Air Power Development Centre

Manage your superiors

By SQNLDR Murray Simons

AS MILITARIES move toward Network Centric Warfare and other technology-enhanced operations, remembering the human dimension becomes increasingly relevant.

Air power especially needs to move away from its platform-centric paradigm and re-examine how its people can not only survive, but thrive, in today’s increasingly complex and uncertain security environment.

One new area of people-first air power worth considering is the traditionally taboo subject of upward leadership. Upward leadership refers to the art of influencing those senior to you.

When dissecting the commandleadership- management trinity, we often talk about how “real” leaders can influence peers or others beyond immediate subordinates.

But how often do SNCO or warrant officer promotion courses formally teach students how to lead inexperienced junior officers?

Upward leadership extends beyond this example though – it can be found at all levels of both NCO and officer strata.

It is also found in sport (influencing the referee), or in areas where someone’s trade requires them to guide superiors to see their way of thinking (medics, photographers, police, flight crew).

In some of these situations the junior has “command authority” over the senior, but exercising command without taking recourse to full authority is still a delicate art.

Sport is one of the areas in your life when you may need to direct people who are superior in rank to you.

The art of upward leadership includes a number of guiding principles that have transferability to any leadership situation, but are critical in this legally complicated realm.

Some of these include:

• the way ideas are suggested (it’s not what you say, but how you say it);
• making it appear the idea was the other person’s;
• giving them an escape route (to save face in front of others);
• selling (not telling);
• inspiring through contagious enthusiasm, and more.
  
  Teaching, or even discussing, upward leadership could be considered subversive or contrary to the Defence Force Discipline Act, yet it highlights an everyday occurrence.
  
  It is worth considering as we seek the best ideas and better development of our personnel. There are always going to be situations where less competent personnel hold rank over more astute subordinates.
  
  Ideally, of course, the senior person should recognise this situation and seek input from the team, yet we do not live in an ideal world. Awkward moments often occur when junior officers fail to appreciate the experience and wisdom of their SNCOs.
  
  Such situations could be reduced if the subordinate is better prepared for the delicate art of upward leadership. Influence without imperium (legal authority) is the subject of a working paper currently being written at the Air Power Development Centre.
  
  If you have an interest in this area or wish to contribute ideas, anecdotes, or criticisms then contact the author on the DRN or by external email at murray.simons@defence.gov.au.

SQNLDR Murray Simons is completing a 2004 CAF Fellowship at the Air Power Development Centre.

 

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