SH 21-76 Ranger Handbook

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Resilience-A Leadership Perspective

     Resilient leaders can recover quickly from setbacks, shock, injuries, adversity, and stress while
maintaining their mission and organizational focus. Their resilience rests on will, the inner drive that
compels them to keep going, even when exhausted, hungry, afraid, cold, and wet. Resilience helps leaders
and their organizations to carry difficult missions to their conclusion.
     Resilience and the will to succeed are not sufficient to carry the day during adversity. Competence
and knowledge guide the energies of a strong will to pursue courses of action that lead to success and
victory in battle. The leader’s premier task is to instill resilience and a winning spirit in subordinates. That
begins with tough and realistic training.
     Resilience is essential when pursuing mission accomplishment. No matter what the working
conditions are, a strong personal attitude helps prevail over any adverse external conditions. All members
of the Army—active, reserve, or civilian—will experience situations when it would seem easier to quit
rather than finish the task. During those times, everyone needs an inner source of energy to press on to
mission completion. When things go badly, a leader must draw on inner reserves to persevere.

Giant Print Ranger Handbook

The Giant print Ranger Handbook will be available very soon. We are just finishing the format. Current version has 7 font. New version will have 11 font. What a difference.

Printed Ranger Handbook is here.

Respect

Treat people as they should be treated.

The discipline which makes the soldiers of a free country reliable in battle is not to be

gained by harsh or tyrannical treatment. On the contrary, such treatment is far more

likely to destroy than to make an army. It is possible to impart instruction and to give

commands in such manner and such a tone of voice to inspire in the soldier no feeling

but an intense desire to obey, while the opposite manner and tone of voice cannot fail to

excite strong resentment and a desire to disobey. The one mode or the other of dealing

with subordinates springs from a corresponding spirit in the breast of the commander.

He who feels the respect which is due to others cannot fail to inspire in them regard for

himself, while he who feels, and hence manifests, disrespect toward others, especially his

inferiors, cannot fail to inspire hatred against himself.

Major General John M. Schofield

Address to the United States Corps of Cadets, 11 August 1879

Respect for the individual is the basis for the rule of law—the very essence of what the Nation stands

for. In the Army, respect means treating others as they should be treated. This value reiterates that people

are the most precious resource and that one is bound to treat others with dignity and respect.

Over the course of history, America has become more culturally diverse, requiring Army leaders to

deal with people from a wider range of ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds. An Army leader should

prevent misunderstandings arising from cultural differences. Actively seeking to learn about people whose

culture is different can help to do this. Being sensitive to other cultures will aid in mentoring, coaching,

and counseling subordinates. This demonstrates respect when seeking to understand their background, see

things from their perspective, and appreciate what is important to them.

Army leaders should consistently foster a climate in which everyone is treated with dignity and

respect, regardless of race, gender, creed, or religious belief. Fostering a balanced and dignified work

climate begins with a leader’s personal example. How a leader lives the Army Values shows subordinates

how they should behave. Teaching values is one of a leader’s most important responsibilities. It helps

create a common understanding of the Army Values and expected standards.

Army Civilians-Army Leadership

ARMY CIVILIAN LEADERS-Excerpt from Army Leadership

The Army civilian corps consists of experienced personnel committed to serving the Nation. Army
civilians are an integral part of the Army team and are members of the executive branch of the federal
government. They fill positions in staff and sustaining base operations that would otherwise be filled by
military personnel. They provide mission-essential capability, stability, and continuity during war and
peace in support of the Soldier. Army civilians take their support mission professionally. Army civilians
are committed to selfless service in the performance of their duties as expressed in the Army Civilian
Corps Creed.

The major roles and responsibilities of Army civilians include establishing and executing policy;
managing Army programs, projects, and systems; and operating activities and facilities for Army
equipment, support, research, and technical work. These roles are in support of the organizational Army as
well as warfighters based around the world. The main differences between military and civilian leaders are
in the provisions of their position, how they obtain their leadership skills, and career development patterns.

Army civilians’ job placement depends on their eligibility to hold the position. Their credentials
reflect the expertise with which they enter a position. Proficiency in that position is from education and
training they have obtained, prior experiences, and career-long ties to special professional fields. Unlike
military personnel, Army civilians do not carry their grade with them regardless of the job they perform.
Civilians hold the grade of the position in which they serve. Except for the Commander in Chief (the
President of the United States) and Secretary of Defense, civilians do not exercise military command;
however, they could be designated to exercise general supervision over an Army installation or activity
under the command of a military superior. Army civilians primarily exercise authority based on the
position held, not their grade.

Civilian personnel do not have career managers like their military counterparts, but there are
functional proponents for career fields that ensure provisions exist for career growth. Army civilians are
free to pursue positions and promotions as they desire. While mobility is not mandatory in all career fields,
there are some (and some grade levels) where mobility agreements are required. Personnel policies
generally state that civilians should be in positions that do not require military personnel for reasons of law,
training, security, discipline, rotation, or combat readiness. While the career civilian workforce brings a
wealth of diversity to the Army team, there is also a wealth of knowledge and experience brought to the
Army’s sustaining base when retired military join the civilian ranks.

While most civilians historically support military forces at home stations, civilians also deploy with
military forces to sustain theater operations. As evidenced by the ever-increasing demands of recent
deployments, civilians have served at every level and in every location, providing expertise and support
Leadership Roles, Leadership Levels and Leadership Teams wherever needed. Army civilians support their military counterparts and often remain for long periods within the same organization or installation, providing continuity and stability that the highly mobile personnel management system used for our military rarely allows. However, when the position or mission dictates, Army civilians may be transferred or deployed to meet the needs of the Army.

High Performance Teams

Maybe you think you are alone, fighting the one person fight that many leaders face. However, you would be wrong to assume that the head of a squad, platoon company, gang or other organziation, you arethe only one responsible for coming up with solutions. Leaders should not the only one with a vested interest in making an organziation better. So how does the supervisor or leader create a teaming environment or create a program where everyone works together?

Through High Performance Teams

High performance teams (HPT) are the most effective types of entities. Where groups form, storm and norm, HPTs go further to create a body more capable than any individual. They do this by agreeing to rules and primarily keeping in mind that throughout any process or problem, it’s not about the individual, it’s about the group. This allows the organization to benefit as a whole as each member sacrifices their individual desires. The members do not lose or give up the individuality that makes them unique. It does not stifle individual creativity. What each individual sacrifices are selfish desires and the need for self importance.

HPTs consists of a small number of people with complementary skills. Individual members of HPTs are committed to a common goal and hold themselves mutually accountable. This structure and assembly of individual core competencies, skills and capabilities create a superpower stronger than any one person could ever be.

 The charter defines the standards the HPT will perform under. It provides the purpose vision, norms, goals, expectations and procedures. The charter is the rudder that keeps the group focused and forms the basis for group discipline and accountability. For example, if someone arrives late or makes fun of another member’s contribution, corrections can be made by referring to the charter. Additionally, if the group loses focus, the members can refer to the vision and goals.

While the charter provides the fundamentals other dynamics provide the groups personality and incredible effectiveness. Typically, all groups go through a forming, storming, norming, and performing, but that’s where a group’s effectiveness ends. There is a distinct difference between groups and teams.

Teams build on the four stages by engaging collective performance, positive environment, holding individuals and the entire group accountable for charter guidelines and taking advantage of complementary skills. This again increases effectiveness and provides results associated with the capabilities of the HPT.

Anyone can form an HTP and especially so for highly effective formal and informal leader. Let’s for the sake of relativity, consider a small unit leader. In other words, how can an HPT help?

Start with the charter. A leader can form an HPT from all business units. Since the leader is responsible for welfare of the organization, they may either suggest or take the lead and form the group. Once in the group, the individuals begin to discuss the vision, norms and etc. Such topics to tackle might include policy, manning, training, emergency operations planning, and communication for starters. A multi organizational HPT can bring depth and breadth to a stagnant work project.

The difficulty for some leaders will be to sacrifice their will and turn over problems for a group to solve. That’s natural, but one of the benefits is that security is now part of the organization’s DNA and not just a “necessary evil”.  The effective group will have capabilities beyond just the one leader. The tradeoff is perfect and the results impressive.

Here are recommendations for forming an HPT

Engage-Invite interested parties-canvas your unit or sister organziations and determine who might be interested in joining this group. You may need to build security allies who might help you recruit effective individuals

Focus-Develop a game plan and respect other members time. You can increase effectiveness with a charter as described above

Accountability-Have meeting minutes and document your work and products. Be sure to capture all important decisions and who will act on them. When the group assigns responsibilities to individuals, they tend to come through

Followup-Let the group know you appreciate their efforts. Better yet, assign credit to your group members and ensure the executives and department heads (if they aren’t part of the group) understand who the members are and to buy in on decisions.

Have fun-This is a time to allow creativity. Work within the confines of governing regulations and corporate policy, but allow out of the box thinking.

Army Leadership

The foundations of Army leadership are firmly grounded in history, loyalty to our country’s laws, acountability to authority, and evolving Army doctrine. By applying this knowledge with confidence and

dedication, leaders develop into mature, competent, and multiskilled members of the Nation’s Army. While

Army leaders are responsible for being personally and professionally competent, they are also charged with

the responsibility of developing their subordinates.

To assist leaders to become competent at all levels of leadership, the Army identifies three categories of core leader competencies: lead, develop, and achieve. These competencies and their subsets represent the roles and functions of leaders.

THE FOUNDING DOCUMENTS OF OUR NATIONWhen we assumed the Soldier, we did not lay aside the Citizen.General George Washington

Seech to the New York Legislature, 1775

 

The Army and its leadership requirements are based on the Nation’s democratic foundations, defined

values, and standards of excellence. The Army recognizes the importance of preserving the time-proven

standards of competence that have distinguished leaders throughout history. Leadership doctrine

acknowledges that societal change, evolving security threats, and technological advances require an everincreasing degree of adaptability.

 

Although America’s history and cultural traditions derive from many parts of the civilized world,

common values, goals, and beliefs are solidly established in the Declaration of Independence and the

Constitution. These documents explain the purpose of our nationhood and detail our specific freedoms and

responsibilities. Every Army Soldier and leader should be familiar with these documents.

 

On 4 July 1776, the Declaration of Independence formally sealed America’s separation from British

rule and asserted her right as an equal participant in dealings with other sovereign nations. Adopted by

Congress in March of 1787, the U.S. Constitution formally established the basic functions of our

democratic government. It clearly explains the functions, as well as the checks and balances between the

three branches of government: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. The Constitution sets the

parameters for the creation of our national defense establishment, including the legal basis for our Army.

 

Amended to the Constitution in December 1791, the Federal Bill of Rights officially recognized specific

rights for every American citizen, including freedom of religion, of speech, and of the press. At the time of

publication of FM 6-22, there have been 27 amendments to the Constitution. The amendments illustrate the

adaptability of our form of government to societal changes.