The United States Coast Guard

The U.S. Coast Guard is taking an array of initiatives to enhance leadership among all of its 80,000 members including military officers, enlisted personnel, civilian employees, uniformed volunteers, and reservists. It is building its Leadership Development Program around a set of 21 leadership competencies ranging from setting strategies and aligning values to resolving conflicts and inspiring others.

To target the right people with the right training, the Coast Guard has taken stock of where its leadership gaps are most evident and how they can best be closed. An assessment of leadership needs among its enlisted personnel, for instance, has led to 75 changes in the way its draws recruits into service, trains them in boot camp, and appraises their performance. It has introduced a two-day leadership module into all of its technical training programs for enlisted personnel.

When military personnel reach certain ranks or positions, the Coast Guard requires that they attend programs offered by its Leadership Development Center in New London, Connecticut. The Center also takes a five-day leadership and management course on the road, and in a companion effort to foster leadership throughout the ranks, the Coast Guard posts online a stand-alone curriculum - the Unit Leadership Program - for supervisors across the country to use.

The Coast Guard uses a web-based mentoring system in which interested personnel post their interest and availability. It is also constructing a new "Leadership Effectiveness Inventory," a 360-degree feedback system for helping its personnel diagnose their blind spots and build stronger capabilities.

The Coast Guard selects two officers every year to pursue a master's degree program in leadership or related fields. And it annually recognizes one officer with the Witherspoon Inspirational Leadership Award, named for Capt. John G. Witherspoon, and officer legendary for his assumption of great personal risks in fostering the growth and development of those in his charge.

Information on the Coast Guard's Leadership Development Program can be found at: http://www.uscg.mil/leadership.htm

From the Wharton Leadership Digest, October, 1999.