This essay analyzes the types of military leadership and their impact on Army performance. The study is based on the Army Doctrine Publication 6-22. Changes were presented in the analyzed doctrine in comparison with those published earlier. It should be noted that the essay followed the structure of the Army doctrine. The order of the paragraphs roughly corresponds to the order in which the topics are covered in the doctrine.
It was indicated what competencies a leader needs to have to most influence the actions of the subordinates. The assumption was made about the importance of the combined use of the three types of leadership in the Army. In addition, the essay re-emphasized the need to follow honest paths of gaining authority among colleagues. It was noted what attitude towards representatives of the Army was throughout history and how dishonest leadership methods can lead to a deterioration in the leader’s reputation.
The question of the influence of leadership on the performance indicators of the Army is vital for military researches. However, there has been a decrease in scientific interest in this topic among scientists in recent years (Nazri & Rudi, 2019). Army Doctrine Publication 6-22 sets out the essential characteristics of a leader. The core competencies and attributes are described in detail in this doctrine. The creation of the principles was backed by years of military experience and research results in leadership.
Following the concept, the ideal Army leader has high intelligence, excellent physical fitness, professionalism; his moral character serves as a role model for other soldiers (Department of the Army, 2019). In a situation where it is necessary to make a decision, the leader can direct the people around them and maintain the required calmness Possession of deep and tactical knowledge allows the leader to become an expert. Leadership is a complex phenomenon that requires a scientific approach to its study: leadership directly affects the Army’s performance.
Army Doctrine Publication 6-22 discusses Army definitions of leader, requirements for Army leadership, how a leader can influence the people around him. Leadership is established at three levels: tactical leadership, direct leadership, and strategic leadership. (Department of the Army, 2019). This essay will look at the 2019 doctrine, which contains some changes from previous versions. In particular, the 2019 version included vital concepts such as Army Profession and Army Ethic.
The structure of the doctrine is made up of ten chapters. In each chapter, the phenomenon of leadership in the Army is revealed from different positions. For example, Chapter 9 deals with the concept of organizational leadership, while Chapters 2-4 detail the image of the Army leader (Department of the Army, 2019). Thus, the doctrine’s structure is constructed in a convenient for the reader and logical manner. This doctrine discusses the phenomenon of leadership multidimensionally, leaving no gaps in research.
Every American soldier has a responsibility to protect the interests of his people. To stay on track in difficult situations of moral choices, such as those requiring the use of violence in international conflicts, each soldier must adhere to specific values. The Army Values include the traditional Army Ethic of loyalty, integrity, responsibility, and selfless service (Department of the Army, 2019). Loyalty implies loyalty to the Army, other soldiers, and the US Constitution. Integrity assumes that the soldier’s actions are following moral norms and the law. Apart from these four components, respect, honor, and personal courage are also important.
Throughout the history of humanity, the character traits of military leaders and their general appearance aroused respect and admiration among those around them (Nazri & Rudi, 2019). The Army serves its people, and failure to comply with the moral standards of the soldiers can lead to the loss of people’s trust towards them.
Leadership can be understood as a process of social influence through which a leader gains support from other community members. The leadership model presented in the Declaration suggests that there are some universal characteristics for leaders present regardless of the rank of servants. (Department of the Army, 2019). A leader has several professional competencies and attributes, as indicated in the Declaration. Leadership competencies provide the ability to manage soldiers’ actions, achieve goals, and improve in the military activities field. Intellectual ability, coupled with their unwavering character and constant presence in making essential decisions, defines leaders.
It is necessary to analyze these components of leadership since this will allow one to find out the combination of which characteristics contribute to the fastest and most effective training of soldiers. (Department of the Army, 2019). Leaders who gain knowledge through institutional domains and self-development will adapt to multiple scenarios and grow to higher levels of responsibility.
A leader must be able to adapt to constantly changing circumstances. However, among the many varying factors that influence leadership dynamics, there are three constant ones: the leader, the guided ones, and conditions. (Department of the Army, 2019). The lack of a strong leader personality can create a sense of insecurity among servants. One can obtain leadership authority formally by occupying a specific position or informally, for example, by influencing colleagues using various psychological methods. Inexperienced subordinates require more supervision and control over them. (Department of the Army, 2019).
The Army’s effectiveness as a structure depends on how many consciously and competently soldiers serve as leaders and subordinates. In both high-risk and low-risk situations, unique circumstances influence leaders’ decisions. The ability to assess the current situation and estimate the strengths of the followers combined with the ability to manage will maximize the results of leadership activities.
As mentioned before, it is necessary to consider what constitutes a leader’s attributes. The leader’s true nature is determined by his conscience, which influences his moral views and actions. The lack of presence may cause a loss of respect and confidence in the leader’s subordinates; therefore, it is vital to be seen. Mental agility, sound judgment, and various other qualities make up an Army commander’s intellect. The combined use and development of all intelligence components in the course of military activity will provide the best leadership. There is a difference between attributes and competencies: competencies can be developed, while attributes predominantly stay the same during one’s lifetime. (Department of the Army, 2019). Competent leaders who demonstrate the leaders must suitably qualify confidence in their attitudes, actions, and words. Subordinates do not trust leaders who appear trustworthy but do not demonstrate the skills that confirm their confidence.
It seems reasonable to dwell in a little more detail on two types of leadership, namely organizational and strategic. The organizational leader is distinguished by the ability to use the fundamental knowledge gained through experience. By summarizing and integrating the available information, such a leader quickly solves emerging problems. Strategic leaders’ insight and knowledge enable them to envision, which is a fundamental role of theirs. They have the power to predict which threats might affect the future of the Army. The ideal leader should combine all three types of leadership in his leadership activities: direct, strategic, and organizational. This combination of techniques will be able to provide the best result in both low-risk situations and in emergencies.
A leader who uses unscrupulous methods to increase influence on subordinates can expect positive results only in a short period. Then one should expect a decrease in authority among subordinates and a refusal to follow instructions. Research from 2019 demonstrates that passive and active forms of destructive leadership in a military context can equally contribute to harmful consequences (Fosse et al., 2019). Successful strategies to prevent and remediate the impacts of counterproductive leadership must consider both forms of unwanted leadership behavior.
Thus, to maintain efficiency in the Army, it is imperative to ensure excellent leadership quality at all subordination levels. Developing the competencies and attributes mentioned in the doctrine will allow the leader to realize himself in management activities in the best possible way. Strict adherence to moral principles and respect for colleagues will positively influence the relationship between the army team. A leader should avoid unscrupulous methods of dominance in favor of more knowledge-based and experiential approaches.
References
Department of the Army. (2019). ADP 6-22: Army leadership and the profession . The Army Publishing Directorate.
Fosse, T. H., Skogstad, A., Einarsen, S. V., & Martinussen, M. (2019). Active and passive forms of destructive leadership in a military context: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 28(5), 708-722.
Nazri, M. & Rudi, M. (2019). Military leadership: A systematic literature review of current research. International Journal of Business and Management, 3, 1-15. Web.