The world is constantly changing, and this poses new challenges for the military leadership of today. Apart from the cultural challenges and the challenges presented by the new advances and technologies, there are several other important dimensions related to leadership. One of the challenges is defining and describing in detail the set of skills required of the leaders to successfully implement all their duties. Although the Army Core Values identify the abilities, training, and principles that leaders should possess, it can be argued that it might not be the complete view of the leader’s knowledge and skills. This is mainly because the changing world causes “the military role to become broader and more complex” (Halpin, 2011, p. 483). As a result, not all the challenges can easily be overcome by the leaders of today.
Another challenge is the willingness and readiness of some military leaders to change. Conventional military training might have caused some senior leaders to doubt if adapting to changes is going to help improve today’s leaders. It may seem that adhering to the principles one has been trained to practice throughout their career in the military is the skill that can make a strong leader (Yale School of Management, n.d.). However, it is impossible to implement the core values of leadership without adapting to innovations.
Another important challenge the leaders face is the ability to take care of the institution. Morath et al. (2011) claim that leaders “are responsible for creating environments that foster the learning, development, and retention of service members during a time of war” (p. 454). This can be challenging, however, because the learning needs to change as well. In addition, it is required of a leader to provide their subordinates with ethical guidance and support in situations that are often extremely difficult to assess from an ethical perspective. There is no established code that would provide leaders with complete knowledge of what is ethically right or wrong.
References
Halpin, S. M. (2011). Historical influences on the changing nature of leadership within the military environment. Military Psychology, 23(5), 479-488. Web.
Morath, R. A., Leonard, A. L., & Zaccaro, S. J. (2011). Military leadership: An overview and introduction to the special issue. Military Psychology, 23(5), 453-461. Web.
Yale School of Management. (n.d.). Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal on Leadership. YouTube. Web.