Junior Leadership – CPL Mitchell Clark

‘I was always the digger that had slightly out of regs hair, my sunnies fit so nicely on my head so why wouldn’t I put them there and I obviously love non-issued gear ...’ In this week’s episode, the creator of the popular Instagram page Tuesday Night Violence Co. joins us again to talk about his approach to junior leadership. CPL Mitchell Clark is currently posted as the Training Sergeant at 2nd/17th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment (2/17 RNSWR). He has bounced in-and-out of full-time and part-time service and today he talks us through how he approaches leadership in an organisation full of volunteers that can choose to show up or not show up.

 

CPL Clark came to Army with a teaching background and finds real fulfilment in teaching and mentoring diggers as a Junior Non-Commissioned Officer. He has done jungle training in Malaysia as part of Rifle Company Butterworth, has deployed to Iraq with 6 RAR, was a Team Leader on Operation Resolute as part of the Transit Security Element and his career is not dissimilar from those he serves alongside. Like many, he went through his digger for life phase but realised how much he could give back by promoting and mentoring other soldiers.

 

CPL Clark takes us through his five reflections on how to be a good junior leader which are: (1) your character flaws are your problem and your responsibility; (2) you set the standard for your team; (3) look the part; (4) use common sense; and (5) be the mentor. He also shares a personality triad that he most relates to which combines professional competence, professional attitude and likeability. To be a good leader, you must have at least two of these traits. To be a good leader long-term, CPL Clark argues that one of those two traits must be professional competence. Honesty, self-reflection and embracing vulnerability are the cornerstones of junior leadership and in this episode, we talk through what it is like to make the leap.

 

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Subscribe to The Cove Podcast to make sure that you do not miss out on any of the heavy hitting content we have recorded. If you haven’t already done so, go back and listen to CPL Clark’s previous episodes Tuesday Night Violence Co. and Reserve Integration.