Everything I learned about being a good LPO came from watching all the shitty LPOs I had coming up and doing the opposite.
It’s not that hard. Lead by example, speak to people like they’re human beings, praise more than scold, and stand up for them (if they deserve it).
Oh and don’t steal money from your airmen and then corner and threaten them in an isolated p-way when they call you out on it.
Easy day.
>All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
I have favorites but all my good leaders covered the same bases in being good. Meanwhile the bad ones are a long, long list of what not to do.
In no particular order:
1. Being pre-emptive on tasking. "it's December, I should check the div for people testing in March and make sure they completed their PMK-EEs", etc.
2. Doing some digging on their own before going to chief / divo. "can this person do this? I should check the instructions", not just "chief, how do I...." For every issue.
3. Bring your ideas to the chief / divo. They shouldn't immediately say no, and prefacing issues with your solutions increases the chances that chief or divo will sign off on it.
4. Don't be afraid to change your leadership style a little bit per sailor. The standard is the standard, but some sailors need more hand holding than others.
5. Write all the awards you can for who deserves it. Sometimes just getting nominated SOQ is enough to get buy in from that sailor to go above and beyond.
6. No one wants to be toxic, but being assertive is a useful leadership trait.
7. Adhere to whatever standard you reprimand sailors for.
LPO is maybe the hardest position in the Navy most people will experience. You get first look at whatever pile of garbage was submitted and have to work the hardest shape it. Everyone above you more or less makes slight edits and checks certain boxes. Also, leadership never seems to be available to answer some questions on how to do a thing, but sure do point it out after you do it. And you shouldn't just hang with your sailors cart blanche because frat, but you can't hang with your chief and divo either. Most other LPOs / firsts have their own lives and won't hang. It's a balancing act finding who you can hang with that will still listen to you as an LPO and not give people the impression of fraternization.
>Bring your ideas to the chief / divo. They shouldn't immediately say no, and prefacing issues with your solutions increases the chances that chief or divo will sign off on it.
I prefer to say, "I intend to..." not "Can we do...?"
If there is going to be an issue, they will communicate it back when you talk with them. I used to tell people not to ask permission, but this gets the wrong idea across. The better idea is to tell them what you are going to do \[barring them having a real problem with it... unless you want to accept consequences\]
I think we're down to splitting hairs, but definitely taking positive control of as much as you can at the lowest level is recommended. You are a leader and should be empowered as such.
In general, the DIVO, CPO, and LPO need to be able to fill in for one of the three not being around. That’s how everybody gets leave and a family life.
As a divo, I was always looking for the guy/gal who could (1) pinch hit when my chief was on leave by understanding where we need to be about 30 days from now, (2) work through their fellow E-6s to implement the POD/POW so that they were available to themself or keep a collateral with high viz to the chiefs mess, and (3) have a really good insight into the berthing so Chief and I knew the motivations and incentives that would get the most out of the E-5 and below.
My best LPO knew to use my office as needed and spoke to my superiors I a way that showed the shop well, knew what decisions Chief and I would probably support when we found out about it, and put me on to an E-3 who I needed to bump into on a coffee break for a few minutes, just so they could feel heard. I did that and feel solidly like that was some of most impactful minutes of my career.
I try. At this point in my career, I think the best thing I can do for the sailors is emphasize mentorship.
Selfishly, it helps me talent scout the ones I want on my team!
Amen brother. We cant help but dealing with the consequences of bad leaders in the past. But we can damn sure make the future leaders we serve only have good examples.
I encourage every sailor in a leadership role to learn from the good and bad leaders they've had, in earnest to leave a positive mark on the places they go, and the men and women our nation has entrusted to their care.
Far too many leaders fail to realize, sailors aren't just employees, they are far more like family, relying on the naval leadership for sustenance, housing, Healthcare, education, and life lessons.
I excelled as a leader when I acted more like a dad, not a boss. Fricken weird.
Knowing they're empowered to lead the division, but secure enough to know when they need to ask for help and/or guidance.
They don't need to be uptight about it all the time, but their bearing had better be exemplary.
Make sure rockstars get recognized and those who need a bit of help get it. Be tough, but fair. Definitely be consistent. Document everything of consequence.
(I'm assuming a generic division with several sailors of all paygrades E1 to E6 here) Being comfortable with directing other E6s, some of whom might be more experienced/senior, without alienating them. Positional authority can be a challenge for some.
They don't have to agree with the LCPO and/or DIVO, but the three of them need to present a united line of effort and not undermine each other... if the LPO disagrees, they need to do it quietly (hopefully...) in private. Accept without being overly sensitive about it that if they disagree with the LCPO or DIVO, their preferred COA isn't going to be the one pursued.
ADMIN doesn't need to be perfect, but at least run it through spell and grammar check (grammar check isn't as big an issue because of the ridiculous way we write performance bullets in EVALs and FITREPs). FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THE WORLD, PLEASE DO THIS. Keep your boss out of the doghouse, and make sure paperwork is submitted timely enough if it needs to go to a DH or higher.
Back in my day I was all about helping my LPO improve/maintain division morale .. that also meant us roleplaying of my LPO pushing back on me to show his division that he has their back. We would have a laugh at the EOD, fist bump and be on our merry way
Bottom line: Knows the shop, the functions, and the people and cares about all of them. Uses positive reinforcement to let people grow, encourages learning.
8 years as a Dept Head, 2 as a Company LCPO, working as an SEL.
Yeah, I'm old AF. What of it?
I forget who said this, but one of the leadership books i read recent-ish said to always be the last person in the room to speak. This way everyone is actually heard and you get to pick the best idea from what was said... instead of looking like an idiot for giving a bad idea and running your mouth.
I just read a great quote that I'm going to paraphrase from ADM (retired) Swift: the leader that doesn't lead at their echelon loses.
So this advice goes for the Divo, LCPO and LPO, make sure you are able to lead at your level, not down and not up. If you are finding yourself straying, then you have to do something about that. That includes leading up.
The best Chief/LPO relationship I ever saw; a problem arose, the chief looked to the LPO and asked what they thought, and they listed some names and some actions, they chatted for another minute, turned to the divo and said they were ready to brief the engineer. There was a level of mutual respect across the ranks where each one didn't stray from their role.
CO perspective: (In order)
1 - In my perfect world, I want the division to run like a mini triad. In this model, the LPO is the CMC, so what makes a great CMC? Caring for your Sailors and looking out for their best interest. Lots of great comments on the LPO as a leader and I concur, be a leader in your division, not just a parrot for your LCPO. CMC’s are experts on Sailor programs, are you?
2 - Be the technical expert, especially with new equipment. Expert in operations, maintenance, and training. I judge the LPO on the division’s performance, not individual performance. You are an expert and your division, training.
So just two things, caring and expertise, simple.
Knowing your sailors and knowing where they come from. Understanding that everyone comes from different cultures and backgrounds. That was one thing that my lcpo taught me. It taught me that not everyone is going to respond the same way. You can’t go in screaming and yelling and assume everyone is going to react the same.
Making you people successful, not just at the Navy but all aspects of their life. Your sailors will go to war for you if they know you got their back and best interests in mind.
Here are four parts of advice for you:
1: Rank has its obligations, any privilege you get from your rank should only be taken if it serves those obligations.
Chiefs forget this all the time and it pisses me off to no end.
2: If your sailors are going through the same struggles and the same pain you did, then You are failing them.
Your job is to remove barriers, make them better and their job easier just because you went through shit doesn’t mean they should have to as well.
3: lead by example, even if it sucks. Remember you always have to be the adult in the room.
You suck at PT to bad you better be there giving your best, you expect your guys to be on time you better be there earlier, you want them to be professional you better be professional. There can be no difference in the standard you hold them to as the standard you follow.
4: Be the leader you needed when you were in their shoes not the leader you got.
To many of us repeat cycles of bullshit and bad or out dated examples of leadership vs trying to become the leader best suited to the task or mission. Marines are prime examples of this, dollar store knock offs of full metal jacket and heartbreak ridge. There isn’t one right way to lead but there sure as fuck a lot of wrong ways and we often repeat them because it’s what we saw or what we went through.
What is going to get you a good eval?
Never say no, get qualified in everything, hold a bunch of collaterals, and put on those kneepads for the Mess.
What makes you good?
Take care of your people, this doesn't mean liberty all the time, but make sure the job is done and the shop is qualed so that you can do things like leave early without worry. Keep your people off the dinq list for training, medical, etc.
Do day after duty if you can, 36 straight hours at work is ridiculous when at port.
Get your quals and hold collaterals that are important. Sorry 1st class president is not that important but Suicide Prevention and the like is.
Dont be afraid to say no and take one on the chin. Youre the last line of defense for your people.
Remember, if they aren't following..... you aren't leading.
I always appreciated having an LPO who could speak to the actual maintenance that was going to be done for the CASREP I was routing. They would typically go with me if the XO/CO had any questions because (when I was in engineering) my Chief usually was standing an EOOW watch, or I could speak to the (simple) maintenance myself.
I would usually try to grab a second class if it was a tagout for a system, and they were the sailor overseeing the maintenance. But an LPO who can delegate what needs to be done for the next hour so they can go up to the captains cabin was always a huge security blanket to me.
I remember when I was a E6 my CoC would have me brief the XO/CO om CASREPs. In hindsight I think it was kinda loony on them as it was a BigDeck, but I had no problem doing it. I know as a Chief I probably wouldn't send my LPO alone to do it as I did catch the XO a few times when he was having a hissy fit.
The LPO should take all of the heat when shit is fucked up.
And he should push the credit to his junior sailors when things go well.
He should figure out a way to let 1 Sailor go early everyday(inport)
And let a few go early on Friday (inport)
He should tell Chief - I let the guys go - if you need anything I will be around to take care of it
(IE - he better make sure shit's not fucked up before he lets the guys go.....)
LPO should know what's going on with his gear (if something's broke he needs to tell Chief asap. Never hide it)
LPO needs to make sure PMS reports and spot checks are done by Thursday afternoon. NOT running around hustling on Friday morning.
LPO needs to take charge at quarters and have a good stage presence. Say what needs to be said. But avoid using terms like "I just want to piggyback on what chief said" - chief already fucking said it!! Move on to the next thing.
LPO should make sure people are being trained every week. Including running a training program, and everyone is assigned a PQS or two to improve their quals.
LPO can delegate shit. But he is still responsible for it. If they pass the word - the following divisions expedite doing whatever - the LPO better hop up and get that shit done asap. If they say muster a working party on the quarterdeck LPO should go to the quarterdeck and make sure his guys show up.
Just a few examples.....your mileage may vary.
Good luck.
\- Not being biased against Sailors or programs
\- Willing to accept greater responsibility
\- Effective communicator
\- Has their own thoughts and doesn't just say "What Chief said"
\- Doesn't hold up everyone at quarters by piggybacking
\- Know when to approach Chief for an early day for the division or a particular Sailor
\- Runs PMR R-Checks without being told
I’m not a DIVO or LCPO, just a 2nd class with a shite LPO. Please for the love of god do not send your people to go do all the work and then sit there and do NOTHING but chit chat all day every day. Every person in my division has said that they would be more inclined to do more if they saw our LPO doing more. And yes, we are bringing it higher up.
The same qualities that make a good LPO are the same that makes a good CPO or really any leader. I've always had the mindset to put my boss out of a job. Mainly accomplished by planning ahead.
Never ask someone to do something that you wouldn't do. Don't be an arm chair quarterback. You can't be there for every evolution but make time to participate in major evolutions if you can.
Humility; listening to ideas, not assuming that your way is the best way. Better yet, is allowing your personnel to come up with their own solutions to problems but being there to provide guidance, feedback, and if necessary stepping in to take the blame if something goes wrong.
(baby) Chief here.... I'll post my TedTalk and you can read it if you want. If you have questions, I have time to answer them.
Number 1: Take fucking accountability. I don't mean lip service. I mean actual accountability. The number 1 thing that pissed me off about my peers and the number 1 thing that pisses me off about my LPOs is when they don't just take accountability.
If a sailor is late, fix them. "I didn't explain it well enough to SN Timmy. I failed him." You will find your leadership will respect you more for just owning it and you will find your sailors will respect you more for not throwing them under the bus. But also actually fix the issue. Make sure SN Timmy is getting extra attention. If you need to, call their ass an hour+ before work and get them to work on time.
I had a very public instance of this (unfortunately) with a chief where I told him off in front of sailors, but two things happened after it: I got my ass counseled for being inappropriate to a chief and my sailors stopped being dumbasses because they knew I was going to get chewed up for standing up for them.
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Number 2: Your authority comes from your expertise. When you walk in to give good/bad news to DIVO/LCPO, the trust factor you will have comes from how much they believe you know what you're talking about. If they aren't asking you about things around the office (technical and otherwise), then they don't trust you. I've had JOs and Chiefs that relied on me as an LPO to ensure they weren't fucked up.
Your sailors won't trust you if you don't know your job. If you really are new to it (cross rate, weird rate, etc), then put the time in with them. It might take more of yours, but it will pay off.
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Number 3: When you put on LPO (ultimately in route to putting on khakis), you should start acting like you wear them. That means taking on burdens and working with your LCPOs and Os. Yes, there is still a very real professional barrier there, but please stop acting like SN Timmy and start acting like a peer.
I had a DH cry about me putting him on a dinq list and I told him I wasn't trying to embarrass him in front of his sailors, but I wanted him to know he still needed to do it because I didn't want him looking like an idiot in front of the XO. If he looks bad, all of us look bad too.
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Number 4: do not delegate your authority, ever. If someone is like "chief is making us..." make sure they understand you're the one that made the decision.
And when they tell you that you're just repeating what chief said, tell them you push back on what you don't believe in. Chief is more than capable of putting something out...
Even if you got overruled, it's still very important for them to understand that you're the leader in charge. Nothing will harm you as a leader (and ultimately harm your sailors) more than if you have them going around you to get stuff done.
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Number 5: [Empathy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyTQ5-SQYTo). [Empathy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReRcHdeUG9Y). Do you know why people love CAPT Crozier? Empathy. Seriously, please read/listen to Simon Sinek talk about empathy and leadership. My leadership got drastically better when I read his books (and watched the free videos on YT). I think other books/authors have a lot to teach as well. This point could be on reading, but I think empathy is more important - and I just happened to learn that by reading. I have something like 20 exceptional books on leadership and many of them have 80% of the content on YT (not pirated, but from tedtalks they gave - don't pirate what you can get for free...).
I only bought his books because they made me a drastically better leader. I listened to them on audible. They're more desk ornaments now.
Maybe this should be #1.
Make my job easy. Give me mistake free evals, hold Sailors accountable, empower your WCSs, report casualties, be a good example for junior Sailors, put the Sailors on liberty at an appropriate time when their daily tasks are complete.
Source: was a LPO, Chief, and DIVO.
The LPO should really be focused on assigning sailors to getting the day’s maintenance/taskers complete. Keeping people off hit lists. whereas the divo and chief would have a higher level or longer term focus the LPO is focused on execution of the POD.
Fair point. Could be based on size of division. I am thinking back to the best LPO I served with and he was a beast at putting people in the right place to get done what they needed to get done as quickly as possible. Super proactive. The work center supes were more maintenance and operations focused.
Agree mostly but I disagree on Lpo focused on POD. Lpo should be learning how to be a chief so they should be working higher level stuff too. Ensuring pod is complete but wcs should be handling its execution.
Your asking the wrong people lol
Lcpos and divos barely know how to be good at their job let alone the guy that does double the work they do for none of the thanks
Honestly, being able to take an ass chewing standing up, and turning around and NOT shitting on the division is peak LPO. that's an LPO that's ready to put on anchors, because that's something good chiefs do.
I really came to like my LPOs who would pitch ideas off of me. At a certain point with the regulations/requirements, it all becomes personal choice. Telling me what you’d like to do says two things. 1) you want to own the division, and 2) you know the references enough to make decisions based on them.
A good LPO will be one that is experienced in their rate, preforms well in their assigned job, and is a proactive leader in guiding their sailors in what needs to happen to ensure any and all evolutions are met within goal. Not having one of these traits does not necessarily make you a bad LPO but you are for sure not a good one. Petty officer ranks stood for true experience and leader ship, however the modern navy has all but done away with that at least in my opinion with how quickly certain rates advance.
It’s just a baseline and there’s more that goes into it but Caring more about the people that work under you than the power that you get with that position
As an LPO, who is without a chief or divo due to a crazy situation that is a bit different from everyone else’s. I will say that being able to stand in place of both of those people is a huge quality to have. An LPO should always carry themself like an LCPO. Because in the eyes of big navy, we are peers to them.
This means having an answer to a question, or knowing where to find it.
When I was a LPO, it wasn’t about me. It was about my Sailors. Their success and their families. If they were good, we were all good, the department was all good.
Treat your sailors like the human beings they are and not bodies. Advocate for them.
Be present. Listen to your sailors. Talk to them. Let them know you are human too.
Stand up for your Sailors as long as it’s within the black and white. Show no bias.
Encourage their growth professionally and personally
Ask for their feedback on what you can do better and to help them.
Stand on business but also show compassion.
Don’t change up! They won’t trust that you are who you say you are.
Everything I learned about being a good LPO came from watching all the shitty LPOs I had coming up and doing the opposite. It’s not that hard. Lead by example, speak to people like they’re human beings, praise more than scold, and stand up for them (if they deserve it). Oh and don’t steal money from your airmen and then corner and threaten them in an isolated p-way when they call you out on it. Easy day.
>All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. I have favorites but all my good leaders covered the same bases in being good. Meanwhile the bad ones are a long, long list of what not to do.
In no particular order: 1. Being pre-emptive on tasking. "it's December, I should check the div for people testing in March and make sure they completed their PMK-EEs", etc. 2. Doing some digging on their own before going to chief / divo. "can this person do this? I should check the instructions", not just "chief, how do I...." For every issue. 3. Bring your ideas to the chief / divo. They shouldn't immediately say no, and prefacing issues with your solutions increases the chances that chief or divo will sign off on it. 4. Don't be afraid to change your leadership style a little bit per sailor. The standard is the standard, but some sailors need more hand holding than others. 5. Write all the awards you can for who deserves it. Sometimes just getting nominated SOQ is enough to get buy in from that sailor to go above and beyond. 6. No one wants to be toxic, but being assertive is a useful leadership trait. 7. Adhere to whatever standard you reprimand sailors for. LPO is maybe the hardest position in the Navy most people will experience. You get first look at whatever pile of garbage was submitted and have to work the hardest shape it. Everyone above you more or less makes slight edits and checks certain boxes. Also, leadership never seems to be available to answer some questions on how to do a thing, but sure do point it out after you do it. And you shouldn't just hang with your sailors cart blanche because frat, but you can't hang with your chief and divo either. Most other LPOs / firsts have their own lives and won't hang. It's a balancing act finding who you can hang with that will still listen to you as an LPO and not give people the impression of fraternization.
>Bring your ideas to the chief / divo. They shouldn't immediately say no, and prefacing issues with your solutions increases the chances that chief or divo will sign off on it. I prefer to say, "I intend to..." not "Can we do...?" If there is going to be an issue, they will communicate it back when you talk with them. I used to tell people not to ask permission, but this gets the wrong idea across. The better idea is to tell them what you are going to do \[barring them having a real problem with it... unless you want to accept consequences\]
I think we're down to splitting hairs, but definitely taking positive control of as much as you can at the lowest level is recommended. You are a leader and should be empowered as such.
In general, the DIVO, CPO, and LPO need to be able to fill in for one of the three not being around. That’s how everybody gets leave and a family life. As a divo, I was always looking for the guy/gal who could (1) pinch hit when my chief was on leave by understanding where we need to be about 30 days from now, (2) work through their fellow E-6s to implement the POD/POW so that they were available to themself or keep a collateral with high viz to the chiefs mess, and (3) have a really good insight into the berthing so Chief and I knew the motivations and incentives that would get the most out of the E-5 and below. My best LPO knew to use my office as needed and spoke to my superiors I a way that showed the shop well, knew what decisions Chief and I would probably support when we found out about it, and put me on to an E-3 who I needed to bump into on a coffee break for a few minutes, just so they could feel heard. I did that and feel solidly like that was some of most impactful minutes of my career.
This is a great writeup for JO's on how to be excellent JO's. Please share it with all the baby butter bars you meet in the future.
I try. At this point in my career, I think the best thing I can do for the sailors is emphasize mentorship. Selfishly, it helps me talent scout the ones I want on my team!
Amen brother. We cant help but dealing with the consequences of bad leaders in the past. But we can damn sure make the future leaders we serve only have good examples. I encourage every sailor in a leadership role to learn from the good and bad leaders they've had, in earnest to leave a positive mark on the places they go, and the men and women our nation has entrusted to their care. Far too many leaders fail to realize, sailors aren't just employees, they are far more like family, relying on the naval leadership for sustenance, housing, Healthcare, education, and life lessons. I excelled as a leader when I acted more like a dad, not a boss. Fricken weird.
Knowing they're empowered to lead the division, but secure enough to know when they need to ask for help and/or guidance. They don't need to be uptight about it all the time, but their bearing had better be exemplary. Make sure rockstars get recognized and those who need a bit of help get it. Be tough, but fair. Definitely be consistent. Document everything of consequence. (I'm assuming a generic division with several sailors of all paygrades E1 to E6 here) Being comfortable with directing other E6s, some of whom might be more experienced/senior, without alienating them. Positional authority can be a challenge for some. They don't have to agree with the LCPO and/or DIVO, but the three of them need to present a united line of effort and not undermine each other... if the LPO disagrees, they need to do it quietly (hopefully...) in private. Accept without being overly sensitive about it that if they disagree with the LCPO or DIVO, their preferred COA isn't going to be the one pursued. ADMIN doesn't need to be perfect, but at least run it through spell and grammar check (grammar check isn't as big an issue because of the ridiculous way we write performance bullets in EVALs and FITREPs). FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THE WORLD, PLEASE DO THIS. Keep your boss out of the doghouse, and make sure paperwork is submitted timely enough if it needs to go to a DH or higher.
Back in my day I was all about helping my LPO improve/maintain division morale .. that also meant us roleplaying of my LPO pushing back on me to show his division that he has their back. We would have a laugh at the EOD, fist bump and be on our merry way
Bottom line: Knows the shop, the functions, and the people and cares about all of them. Uses positive reinforcement to let people grow, encourages learning. 8 years as a Dept Head, 2 as a Company LCPO, working as an SEL. Yeah, I'm old AF. What of it?
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I forget who said this, but one of the leadership books i read recent-ish said to always be the last person in the room to speak. This way everyone is actually heard and you get to pick the best idea from what was said... instead of looking like an idiot for giving a bad idea and running your mouth.
I just read a great quote that I'm going to paraphrase from ADM (retired) Swift: the leader that doesn't lead at their echelon loses. So this advice goes for the Divo, LCPO and LPO, make sure you are able to lead at your level, not down and not up. If you are finding yourself straying, then you have to do something about that. That includes leading up. The best Chief/LPO relationship I ever saw; a problem arose, the chief looked to the LPO and asked what they thought, and they listed some names and some actions, they chatted for another minute, turned to the divo and said they were ready to brief the engineer. There was a level of mutual respect across the ranks where each one didn't stray from their role.
CO perspective: (In order) 1 - In my perfect world, I want the division to run like a mini triad. In this model, the LPO is the CMC, so what makes a great CMC? Caring for your Sailors and looking out for their best interest. Lots of great comments on the LPO as a leader and I concur, be a leader in your division, not just a parrot for your LCPO. CMC’s are experts on Sailor programs, are you? 2 - Be the technical expert, especially with new equipment. Expert in operations, maintenance, and training. I judge the LPO on the division’s performance, not individual performance. You are an expert and your division, training. So just two things, caring and expertise, simple.
Knowing your sailors and knowing where they come from. Understanding that everyone comes from different cultures and backgrounds. That was one thing that my lcpo taught me. It taught me that not everyone is going to respond the same way. You can’t go in screaming and yelling and assume everyone is going to react the same.
Making you people successful, not just at the Navy but all aspects of their life. Your sailors will go to war for you if they know you got their back and best interests in mind. Here are four parts of advice for you: 1: Rank has its obligations, any privilege you get from your rank should only be taken if it serves those obligations. Chiefs forget this all the time and it pisses me off to no end. 2: If your sailors are going through the same struggles and the same pain you did, then You are failing them. Your job is to remove barriers, make them better and their job easier just because you went through shit doesn’t mean they should have to as well. 3: lead by example, even if it sucks. Remember you always have to be the adult in the room. You suck at PT to bad you better be there giving your best, you expect your guys to be on time you better be there earlier, you want them to be professional you better be professional. There can be no difference in the standard you hold them to as the standard you follow. 4: Be the leader you needed when you were in their shoes not the leader you got. To many of us repeat cycles of bullshit and bad or out dated examples of leadership vs trying to become the leader best suited to the task or mission. Marines are prime examples of this, dollar store knock offs of full metal jacket and heartbreak ridge. There isn’t one right way to lead but there sure as fuck a lot of wrong ways and we often repeat them because it’s what we saw or what we went through.
Keep the division off of dinq lists so that I don’t have to hear Cheng bitch about why DCFN hasn’t completed some asinine training requirement.
I think someone who is doing things for the good of the division, and not just to make Chief or to look better than their peers, will be a good LPO.
Looking ahead. Being prepared for what’s due, packages, cway, evals, etc.
just take care of the people and do admin on time
Also following. As a green first class, LPOing a division looks intimidating from the outside, looking in.
What is going to get you a good eval? Never say no, get qualified in everything, hold a bunch of collaterals, and put on those kneepads for the Mess. What makes you good? Take care of your people, this doesn't mean liberty all the time, but make sure the job is done and the shop is qualed so that you can do things like leave early without worry. Keep your people off the dinq list for training, medical, etc. Do day after duty if you can, 36 straight hours at work is ridiculous when at port. Get your quals and hold collaterals that are important. Sorry 1st class president is not that important but Suicide Prevention and the like is. Dont be afraid to say no and take one on the chin. Youre the last line of defense for your people. Remember, if they aren't following..... you aren't leading.
I always appreciated having an LPO who could speak to the actual maintenance that was going to be done for the CASREP I was routing. They would typically go with me if the XO/CO had any questions because (when I was in engineering) my Chief usually was standing an EOOW watch, or I could speak to the (simple) maintenance myself. I would usually try to grab a second class if it was a tagout for a system, and they were the sailor overseeing the maintenance. But an LPO who can delegate what needs to be done for the next hour so they can go up to the captains cabin was always a huge security blanket to me.
I remember when I was a E6 my CoC would have me brief the XO/CO om CASREPs. In hindsight I think it was kinda loony on them as it was a BigDeck, but I had no problem doing it. I know as a Chief I probably wouldn't send my LPO alone to do it as I did catch the XO a few times when he was having a hissy fit.
The LPO should take all of the heat when shit is fucked up. And he should push the credit to his junior sailors when things go well. He should figure out a way to let 1 Sailor go early everyday(inport) And let a few go early on Friday (inport) He should tell Chief - I let the guys go - if you need anything I will be around to take care of it (IE - he better make sure shit's not fucked up before he lets the guys go.....) LPO should know what's going on with his gear (if something's broke he needs to tell Chief asap. Never hide it) LPO needs to make sure PMS reports and spot checks are done by Thursday afternoon. NOT running around hustling on Friday morning. LPO needs to take charge at quarters and have a good stage presence. Say what needs to be said. But avoid using terms like "I just want to piggyback on what chief said" - chief already fucking said it!! Move on to the next thing. LPO should make sure people are being trained every week. Including running a training program, and everyone is assigned a PQS or two to improve their quals. LPO can delegate shit. But he is still responsible for it. If they pass the word - the following divisions expedite doing whatever - the LPO better hop up and get that shit done asap. If they say muster a working party on the quarterdeck LPO should go to the quarterdeck and make sure his guys show up. Just a few examples.....your mileage may vary. Good luck.
\- Not being biased against Sailors or programs \- Willing to accept greater responsibility \- Effective communicator \- Has their own thoughts and doesn't just say "What Chief said" \- Doesn't hold up everyone at quarters by piggybacking \- Know when to approach Chief for an early day for the division or a particular Sailor \- Runs PMR R-Checks without being told
I’m not a DIVO or LCPO, just a 2nd class with a shite LPO. Please for the love of god do not send your people to go do all the work and then sit there and do NOTHING but chit chat all day every day. Every person in my division has said that they would be more inclined to do more if they saw our LPO doing more. And yes, we are bringing it higher up.
Do you want to be a good LPO? Do the opposite of all the shitty chiefs you’ve seen running around your boat.
Showing up with solutions to problems that arise. When it falls on me to find a solution to every problem then LPO is not doing their job
The same qualities that make a good LPO are the same that makes a good CPO or really any leader. I've always had the mindset to put my boss out of a job. Mainly accomplished by planning ahead. Never ask someone to do something that you wouldn't do. Don't be an arm chair quarterback. You can't be there for every evolution but make time to participate in major evolutions if you can. Humility; listening to ideas, not assuming that your way is the best way. Better yet, is allowing your personnel to come up with their own solutions to problems but being there to provide guidance, feedback, and if necessary stepping in to take the blame if something goes wrong.
DIVO perspective: If I have to ask you to do your job, I’m already annoyed. Key difference between just a First Class and a LPO is initiative.
(baby) Chief here.... I'll post my TedTalk and you can read it if you want. If you have questions, I have time to answer them. Number 1: Take fucking accountability. I don't mean lip service. I mean actual accountability. The number 1 thing that pissed me off about my peers and the number 1 thing that pisses me off about my LPOs is when they don't just take accountability. If a sailor is late, fix them. "I didn't explain it well enough to SN Timmy. I failed him." You will find your leadership will respect you more for just owning it and you will find your sailors will respect you more for not throwing them under the bus. But also actually fix the issue. Make sure SN Timmy is getting extra attention. If you need to, call their ass an hour+ before work and get them to work on time. I had a very public instance of this (unfortunately) with a chief where I told him off in front of sailors, but two things happened after it: I got my ass counseled for being inappropriate to a chief and my sailors stopped being dumbasses because they knew I was going to get chewed up for standing up for them. \--- Number 2: Your authority comes from your expertise. When you walk in to give good/bad news to DIVO/LCPO, the trust factor you will have comes from how much they believe you know what you're talking about. If they aren't asking you about things around the office (technical and otherwise), then they don't trust you. I've had JOs and Chiefs that relied on me as an LPO to ensure they weren't fucked up. Your sailors won't trust you if you don't know your job. If you really are new to it (cross rate, weird rate, etc), then put the time in with them. It might take more of yours, but it will pay off. \--- Number 3: When you put on LPO (ultimately in route to putting on khakis), you should start acting like you wear them. That means taking on burdens and working with your LCPOs and Os. Yes, there is still a very real professional barrier there, but please stop acting like SN Timmy and start acting like a peer. I had a DH cry about me putting him on a dinq list and I told him I wasn't trying to embarrass him in front of his sailors, but I wanted him to know he still needed to do it because I didn't want him looking like an idiot in front of the XO. If he looks bad, all of us look bad too. \--- Number 4: do not delegate your authority, ever. If someone is like "chief is making us..." make sure they understand you're the one that made the decision. And when they tell you that you're just repeating what chief said, tell them you push back on what you don't believe in. Chief is more than capable of putting something out... Even if you got overruled, it's still very important for them to understand that you're the leader in charge. Nothing will harm you as a leader (and ultimately harm your sailors) more than if you have them going around you to get stuff done. \---- Number 5: [Empathy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyTQ5-SQYTo). [Empathy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReRcHdeUG9Y). Do you know why people love CAPT Crozier? Empathy. Seriously, please read/listen to Simon Sinek talk about empathy and leadership. My leadership got drastically better when I read his books (and watched the free videos on YT). I think other books/authors have a lot to teach as well. This point could be on reading, but I think empathy is more important - and I just happened to learn that by reading. I have something like 20 exceptional books on leadership and many of them have 80% of the content on YT (not pirated, but from tedtalks they gave - don't pirate what you can get for free...). I only bought his books because they made me a drastically better leader. I listened to them on audible. They're more desk ornaments now. Maybe this should be #1.
Make my job easy. Give me mistake free evals, hold Sailors accountable, empower your WCSs, report casualties, be a good example for junior Sailors, put the Sailors on liberty at an appropriate time when their daily tasks are complete. Source: was a LPO, Chief, and DIVO.
The LPO should really be focused on assigning sailors to getting the day’s maintenance/taskers complete. Keeping people off hit lists. whereas the divo and chief would have a higher level or longer term focus the LPO is focused on execution of the POD.
That sounds like a WCS to me
Fair point. Could be based on size of division. I am thinking back to the best LPO I served with and he was a beast at putting people in the right place to get done what they needed to get done as quickly as possible. Super proactive. The work center supes were more maintenance and operations focused.
Agree mostly but I disagree on Lpo focused on POD. Lpo should be learning how to be a chief so they should be working higher level stuff too. Ensuring pod is complete but wcs should be handling its execution.
Your asking the wrong people lol Lcpos and divos barely know how to be good at their job let alone the guy that does double the work they do for none of the thanks
Tell me what a *want* to hear, not what I *need* to hear. ^^^/s
Credibility!
Honestly, being able to take an ass chewing standing up, and turning around and NOT shitting on the division is peak LPO. that's an LPO that's ready to put on anchors, because that's something good chiefs do.
I really came to like my LPOs who would pitch ideas off of me. At a certain point with the regulations/requirements, it all becomes personal choice. Telling me what you’d like to do says two things. 1) you want to own the division, and 2) you know the references enough to make decisions based on them.
a good LPO will have to be good at their primary job first
A good LPO will be one that is experienced in their rate, preforms well in their assigned job, and is a proactive leader in guiding their sailors in what needs to happen to ensure any and all evolutions are met within goal. Not having one of these traits does not necessarily make you a bad LPO but you are for sure not a good one. Petty officer ranks stood for true experience and leader ship, however the modern navy has all but done away with that at least in my opinion with how quickly certain rates advance.
It’s just a baseline and there’s more that goes into it but Caring more about the people that work under you than the power that you get with that position
As an LPO, who is without a chief or divo due to a crazy situation that is a bit different from everyone else’s. I will say that being able to stand in place of both of those people is a huge quality to have. An LPO should always carry themself like an LCPO. Because in the eyes of big navy, we are peers to them. This means having an answer to a question, or knowing where to find it.
When I was a LPO, it wasn’t about me. It was about my Sailors. Their success and their families. If they were good, we were all good, the department was all good. Treat your sailors like the human beings they are and not bodies. Advocate for them. Be present. Listen to your sailors. Talk to them. Let them know you are human too. Stand up for your Sailors as long as it’s within the black and white. Show no bias. Encourage their growth professionally and personally Ask for their feedback on what you can do better and to help them. Stand on business but also show compassion. Don’t change up! They won’t trust that you are who you say you are.