Snapshot of Early Noncommissioned Officer Leadership Transition Experiences in the U.S. Army

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to identify the challenges encountered by enlisted Soldiers in the U.S. Army as they transition into leadership roles. A sample of 49 Soldiers (private first class to first sergeant) from a Forces Command installation participated in focus groups designed to gather first-hand accounts during an umbrella week data collection in August 2018. The Army Leadership Requirements model was used as a framework for examining the issues raised during this project in order to facilitate more direct translation of the research into existing Army leader development concepts. The primary finding of this research was that, despite a robust leader development system in the Army, the majority of these Soldiers encountered significant difficulties upon assuming a leadership position for the first time. While the sample size in this effort is small, the key points identified in this research converge with other sources of information. Based on the findings of this preliminary research, in-depth examination of the issues unique to the transition process of enlisted Soldiers as they transition into noncommissioned officers within the Army is warranted.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2021
Accession Number
AD1158866

Entities

People

  • Larry W. Golba

Organizations

  • U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Applied Psychology
  • Demographic Cohorts
  • Doctrine
  • Employment
  • Enlisted Personnel
  • Greatest Generation
  • Leadership Training
  • Mentoring
  • Mentors
  • Military Psychology
  • Noncommissioned Officers
  • Personality
  • Personnel Management
  • Professional Development
  • Psychology
  • Social Sciences
  • Training

Readers

  • Military Leadership and Professional Education.
  • Systems Analysis and Design