The model of leadership qualities assumes leader character – personal values and fighting spirit, attention to people, professional appearance, and proper level of physical training. Roman V. and Roman M. describe the leader as a military leader as a person who combines the physical characteristics of a fighter, emotional stability, strong motivation, and willingness to sacrifice his life for his country (2019). In addition, the military leader of the US Army must lead skillfully – create a positive environment and teach others by his example. The Charter defines the requirements for an officer-leader of the United States to inspire, guide, motivate and influence people to ensure the fulfillment of goals (Miller, 2019). The leader must create conditions for a healthy climate in the team and encourage teamwork and initiative. The purpose of this paper is to explore all aspects of military leadership, to understand the duties of a commander and the qualities that he should possess.
The status of the position and the ability to give orders does not automatically mean having respect and unconditional fulfillment of orders. Leadership encourages gaining authority, and successful command of a unit, a commander without authority is not a leader. Almost all the great leaders of the past were victorious warriors, and all the great warriors were successful leaders. Armies with a long tradition honor and understand the importance of leadership and its development among officers of all ranks.
All the qualities that make up a true leader are divided into 3, Leads, Develops, and Achieves. Leadership development is a lifelong process that absorbs experience, knowledge, and formal education. A true leader works tirelessly, learning new levels of leadership skills in order to use them at any time to solve the problem.
A good commander is a person who leads others, thereby guiding them. This is one of the three core competencies of a leader. The ability to lead means that the leader must provide a goal, motivations for this goal, and the direction in which subordinates must move. Nevertheless, the Leads parameter is not limited to the direct responsibilities of a leader. In addition, the commander must inspire confidence in those whom he controls. This is a crucial aspect of mission success because, without trust in the leader, no one will follow him. Achieving trust is a mutual problem, and, setting the goal of creating an appropriate atmosphere in the Army, the leader thinks about how to form it among his subordinates with his actions and how much they can be trusted.
The second central aspect of an army leader is his mental development. Gosling states, “the development of strong, socially constructed collective leader identities would seem important in empowering the translation of command into leadership” (2022, p. 41). Only a person with a bright personality can claim leadership positions, hold them and influence people. In addition, it is essential for the commander’s development and how he develops his subordinates. If the whole team’s development is at a high level, then the first characteristic will be achieved more successfully. A natural leader is a standard, a professional in his field, one other will want to follow and learn from.
The third core competency of a leader is an achievement. The commander needs to establish mutual understanding and subordination in the detachment. This way, it is only possible to accurately and on time fulfill the assigned tasks. Achieving goals is any army’s primary task, and the leaders provide it to a greater extent through their competent leadership and direction.
The values by which the leader is designated in the Army were formed with the help of historical experience and army requirements. In order to identify the leader, a model of the requirements he must satisfy was formed. This model includes competencies, knowledge, and skills that a leader should possess. The central military values of the leader are Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal courage.
Loyalty means loyalty to the Constitution and those ideals that formed its basis. The most important manifestation of loyalty is the support of army values. Duty means not just the following order but taking the initiative and responsibility for subordinates. Respect means that all people should be treated appropriately and valued for dignity and worth. Selfless service means that the leader must do everything possible for his country and Army while not neglecting himself. Honor means living up to the values of the Army, thereby setting an example for everyone. Integrity means following all the principles because the leader must be honest because he is responsible for his deeds and words. Personal courage is the ability of a leader to carry out a task without paying attention to fear, thereby inspiring others.
Army leadership is essential for many reasons. The leadership role in the Army is unique in its responsibilities. Without competent leadership, the Army will not be able to protect the fundamental foundations on which the country is built. The main trait of a leader is the ability to influence others. In addition, thanks to this influence, the soldiers are inspired, their morale rises, and with competent leadership, the Army can achieve success without it – no.
Army leadership is the ability to be helpful to a country and its people. Without competent command, the Army cannot perform all the functions assigned to it. Taking into account all the studied requirements for a leader and the values of the army, it can be concluded that only an exceptional person can perform the functions of a leader. Many complicated responsibilities and duties are assigned to him, and accordingly, the leader must comply with them.
References
Gosling, E. (2022). The role of the officers’ mess in inclusive military leader social identity construction. Leadership, 18(1), 40-60.
Miller, S. K. (2019). Army leadership and the profession. Department of the Army.
Roman, V., & Roman, M. (2019). The Reputation of the Military Leader Between Ego-Perception and Group Perception. In International Conference Knowledge-Based Organization (Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 316-323).