by Ryan Cornell
The officer-noncommissioned officer (NCO) relationship is one of the Army’s many paradoxes that is fun to discuss and theorize. The Army deliberately pairs the two. Imagine a typical platoon’s leadership, with a brand-new platoon leader (second lieutenant) placed in charge of a seasoned platoon sergeant (usually a sergeant first class). Make no mistake, the platoon leader rates the platoon sergeant. As a captain, the company commander rates the first sergeant (1SG) who, once again, is typically more seasoned. Why is the individual with far greater experience placed in the subordinate position? The onus is on the NCO to provide reverse mentorship – and on the officer to learn from it.Among many other duties, a good NCO-partner is much like a lane safety on a rifle range. They are a trainer, coach, and mentor.
Author’s Note: These are my own opinions, and some might argue with me. In fact, as long as we keep it civil, I welcome any disagreement – I just don’t think we have these conversations often enough. Additionally, please note that whenever I refer to “new” or “young” officers in this article, I don’t mean anyone with prior enlisted time. I mean those officers with zero military experience outside of what they learned in their commissioning source. I was one of them.
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit and not a vegetable; wisdom is knowing not to put tomatoes in your fruit salad. The Army deliberately pairs the raw knowledge of an officer with the wisdom of an NCO. This dynamic drives most officer-NCO relationships through company command. In almost every instance – but particularly for new officers – the NCO serves as a reverse mentor. NCOs’ greater longevity in their positions (usually) makes it easier for them to earn the loyalty of their soldiers. In three years, a platoon may cycle through three lieutenants but maintain the same platoon sergeant. Because of this high officer turnover rate, the best NCOs are effective “reverse mentors” to a rotational population of new officers.
Businesses often encourage reverse mentorship, also referred to as “leading up” or “upward mentoring,” as a means to bridge generational gaps. More practically, it is a relationship placing the senior-ranking person as the primary learner while emphasizing the experience of the junior-ranking individual.
The best NCOs are experienced, but young at heart; steady, but energetic; experts, but still eager to learn; and proven, yet still hungry. As reverse mentors, the best NCOs use their superior experience to familiarize each new officer with those intangible but essential skills, competencies, and leadership lessons that require hands-on learning. A positive NCO-officer partnership instills lasting impressions that set the tone for an officer’s career. A new officer’s relationship with his or her first platoon sergeant will strongly influence how that officer perceives all NCOs for the rest of his or her career. It’s a powerful first impression and can color our perceptions for years to come.
For this relationship to work, mutual trust and respect are essential. Whether this partnership is platoon leader and platoon sergeant, company commander and first sergeant, or battalion commander or command sergeant major, frequent and open communication are key. When disagreements inevitably happen, they must happen behind closed doors. Once they decide, the officer and the NCO speak with one voice and support each other completely. Soldiers can tell if there is a rift, wedge, or tension between the pair. At a minimum, expect any rift in the relationship to create an incongruence of messaging that pulls your formation in multiple directions (and your soldiers will suffer for it). Worse, if your formation is unfortunate enough to have any toxic followers in the ranks, they may attempt to drive that wedge further and pit their leaders against one another.
As we rise through the ranks and gain more experience, the officer-NCO relationship remains largely unchanged. At the Logistics Captains Career Course, I facilitated small groups with senior first lieutenants and junior captains. They were preparing for staff jobs and company command. One of the most popular discussion topics during every cycle was, “You and Your First Sergeant.” Upon reflection, I realized the relationship shouldn’t differ greatly from “You and Your Platoon Sergeant.” During my students’ prior time as young lieutenants. Eventually, I concluded there wasn’t a perfect, one-size-fits-all answer. The best relationship between an officer and an NCO is the one that works. And the best officer-NCO relationships tend to have a two-way mentor-protégé dynamic.
In the end, the officer is in charge but the NCO – as a reverse mentor – is the voice of experience. She not only helps run the organization, but helps us make informed decisions. When necessary he manages our expectations by providing much-needed reality checks. Not everyone has “chemistry.” We don’t necessarily have to be friends and exchange holiday cards every year. But on a fundamental-level, we have to be professional with each other. An officer should expect their NCOs to tell them frank, tactful, and private when necessary, advice. I’m not too proud to admit when I don’t know something. I expect us to support each other, and both come out better people and leaders from our time working together.