Leadership a critical aspect of being an excellent commander – Chief of Staff tells officers

Leadership is a critical aspect of being an excellent commander, Chief of Staff Brigadier Godfrey Bess said as he declared the Senior Command and Staff Course 16 open.

Bess in delivering the charge reminded the officers of the importance of the realities of command, emphasising that they must also understand that leadership is a critical aspect of being an excellent commander.
“Military men may obey the commands of their commanders as given, but military men and women will go to battle with the commander who can best lead them: the commanders who lead by example; the commanders who can be firm but compassionate; the commanders who may seem devilish but who are seen to have a heart and soul. Your men and women will always choose you as a commander when you are courageous and bold and ready to lead,” Bess is quoted as saying by the Guyana Defence Force in a post on the army’s Facebook page.
He challenged the officers to pursue the course to become critical thinkers by going beyond the digestion of the materials presented in the training modules. “You must apply yourselves not simply to digesting the materials presented in the taught modules, but also, to discovering the breath beyond your tuition. You must do that in order to be the quality of senior officers the GDF needs for its future development. You must, therefore, become critical thinkers. Learn to deconstruct ideas and concepts in order to gain the fruit of knowledge contained therein,” he urged.
He also highlighted the significance of the capstone military course, which, he explained, is exemplified by its terminal objective to train officers to function as unit commanders and senior staff officers across the full spectrum of military operations. These are significant functions, he emphasised, which are grounded in the knowledge and skills to be acquired during the course.
He explained that the leadership concepts and related exercises to be conducted on the course are designed to develop an officer’s command and control as well as enhance his capability for delivering efficient staff-duty functions. “These are not only military skills, but professional and lifelong learning skills that are required in your daily lives. It is a challenging course and having the right motivation is key to your success. You are more likely to succeed as a student if you take the time to prepare. You should approach this course with confidence in your abilities,” he urged.
He charged the officers to be bold and courageous in expanding their learning during the course.
Nineteen officers are pursuing the Senior Command and Staff Course 16 which is being conducted over a period of 12 weeks. The course covers several areas including minor staff duties, communication skills, tactics in open and close country warfare, internal security operations, military law, military history, administration and logistics.
Successful completion of the Senior Command and Staff Course is one of the requirements for an officer to be elevated to the Senior Officer Corps.