AMSC hosts leadership symposium

Challenges come in every profession. The military knows this all too well.

On Tuesday, the Army Management Staff College at Fort Belvoir kicked off its three-day Leadership Symposium on the very subject and welcomed Maj. Gen. Vincent E. Boles, assistant deputy chief of staff, G-4, as its keynote speaker.

From the outset, Boles discussed the magnitude of leadership in the workplace and how communication was paramount to achieving the highest success.

"In my experience, there are two reasons for stress in the workplace," Boles told a capacity-filled audience of servicemembers and DoD civilians. "Leaders who know what's happening, but never informing their workers and subordinates, never speaking up when they know something is wrong. In either case, the need for communication is crucial."
In Boles' opinion, the first thing individuals look at in the workplace is how their supervisor or director will respond to a particular situation. To help set a good example, Boles has a piece of advice he's found helpful during his more than 30 years with the Army.

"Just remember that your best has to get better. That's for everyone, regardless of what your rank or position may be," Boles said. "If you're willing to show a commitment to your job and understand there's always room for improvement, your contributions will speak for themselves. As a leader, you would be demonstrating good values and, as an employee, you would be showing your superiors why you belong there."

The symposium offers perspectives on developing civilian leaders across the federal government. It ends today and included several guest speakers, including Secretary of the Army Pete Geren.

More information is available from amsc.belvoir.army.mil.