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ROTA, Spain -- The Navy Leadership
Continuum course is taking a new direction in training tomorrow's leaders to
include Sailors in pay grades E-3 and E-4 in setting an earlier standard in
leadership training.
Now called the Leadership Development Program, the
local Mobile Training Team at the Center for Naval Leadership Learning Site
(CNLLS), Rota, Spain, formerly known as the Navy Leader Training Unit
detachment Rota, hopes to provide maximum availability of the courses to
remote commands/sites, as well as servicing commands here.
Master Chief Sonar Technician (Surface) Jim Stone,
director of CNLLS, said the Navy is trying to get away from across-the-board
training for everybody, some of whom do not need it, opting instead to focus
on those who will need the training, and providing it before it is needed.
"If I'm going to make you the workcenter supervisor,"
Stone said, "shouldn't I give you the tools to succeed in that job?
Previously, you may have had that stellar E-3 or E-4 who was placed in a
position of leadership but could not get leadership training because it was
the second-class petty officer's course. Now, the Navy recognizes that they
are the frontline leaders even at E-3 or E-4."
Sailors fitting the frontline leader category will
attend the First Line Leadership Development Program (FLLDP), which replaces
the PO2 Leadership Training Course (LTC). NAVADMIN 006/04 defines those
attendees as: those Sailors, E-3 through E-5, to be assigned the first
leadership position within the chain of command and responsible for the
growth, development and daily direction of subordinates (e.g., positions such
as workcenter supervisor, flight line leader, crew leader, etc). The message
also notes that previous completion of the PO2 LTC satisfies leadership
development requirements for FLLDP position assignments.
"In some cases, you may even have E-6s in that
course," Stone said. "Some ratings are simply not conducive to
junior leaders. Many Sailors reach their first leadership position at the E-6
level."
Stone says this is where the Navy has to be prepared
to give Sailors the training necessary to succeed, just like any
"C" school. The flexibility in offering courses based on position
of leadership makes more sense than the previous blanket E-5, E-6 and chief
petty officer (CPO) training, according to Stone.
The second phase of training, in a true continuum of
training, is the Primary Leadership Development Program (PLDP), which
replaces the PO1 [petty officer 1st class] LTC. Those are Sailors, E-5 or
E-6, to be assigned leadership roles and responsibilities for the planning
and execution of divisional functions, to include the professional and
personal growth of personnel within that division (e.g., positions such as
leading petty officer, squad leader, assistant platoon commander, etc).
Again, previous completion of the PO1 LTC satisfies leadership development
requirements for PLDP position assignments.
The Advanced Leadership Development Program (ALDP)
replaces the CPO LTC. Attendees are defined as: those Sailors, E-6 or E-7, to
be assigned leadership roles and responsibilities in the administration, supervision
and training of divisional or departmental personnel, to include the
professional and personal growth of personnel within that division and/or
department (e.g., positions such as department leading chief petty officer,
operations chief, flight deck supervisor, platoon commander, etc). Previous
completion of the CPO LTC satisfies leadership development requirements for
ALDP position assignments.
Stone said more changes are coming with regard to
curriculum and delivery method of course material.
"The curriculum will now go to a combination of
computer-based e-learning and classroom facilitation," Stone said.
"We will give you in the classroom that social interaction that really
formulates and molds good ideas and good practices, and couple that with what
you can get on e-learning, the computer interaction and book learning."
The course will evolve from a two-week,
classroom-facilitated course into a one-week e-learning, followed by one-week
classroom format. Stone said Sailors can track their progression on Navy
Knowledge Online (NKO) and apply these courses to the Navy's Sailor Marine
American Council on Education Registry Transcript, or SMART transcript.
The courses teach the understanding of human
behavior, organizational behavior, concepts, motivation and counseling, all
based on the Navy's standard.
"The quicker people are involved with NKO, they're involved with e-learning. They're involved
with the 5 Vector Model for leadership, getting that vector as far as they
can. The quicker they embrace this dynamic change the Navy is going through,
they will be prepared and more competitive than their contemporaries,"
Stone said.
The new leadership training design evolved from the
Navy's Revolution in Training, and the continuum is represented on the 5
Vector Model. Classroom size will also change, reducing the student to
teacher ratio to a more manageable 12 to 1 ratio.
Stone sees the revamp in leadership training as a
positive move, a more proactive attempt at taking the right training to the
right people before they need it, preparing the Sailor, the command and the
Navy for future success.
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