MAGAZINE
FALL 2020
LEADERSHIP
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
:
A NCO
PERSPERCTIVE
By German Army Master Sergeant Marcus NEUBERT , LANDCOM DCOS Operations Assistant
What is the right way to develop a leader / subordinate relationship ? That is a question I had pondered many times in my time as an NCO leader in the German Army and here at LANDCOM . I decided to take a few moments to write down some of my ideas on the topic and , essentially , provide some food for thought from my perspective regarding the best qualities in effective leader and subordinate relationships .
Build Relationships Next to the amount of personal leader skills , I find that leader empathy , ethical values , and relationship-orientated behavior essential for effective leadership in any organization . l find all these variables are jointly related to the quality of interaction between leaders and lower ranking members .
In theory , a leader will develop a relationship over time with each subordinate . The quality of the relationship may vary from one subordinate to another , but normally when there is higher interaction in any given relationship there is also a higher level of trust , approval , and respect . And these interactions are not only limited to business . Conducting business is often the smallest amount of time a leader and subordinate share . It is expected the subordinate will be more highly committed to the business side of work and be more loyal to the leader when the leader invests in the subordinate outside of work-related items . In low quality work relationships , subordinates will reasonably only expect they will have to perform the formal requirements of their jobs .
Communication On this same token , quality of the communication between leaders and subordinates has important implications for leadership effectiveness . This means a leader who is able to develop high quality relationships ( HQR ) with most or all subordinates is likely more effective than a leader who is unable to develop HQR . Empirical studies have found several indicators of leadership effectiveness . It was revealed that the more favourable a relationship between leaders and subordinates results in higher commitment and a better job performance overall .
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