CENTER FOR COMPANY-LEVEL LEADERS (CCL)

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CENTER FOR COMPANY-LEVEL LEADERS (CCL)
Develop and operate professional forums for
platoon leaders and company commanders. Provide
the Army with research on leader development and
organizational learning.
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We envision every company-level leaderpast,
present, futureconnected in a vibrant
conversation about building and leading
combat-ready teams.
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Foundational Assumption
The cutting-edge knowledge of the Army resides
in the minds of leaders at the tip of the spear.
Connecting these leaders in conversation brings
together the Armys greatest knowledge resources,
unleashing the power of the Army profession to
improve combat effectiveness.
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CCL Values

• Passion for quality
• Innovative and creative
• Committed to the Army
• Grass roots and voluntary
• Value the individual, work as a team
• Positive voice with a focus on solutions

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CC/PL Founding Story

• Front-porch conversation focused on learning
  becoming more effective leaders
• Grounded in relationships
• Team of volunteers, fresh out of commanddriven
  to pass on learning to the next generation of
  commanders
• Evolving form, with a laser-beam focus on serving
  company commanders platoon leaders
• Senior Army leaders recognize impact help
  resource the initiative

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CCL A Brief History

• 2000 CompanyCommand.com launched
• 2001 PlatoonLeader.org launched
• Taking the Guidon published
• 2002 Platoonleader.army.mil
• 2003 Companycommand.army.mil
• Center of Excellence virtually established
• 2005 CC Unleashing published
• ARMY magazine articles published monthly
• 2006 CCL physically established at USMA
• CCL Support to PME2 commences
• 2007-08 Interviews in Afghanistan/Iraq
• Leader Challenge Project
• Platoon Leader Book Project

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CCL Support Team at West Point

• Director LTC Tony Burgess
• Deputy Director LTC Pete Kilner
• Operations Officer MAJ Ray Kimball
• Director of Technology MAJ (Ret) Tom Morel
• Office Manager Denise Corbari

The most important people in this growing
network are the platoon leaders and company
commanders who connect with each other and
participate in their professional forums. It is
for those heroes that the CCL Support Team
exists. They are our reason for being.
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CCL Operations

• Professional forums Company Command, Platoon
  Leader, FRG Leader
• Online community technology RD for the Army
• Funded research dual focused company-level
  leader development organizational learning
• Leader challenges (scenario-driven
  leader-development packages)
• Publications (monthly ARMY magazine, newsletters,
  books, research reports, etc.)
• Leader-to-leader (L2L) workshops (face-to-face
  development seminars)
• Professional book reading program
• Continuous engagement with leading-edge ideas and
  people
• Combat-leader interviews
• Video leader-development packages
• Annual volunteer training development
  conference (rendezvous)
• Growing, equipping and sustaining the team of
  volunteers

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CCLs Most Unique Contribution at West Point
Faculty (past PLs)
Cadets (future PLs)
Current Platoon Leaders In the Experience now
A living curriculum grounded in the cutting-edge,
current experiences of actual platoon leaders
that connects past, present, and future platoon
leaders to improve individual and collective
effectiveness.
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The Ongoing Process of Becoming a Leader Member
of the Profession
Give back prepare for...
Experience/ Just in Time Learning
Company Command
CCC
Prepare for...
http//CompanyCommand.army.mil
Platoon Leader
BOLC II Basic Course
USMA, ROTC, OCS
http//PlatoonLeader.army.mil
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Professional Forums
Connecting leaders in conversation about leading
combat-ready teams.
Improving company-level leader effectiveness and
advancing the profession.
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PME/Leader Challenge

• Concept An interactive, online experience that
  mirrors the most developmental experiences
  platoon leaders are having in combat, followed by
  face-to-face discussion with peers and faculty
  mentors.
• PME 2-14 Innovative problem solving
• Company B-3 PME2
• Leader Challenge 1 Shoot/Dont Shoot (Sep 2007)
• Leader Challenge 2 Men vs Mission (Oct 2007)
• Leader Challenge 3 Death in Your Platoon (Nov
  2007)
• Leader Challenge 4 PL / PSG Relationship (Jan
  2008)
• Leader Challenge 5 Forthcoming

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Platoon Leader Book
Based on CCL interviews with 200 platoon leaders
in combat

• Topics
• Taking charge downrange
• Performing non-METL missions in non-standard
  task organizations
• Responding to first contact with the enemy
• Dealing with the indigenous people
• Operating within the rules of engagement
• Training indigenous security forces
• Making difficult decisions
• Leading up (when you think your commander is
  wrong)
• Fighting complacency within the platoon
• Dealing with death (catastrophic contact)
• Sustaining your units will to fight and moral
  compass
• 12. Redeploying and reintegrating
• The book will include multiple platoon leaders
  stories as well as commentary from other
  experienced platoon leaders (of all ranks) and
  insights from military-leadership theorists.

Themes Agility Judgment Resilience Compassion
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Energizing Inspiring
Cutting Edge
Positive
Relevant
Passionate Committed