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12 Comments

1. It’s good to hear from you, Old Bobbert. Thank you for a thorough, thought-provoking article.

2. Folks, look to the Scouting program. It is good to see young girls competing with the boys in marksmanship. Leadership training (with reverence to God) is inherent. All you ex-military (and others interested), involve yourself for the good of this country.

   1. I hope that you’re not endorsing the damage done to the Girl Scouts by a Boy Scout leadership that decided that the best way to fill the depleted Boy Scout ranks was to open the organization to girls.

      While not exactly the same, of course, the Boy Scouts’ efforts remind me of the Left’s efforts to replace the loss of Democrats with illegal aliens.

   2. All due respect, but are you kidding? Ladies and gentlemen, keep your children away from the scouts at all costs, as they have acquiesced to the left and it’s cohorts of sexual deviants, perverts, and homosexuals. There is nothing to be offered there any longer.

3. We are incorporating the principals of the Incident Command System or ICS as our leadership and organizational structure. ICS used by first responders is also the organization used by the military as well. In ICS you have four sections – operations, planning, logistics and finance/admin. In the army operations is designated as either S3 or G3, planning or Intelligence is S2/G2, logistics is S4/G4 and finance/admin is S1/G1. With ICS there are a number of forms that are used to develop a plan and insure that the logistics are available to carry out and sustain the missions. Training is the system can be found on line at FEMA’s emergency management institute (EMI).

   One of the things I like to use is person-job-fit. It basically is looking at the task/job and then the person and deciding if they fit. Sometimes I don’t focus on the persons training in an area but more to their soft skills such as their ability to learn quickly, good decission making skills, etc.

   A good leader KNOWS the capabilities of his/her people and should not be asking for volunteers from the large group but instead ask the people that are capable of doing the task/mission. Doing this in the larger group also let’s others know that that the people you are asking have certain abilities which is important for future leaders to know. Which takes us to the next point- a good leader is training his/her replacement.

   I have had the opportunity to work with some large “big box” store loss prevention personnel and they do have a very valuable skill set for post TEOTWAWKI – they are trained observers of humans. They might not be able to lead a squad but I would want their opinion on people, especially people new to the area.

4. In their own mind, everyone sees themselves as the leader. The author may have already planned this, but I would like to see an article where the reader is not the leader.

   What do you do when some more powerful entity asks for some of your resources? How about when they demand them? Do you have the force and numbers necessary to depose the other side? Where do you draw the lines: a new religion, noblise oblige, forced military drafts of your young people, etc.? In the olden days it was common for the big bad to board members of the lesser noble households as leverage, what are you going to do when they take your grandkids to live at their capital?

   All of these examples come from history and are not idle what-ifs.

   1. Vagus,

      I believe there are different types and levels of leadership. As a husband I lead the household (well okay shared leadership). As a father I lead. At work I lead, in our community I lead in a different way by engaging in various civic issues. Leading doesn’t necessarily mean being in-charge. I have a shared leadership role at work where my boss (we both have worked at the place for 18 years and came up through the ranks together) consults me on many issues. He counts on me to be his “loyal opposition” and not a “yes” man. When I interview people I often ask when and how they decide to lead verses follow, since good leaders have to be good followers at times too.
      As to your question about somebody asking for your resources and what will you do? Well Uncle Sam ask for your “resources” every pay day and we all “voluntarily” pay them. If we put all our resources where some barbarian can see/find them all we have been reading and learning from the advice in SurvivalBlog – i.e. Putting all your eggs in one basket and not have plan B and C.
      I agree with your historical examples and that is why we need to have a good plan to expand our group post-TEOTWAWKI. Yes taking people in is another mouth to feed but it is also, if done right, another person with skills to help grow the new community. And with that new community will come a collective sense of the need to defend from others what they have built out of the rubble. Effective leadership of a post-TEOTWAWKI community will not be done by one person but rather a group. Avoid anyone who wants to make ALL the decission because no one bats 1,000.

      1. Thank you for the reasoned and well thought out response, and I agree with you wholeheartedly. The crux of my earlier comment is: I see and read from many people who talk about turning away their second cousin because he doesn’t bring anything to the table, and in general planning as if WROL means no higher authority or justice, and I don’t mean biblical. To get to back to the point, to me the issue is not how to choose a tactical commander, but how to react when a guy shows up and tells you he’s your tactical commander and he expects you to campaign during the summer season. I find that to be the much more likely scenario, given the entirety of recorded human history.

         In short, I dislike logical fallacies and motivated reasoning, which is why I often attack sacred cows.

5. Outstanding description. It is a difficult topic. There are many books, but it would hard to find a better depiction of who would be good leaders for the future we anticipate. Refinement can be made, but the core of what is constitutes a potentially good leader is here. However, the group must accept them as their leader… The most qualified may not be identified, or accepted. Often those who are power hungry, or authoritarian types with loud voices, or popular get the job. We do not want those persons. True leaders understand and accept the burden of responsibility, and does not necessarily seek authority. A true potential leader may seek others who might be better qualified than themselves, before taking the lead. They must be willing always be to the first to face danger, and the last to eat. They must alway be a servant. It is job that one would seek only if there were no better choices available. The burden would be crushing and exhausting. No one in their right mind would want such a job.

   Most folks do not have a military background. In some cases, it might be best to take a vote for whom would be a group leader. Chairmanships can be designated in the same way. Certain persons are better qualified as leaders for specialized tasks. If the group is hopefully large enough, a dedicated security team should have a team leader who is especially physically fit, and who will serve the group.

   Life is getting in the way, so I’ll wrap it up. Integrity is the single most important characteristic to look for. They must be also be able to be decisive under pressure. In my book, the group leader should also be a Christian. Without that you’ve got nothing.

   The best You Tuber that I am aware of on how to organize and perform security operations is SouthernPrepper 1.. Security will be job one. Without solid leadership, however organized, the ability of a group to maintain adequate security would likely be marginally effective, if effective at all.

6. At the age of 14 I looked at the Scouts vs Civil Air Patrol. I went with the CAP. I learned camping, communications, first aid (EMT at 19 yrs old), search & rescue, land navigation, and most important Teamwork and Leadership. Let’s not forget I learned to fly there getting my Private Pilot License at 17 yrs old (11th Grade in High School). This set me up for a tour in the US ARMY Special Forces (Green Beret) as an A-Team Medic, then ten years in law enforcement while building my flight time, and finally hiring/retiring with American Airlines (1988-2018) as a Captain on the Airbus 321. During this time I became a prepper. I have nothing against the Scouts of the old days, but I’m not so sure about the Scouts of today. It seems more politics and less common sense and mission confusion has cluttered the membership of the once grand BSA. That’s my point of view.

7. Teach the youth, by your example. Excellent advice. Also the bullet points. Succinct and pertinent.

   I hasten to add, consult with trusted subordinates. In the Marine Corps, we had leadership broken down to a minute level. Fire team leader answers to squad leader who answers to platoon commander, who answers to company commander. Teamwork was stressed.

   You might also seek a canny elder to watch your back for those who might crave your position. Those who smile to your face and plot behind your back. There are many ways to address such behavior. The elders and allies will offer approaches appropriate to the circumstances.

   Carry on

8. The MOST important trait for a “Leader” is to SET THE EXAMPLE. . . You don’t have to be the smartest, the strongest, the fastest or even the Best, what you have to do is get your hands dirty, from time to time!!!! A good leader should never seek approval or recognition. To quote the movie Braveheart “Men don’t follow Titles, they follow bravery”

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