispensible and created an aura of reliability. Their was an automatic shift of power to them. Assuming that not all JCOs and Havaldars are Paras Nath and Dharam Singh, we as officers have to make them leaders or if not leaders at least good managers.

I firmly believe that all of us have the ability to excel if we are shown the way and maybe even hand held. Please refer to my A,B,C,D blog. So if we have to stop pushing the string and get our junior commanders up to speed, then we have to start pulling the string - make them accountable and set them free.