P-385-63 US Army Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Guide Download

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2 DA PAM 600–25 • 11 December 2018 Chapter 2 Leader Development 2–1. Army’s Leader Development Strategy (overview) Leader development is fundamental to our Army. Leadership underpins everything the Army does, which is why we con- tinuously invest in our people. This investment in our profession ensures we are ready when our Nation calls. The Army Leader Development Strategy (ALDS) provides the ways, means, and ends to realize an Army of competent and committed NCOs of character with the skills and attributes necessary to meet challenges of the 21st century and beyond. a. Leader development is a process that aligns training, education, and experience to prepare leaders who are not only prepared for their current position but also preparing for their progressive responsibilities as well. Leader development is a deliberate, continuous, and progressive process founded in Army Values that grows Soldiers into competent, committed, professional leaders of character. Leader development is achieved through the career-long synthesis of training, education, and experiences acquired through institutional, operational, and self-development domains, supported by peer and devel- opmental relationships. b. Our NCOs must expect complexity and understand they must be prepared to operate interdependent under mission orders. The strategy challenges the Army to enrich leader training and education by leveraging technology and adapting training methodologies to replicate complexity and hybrid threats in the classroom, at home station, and while deployed. Our doctrine describes the leadership qualities we seek; leaders must be: (1) Able to demonstrate their core attributes and competencies and ability to lead change in the Army. (2) Capable of operating across the range of military operations. (3) Able to combine operational excellence, with the ability to operate in JIIM environments, to achieve unity of effort. (4) Able to understand the socio-economic environment and be culturally astute, in order to successfully operate in complex, uncertain environments. (5) Courageous enough to see and exploit opportunities in the challenging, complex operational environment. (6) Professionals who are grounded in Army Values and the warrior ethos. c. Army leaders must possess and demonstrate traits such as being adaptable, agile, flexible, responsive, and resilient. Mastering these fundamentals is a professional obligation. 2–2. Army’s Noncommissioned Officer 2020 Strategy (overview) The roles and responsibilities for the NCO have always been to lead, train, and care for Soldiers and equipment while enforcing standards. The Army must have a cohort of competent and committed NCOs of character as trusted professionals who thrive in chaos, adapt, and win in a complex world. The Army’s NCO 2020 Strategy provides the ways, means, and ends to develop a professional, trained, and ready NCO corps that is essential to remain as the world’s premier fighting force. a. A Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development System (NCOPDS), integrated and synchronized in the de- velopment of the next generation of competent and committed NCOs of character is essential. NCOPDS was established to operationalize the lines of effort outlined in the NCO 2020 Strategy. The system is designed to develop NCO compe- tencies for the 21st century and to support greater flexibility with regard to when, where, and how Soldiers learn. b. The desired end state of the NCO 2020 Strategy includes the following outcomes: (1) Providing the Army with a more adaptable, resilient NCO corps. (2) Improving professionalism, training, and education expertise. (3) Providing challenging, relevant, and rigorous leader development training, education, and experiences. (4) Articulating learning responsibilities and requirements across the three learning domains (institutional, operational, and self-development) and integrating them into a synchronized, effective, and efficient development system. (5) Improving professional development models and learning curricula so Soldiers and leaders can assess progress, track learning events, create goals, and certify professionals to identify and develop NCOs to serve at operational and strategic levels. (6) Ensuring that the Army, commanders, and NCOs are satisfied with development programs and performance policy. (7) Ensuring doctrine and programs fully support a lifelong learning environment and the total force. 2–3. Army’s Talent Management Strategy (overview) Leader development is further enhanced by recognizing, developing, and maturing talents in Soldiers while simultaneously managing talent to meet the immediate and long-term goals of the ALDS. Together, leader development and talent man- agement build on the fundamentals. a. Talent is the intersection of three dimensions—skills, knowledge, and behaviors—that create an optimal level of individual performance, provided individuals are employed within their talent set. Talent management is a way to enhance