Army Leader Research Paper

A good leader in the United States Army is made-up of several different essential characteristics. As soon to become leaders in our profession, is our individual responsibility to know, understand and apply these characteristics in the way we conduct ourselves every day. Because we are the role models for soldiers to follow not only in our job but also in our personal life. Stewardship of the Army profession in one of these mayor characteristics of a good leader in our career. Being a steward of the profession, focuses in three mayor traits: character, competence and commitment.

A good leader is someone with certain characteristics that make them good at leading. For example, “If you were a chief you had to think, you had to be wise. And then the occasion slipped by so you had to grab at a

The question of “What makes a leader great?” is without one solitary answer. Effective leaders in the corporate and political arenas are deserving of praise, but because of the nature of their work, military leaders are arguably more complex and intriguing.

An effective leader must be able to uphold their values against adversity, adapt and overcome, and act in the best interest of their Soldiers. The excerpt “I know my Soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own” from the NCO Creed really speaks to what a leader is. Authenticity is key – showing subordinates and peers that you are not without fault and that just because you are in a leadership position does not mean you cannot learn from others. Leaders with this mentality increase trust and morale in their respective units; thus increasing work productivity and giving their subordinates a greater sense of job satisfaction.

Officers are taught to lead by example which means learning from the officers who came before them. As a leader in the army, a solider is constantly watched and must uphold the army core values at all times. Setting a good example for the young, non commissioned officers (NCOs) in the battalion is vital to the battalions cohesion and morale. In order to lead by example an officer is taught different leadership styles to incorporate in the field For instance, participating leadership style is especially appropriate when there is time receive input, information, and recommendations of your subordinates. The primary goal of the army is to develop the leaders of tomorrow. Leadership can always be improved on throughout life.

An Army Leader is able and willing to act decisively, within the intent and purpose of his superior leaders, and in the best interest of the organization. Army leaders recognize that organizations built on mutual trust and confidence, successfully accomplish peacetime and wartime missions.” (2006, P. Viii). Balance molds a leader and in turn, an effective leader is a proactive person who works a whole lot smarter. President George Bush (1997) states, “Leadership to me means duty, honor, and country; It means character and it means listening from time to time.” (Adrain, p. 35).

You can ask ten different Soldiers what an Army leader is, or what they believe a good Army leader is. It will not matter the rank, time in service or the maturity level of that Soldier because more than likely you will get ten different answers. Everyone has their own opinions on what an Army leader is, or what they believe a good Army leader is. By definition leadership in the Army is the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation to accomplish the mission and improve the organization (ADRP 6-22, 2012). There are three leadership competencies that make an Army leader; leads, develops and achieves.

Leadership, according to the Army doctrine, represents individuals’ ability to influence people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organization (“Leadership” FM 6-22). However, the varying characteristics of individuals that the Army attracts may instill this doctrine in many different ways, leading to different representations of leadership. Some individuals choose to lead their subordinate in a stern matter, only displaying matured emotions and a “tough-loving” attitude to guide them in the right direction. Others

Leaders should be able to make these big decisions with all his confidence projecting out with his military bearing. A leader should look like a leader, disciplined, confident, and has the skills and abilities to persuade and provide their subordinates with the motivation, direction and purpose so as to accomplish a mission without being easily rattled by problems that arises.

"Leadership is the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation to accomplish the mission and improve the organization" (Mills, 2013). The Army measures its leaders by their attributes and their core leader competencies. Also, a leader must be able to train, coach and mentor their subordinates. Additionally, the Army has three levels of leadership: Direct, Organizational, and Strategic. An effective leader understands and practices these qualities at an operational level.

The first requirement is the ability to lead efficiently and successfully. The Army leader will build trust throughout their organization and influence others to follow their lead. The second requirement of a leaders competencies is presence. An army leader will be physically fit, have a strong military bearing, and be professional and courteous in everything they do. The third requirement they must have is intellect to be a great leader in the Army.

One important expression for army leadership is BE-KNOW-DO. Army leadership begins with what the leader must BE, the values and attributes that shape character. A leader can think of these as internal and defining qualities possessed all the time. As defining qualities, they make up the identity of the leader. Values and attributes are the same for all leaders, regardless of position, although refined through experience and assumption of positions of greater responsibility. For example, a sergeant major with combat experience may have a deeper understanding of selfless service and personal courage than a new soldier.

(ADP 6-22). They are the role models of their subordinates. Army leaders are the ones that will further shape and mold their soldiers into the . One of

Many people are born “natural” leaders, but no one starts out as a great leader. One must sharpen and develop the skills needed to be a quality leader. One skill a leader must have is the ability to learn new things quickly. If someone can adapt to a changing situation and catch on to new tasks in a short amount of time, that person will be able to react more quickly and learn more in a short amount of time. Another quality a leader must have is empathy. A good leader needs to be able to put themselves in their subordinate’s shoes and understand what that person might be going through. If a leader cannot relate to those below him or her, they will never gain trust and will not be able to effectively lead. Another major skill a leader must have to be effective is communication. If an officer cannot effectively relay information from his commander down to his soldiers, then the mission will fail and lives could be lost. One last skill that I believe is necessary to be an effective leader is the ability to be aware of one’s strengths and weaknesses. If an officer can recognize a soldier’s weak points and strong points, then together, they can develop a plan to increase the weak points and strive to maintain the areas where the soldier is stronger. While there are many more skills and qualities to being an effective leader, I believe that the ones listed above are some of the more important ones. The style of leadership portrayed by a leader is directly correlated to the morale and behavior of his or her

Independent of the Army and country you serve, leadership is always an important subject. There are many civilian books and military manuals talking about leadership. The United States Army divides the subject leadership in three levels. These levels are Direct Leadership, Organizational Leadership, and Strategic Leadership. In this paper, the focus will be only about the first two levels. According with you rank, you will work more in one of these levels. Because of that, most part of time there is not much interaction between higher-level leaders and lower level leaders. Despite the limited interaction between higher level leaders like Brigade commanders with the lower level leader like company commander it’s not affect a satisfactory mission accomplishment.