MAGAZINE
SPRING 2020
NCO Leadership Education the
Swiss Way
By Warrant Officer Zoltán KÁCSOR , Hungarian Army , LANDCOM G2
In my experience , the noncommissioned officer ’ s ( NCO ) role in a multinational environment encompasses more diverse challenges than serving on the national level . This is why professional education is important . In order to make the NCO Corps more interoperable , participation in leadership focused courses for NCOs is crucial .
available to NATO . This massive task requires the highest level of organizational skills and the instructions from highly experienced senior NCOs , not only from the Swiss Armed Forces , but also from other nations as well . They also incorporate guest speakers from outside the military to add variety to course ’ s professional curriculum .
The curriculum for their array of courses covers a broad range of topics such as cultural awareness , ethical behavior , counseling in a multinational environment , effective communication , and conflict management . The lessons are mainly syndicate work conducted very efficiently so attendees can simultaneously experience the strengths and weaknesses of their own personal qualities . This makes the experience an outstanding opportunity for personal development , and exposes students to the myriad of aspects of group dynamics by forcing students to work in ‘ micro international environments ’.
Interestingly , the provision of military NCO leadership training in NATO is not relegated to only NATO member nations . As part of Partnership for Peace ( PfP ), the Swiss Armed Forces are actively involved in the Alliance ’ s demanding undertaking to pave the way towards a stronger , more cohesive organization through professional military education . In fact , they host and fund the NCO Intermediate and Advanced Leadership Courses
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For senior NCOs , the Advanced Leadership in a Multinational Environment course is essential . This course is designed to broaden participants ’ awareness of leadership challenges and highlight aspects that differ from a purely national perspective , such as cultural awareness . And a leadership course , by definition , cannot be restricted to the walls of a classroom inside a military compound with a strictly followed curriculum . This is why this Swiss-run NCO course takes students outside the confines of a military environment for team