Examples Of Toxic Leadership

We can learn good leadership from the examples set by truly outstanding leaders who come before us. Exceptional men and women who are highly positive role models teaching us life lessons and how to become good leaders in our own right. Yet, how to we know how not to act? Who do we learn from in order to insure we are not being a bad leader? I am fortunate enough to have learned invaluable lessons on how not to act from one of the finest examples of a truly toxic leader I can imagine. My first taste of truly toxic leadership comes in the winter of 2006 at Fort Hood, Texas. I was a young captain newly assigned as the commander of HHC 2-135 General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB) being my second company command immediately following Chinook

All be it that Col Sevier is attempting to enforce his safety policy but his meth is one of fear and coercive ranting. Through his negative examples I learned a better way of addressing situations and solving problems. First it is completely unnecessary to yell or berate Soldiers in public to accomplish a task. I will agree that immediate corrective action is necessary, especially when safety is involved, however a simple method I use during instance such as this is having all of the Soldiers in the areas stop what they are doing calling them together. At which time we engage in an open discussion about the importance of following the safety practices and how it benefits them as individuals, their team, and the organization as a whole. Addressing situations addressed in this manner will always yield more positive results for a longer term over yelling, berating and throwing things like a mad man. In my method I may even go as far as having the offending Soldier do twenty pushups in front of the group as an additional personal reminder for themselves and others. Also, I’ll address the issue briefly with their company command team, ensure they are putting a proper system in place to correct the action following up with spot checks and safety awards for a job well

A rock in the storm for many, especially the enlisted Soldiers is our brigade Command Sergeant Major Bradley Brandt. CSM Brandt is a fair leader who cares for the Soldiers as a good CSM should and is well respected by his peers and Soldiers alike. He does his very best throughout the train up and deployment to be a good buffer for the Soldiers and holds true to the tenants of Followership by never speaking a foul word about the Brigade Commander or his often strange behavior. One day in the late spring of 2007 CSM Brandt is with COL Sevier the commander’s office standing on the opposite side of the desk as the discussion comes to a head. The CSM, who I might mention is about 6’3” and a sturdy 250 pounds or more grabs the desk and starts pushing until Sevier, who is of small stature at about 5’6” and all of 140 pounds, is pinned up against the wall. He then tells the Brigade Commander what he really thinks about him, where he could go and what he could do with himself. CSM Brandt is sent home the next day under the pretext of a medical evacuation due to combat stress. CSM Brandt recounts to me later after we met back up in Texas, “I just couldn’t take it anymore, I had all that I could handle from that…..” and he continues with a few colorful choice words. Sevier in his arrogance would