Have you watched the new Sunday night TV show on CBS titled 'Undercover Boss"? It's about a CEO of a selected company, going undercover for a week, to get down into the "weeds" with his company, to learn what's going well, and what's not. The CEO is usually disguised as a new employee, undergoing training, with a TV camera person tagging along documenting how an out–of–work person adjusts to a new entry level job. So far, CEOs from Waste Industries, Hooters, 7–Eleven and White Castle have been featured. It's an interesting show, and the theme is probably a familiar one to those who have served for any length of time in the military.
I remember being told by an Army Chief of Staff while I was attending a pre–command course, that "leaders should always lead though the chain of command, but GOOD leaders should communicate throughout that chain anyway they want, all the time". What he was saying is that it's OK to talk frequently with those much more junior, to see what's going on, even if that meant you are bypassing the normal chain of command.
When faced with a tough situation, for example, a leader at the top can often find solutions by talking to those closest to the problem. That might be you as the Battalion Commander, talking with a Squad Leader on a job site. While the Squad Leader certainly knows who the boss is (you) and you are certainly not undercover like the CEOs mentioned above were, there are similar benefits to be gained by finding out what's really going on in your organization.
