The Importance of Mentors in the Military

Tags: Army | mentor | military

No matter how smart or accomplished we think we are, every one of us needs a mentor. None of us can make our way through this world without the advice, coaching or example of others. In Greek mythology, Mentor was Odysseus’ trusted counselor. Today, mentors are known as really wise counselors or advisors, and are sorely lacking in the Army today. The fact is that many leaders fail to knowingly, regularly and thoughtfully mentor others, and if they would only listen, they’d hear those needing it most asking for mentoring in so many ways.

Mentoring is not about hanging onto the coattails of a successful person, or trying to gain wisdom or status through osmosis, or dragging along promising subordinates. Neither is it hoping that by standing in someone else’s limelight you can get the light to shine on you. It is about taking and giving advice and wise counsel, about taking the time to share ideas and experiences with others. It is simply part of one of the basic military leadership responsibilities—taking care of soldiers.

There is no substitute for experience and time, or the knowledge, foresight and wisdom gained through trial and error or pain and mistakes. Mentoring provides beacons and checkpoints, provoking and stimulating thoughts and ideas, vision and goals, as well as azimuth adjustments, all in an effort to steer and guide. Each of us as citizens, soldiers and leaders has a responsibility to serve as a guidepost—directly or through example—for those around us. As soldiers, we carry cards and tags printed with the core principles necessary for us to provide our example—the Army Values. Army Values provide a basic guide for how we should conduct ourselves, but they do not charge us with passing anything to fellow soldiers or fellow man.

Mentoring is occasionally provided to general officers through Graybeards, or retired general officers. These wells of knowledge are brought in periodically and assigned to mentor and coach a specific officer performing a specific task. What a brilliant program. But what about the other 99 percent of the Army family? What about the colonels, captains, lieutenants, sergeants major, first sergeants, sergeants and privates? Who mentors them? What about our civilian work force? Don’t they need to learn and grow? What about our children? Yes, the children, but why? In a word—Columbine. We often say our soldiers are reflections of their society, so shouldn’t we have a hand in that society as well?

As we think back on our lives and careers, each of us can recall and share stories of those people who unwittingly left their mark on us. Every sergeant major can name and relate tales of their drill sergeants. Every general officer can tell you about their first platoon sergeant or company commander (CSA GEN Eric Shinseki surely remembered Ernie Kincaid). We can all remember a favorite caring, demanding teacher or coach. Many of us have a mentor whom we call on for advice, guidance or simply to sound out our latest brilliant idea. We all need a mentor or we are doomed to muddle and flounder our way through mistakes that others have made.

Serving as a mentor is one of the easiest things you can do as a leader. All it takes is that you demonstrate care and concern for the well-being and development of others. Getting involved with the future of those who will follow you is the surest way to know your own efforts will not be in vain, and that the legacy you’ve inherited will pass to succeeding generations. Tomorrow’s Chief of Staff of the Army is in an NCO education or commissioning program right now; a future command sergeant major is in AIT or struggling through a COIN lane; and the AIDS vaccine discoverer is in a recruiter’s office. We cannot afford to neglect the development and growth of a single soldier.

Where should you start? Start first with those immediately around you—your fellows and subordinates. Make yourself available to them, and set an atmosphere conducive to frank discussions and open dialogue. Care enough to spend your most valuable resource—time. Our young leaders and soldiers are starved for your attention, guidance and counsel. And, quite frankly, they need to know that you care.

In a recent survey, young officers were asked what made them decide to make the Army a career, and the answer was often that they received frequent feedback and guidance from their senior NCOs and company and battalion commanders. So what difference could that possibly make? Well, these young officers (like all of us) need to know that what they are doing is important, that they matter and that they are doing what they should to accomplish their missions and prepare for the future. But they also need to know that they are headed in the right direction.

What should you do to be an effective mentor? As I’ve stated, be there when your soldiers need you. Don’t be a leader who stands around watching things happen. Care more about your soldiers than yourself and your personal goals. Be the leader who injects guidance at the proper moment, who makes corrections before catastrophe or failure strikes. Be the leader who soldiers can come to for advice or simply to air concerns. Be the leader who leads, not pushes, but always prepared to take corrective action when standards aren’t being met or corners are being cut.

If we aren’t careful, we will create a generation of leaders who do not know how to lead, care and train. We must make a change, and that change can come through a strong, positive mentoring program. We have to show the future SMA and CSA, through our own example, how to truly care for soldiers and their training, growth and development.

COL Nick Rowe, a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, often related a lesson from his first team sergeant who, with a piece of string, asked Rowe to push the string anywhere. Of course, the string didn’t go far or where Rowe wanted it to go. The sergeant then told Rowe to grab the string and pull, and see if it didn’t go anywhere Rowe led it. This was a great lesson in leadership, but is also applicable to mentoring. You, too, can get your soldiers to go anywhere you coach, train, lead and mentor them.

So get out there, get your hands dirty, put your hat on the back of your head (figuratively), and talk to your soldiers and leaders. You can make a bigger difference. Teach your soldiers to think, not what to think. Teach them to act with foresight, purpose and vision, not react after the world has passed them by. Be a mentor.

Click here for information about Command Sergeant Major Jeffrey Mellinger