Leadership is the act of guiding a group of people based on a certain chain of command. Though there are various management styles or approaches, the choice depends on the work setting (Jin et al., 2017). For instance, the leadership style employed in the army may be different from that of a civilian world. However, the two settings require the leaders to have the good leadership qualities to achieve success in their execution of duties. Military leadership is perceived as more strict than civilian leadership. This is because the leaders are trained with full commitment to their career and exhibit self-sacrifice, which is different from a civilian setting. However, despite the several differences, there are several similarities. The paper discusses the similarities between the army and civilian leadership.
In both army and civilian leadership, effective communication is very important. It is essential that every stakeholder understands the mission of the organization. Therefore, the leader should communicate all the requirements to the team before the execution of any task (Jin et al., 2017). Communicating and engaging the members gives them a sense of belonging and is essential for the success of any organization. In case a change is required in a firm, the employees can fuel its execution when they understand its need and how it will affect them. Similarly, in a military setting, the troops are trained to follow the guidelines provided by their leader. Thus, with good communication, they perform their duties objectively.
Persistence and teamwork are also essential in both army and civilian leadership. Teams should work without giving up; until the goal is achieved. Teamwork has a direct impact on the ability of an organization to realize its mission. A leader ought to make sure that every team member is moving in the same direction and working towards the same objective (Jin et al., 2017). Therefore, whether in the military or a civilian setting, teamwork is essential for success, and a good leader should monitor the progress and keep the team on track.
In both military and civilian leadership, flexibility should be embraced. Change is inevitable in all settings; it requires the teams to be ready all the time. Nothing goes entirely as planned; even in the military, there are changes of plans depending on the mission (Ikäheimonen, 2021). Thus, a leader should be ready to change in case there is a need. People hate change due to the mental barriers that make them fear what comes with the new state. However, a leader should display confidence and comfort for the change; this motivates the team to conform to change.
Self-knowledge and development are also important for both settings. For a leader to be successful, he or she has to be aware their weaknesses and strengths mission (Ikäheimonen, 2021). It is imperative to know what one should improve as a leader. This aspect applies in both army and civilian leadership because how well one understands self, determines how ready he or she is to deal with new challenges. Thus, as a leader, one has to remain at the top of the game throughout.
Admittedly, good leadership is an essential aspect required in any organization. While different settings may need varied approaches, there are common features that should be applied in all environments. These include effective communication, flexibility in case a change of plan is needed, teamwork and persistence, and self-knowledge of the leader. Therefore, though there may be differences in how operations are conducted in the military or civilian world, the leadership in both cases displays similarities.
References
Ikäheimonen, T. (2021). Application of military leadership skills in international business. Web.
Jin, Y., Meng, J., & Berger, B. (2017). The influence of communication leadership qualities on effective crisis preparedness strategy implementation: Insights from a global study. Communication Management Review, 2(01), 8-29. Web.