Army 's Leadership On The Emotional Side Of Leadership

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.

My leadership philosophy revolves entirely around the Army Values. In every action I take as a leader, I assess whether or not it lines up with the Army Values and the potential impacts. I have had a variety of leadership assignments during my career, all requiring a different leadership approach, spanning from team leader through platoon sergeant. My conflict resolution skills have greatly evolved through my twelve years in the Army, from rudimentary conversations to in depth problem solving. My professional development has had a profound effect on my leadership abilities, from NCOPD’s to mentorship from senior non-commissioned officers (NCO’s).

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how my legacy leader’s use of the Army’s leadership attributes and competencies contributed to my development and leadership philosophy. When it comes to leadership in the Army there are some who are good leaders and others that need some work. Everyone at some point in their career will be in a leadership position and it is important to understand what it takes to be a good leader in the Army. Luckily for us the Army has a guide for us to use that tells us what attributes and competencies make up a good leader (Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA, 2012). While we are provided these attributes and competencies

My leadership philosophy is pretty much simple. I believe you should be the leader that you would want to follow. Treat everyone that you encounter with respect regardless of their rank, background or ethnicity. Care for all as though they are your family because in reality they are. Ensure that you incorporate the Army values on a day to day basis. Respect is a key value. A leader must and should give respect if they want it from their subordinates. Respect must be earned verses given. Many times, Soldiers respect a leaders rank but not them as a person. I feel as though if a subordinate respect your rank and you as a person, they will always go above and beyond the standard to complete a given task. This in return

The United States (US) Army has prided itself on the ability to make members overcome extreme obstacles and deliver success despite adversity through a main principle, leadership. Since 1775, leaders in the Army have had many obstacles but some of the greatest obstacles seem to come from their own decision makers, the US government. In 2013, the Army faced yet again another obstacle federal budget sequestration.

The research methods chosen is based on the military perfecting methods to develop and culture effective leaders. From the first day of training, a soldier is in a transition of his/her perception of reality about becoming an effective leader of soldiers. Not all in the armed forces will be able to achieve this, but those soldiers with the ability to lead will normally be promoted to demonstrate their leadership ability within their military service. An effective leader must possess the quantities and characteristics that will demonstrate the guidance necessary to get the job done. A leader must have the support of the organization for a common goal or outcome; be able to delegate his or her authority to those who have the skills and expertise

Leadership is a complex process by which a person sets direction and influences others to achieve their goals (Borkowski, 2015). It is the responsibility of the supervisor to set the direction by helping and motivating staff members to see what lies ahead and face those challenges. Emotional intelligence is one of the important traits that helps leaders work with people effectively. “Emotional intelligence involves assessing one’s own feelings, as well as feelings of others, then using those assessments to guide personal thought and action” (Borkowski, 2015, p. 239).

My philosophy on Leadership is to always place Soldiers first. It has been my experience if Soldiers are taken care of and feel as if they are a part of team, where their opinion is valued as much as the next, then they will strive to accomplish the mission to the best of their ability. I personally value respect and the thoughtfulness of others and hold those twos values to the highest regard. A great leader and a caring leader will look past the rank and see someone for who they are and treat them as they themselves want to be treated.

Chapter two focuses on the role of emotions in leadership and the influence that comes through understanding and managing the emotions of the leadership and the organization. First, Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee identify the capacity to serve as an emotional guide by instilling confidence in the face of difficulties or upregulating the attitude of an organization as the original indicator of leadership (2008, p. 18). These primal leadership skills impacted the limbic system, the portion of the brain that controls emotions, behaviors, and motivations (Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee, 2008, p. 19). Scientist discovered the power of these primal influence stems from the fact that the human limbic system is open to outside influences,

Emotions are a quality that each individual possess. Organizations place leaders in place that have an understanding on how to maintain emotions while in upper positions. Leadership is responsible for the emotional standard that is set throughout the organization. Growth and development leads to the success of handling proper emotional practices in the organization.

In his 1998 article “The Emotional Intelligence of Leaders,” Daniel Goleman presented an argument for public and private sector leaders to consider the merits of emotional intelligence in leadership for the purpose of creating a cohesive work environment. For Goleman, emotional intelligence is the ability to understand feelings both within ones’ self and others, understanding the impact emotions have on others and leveraging this knowledge to assist others and create a positive environment. Therefore, this form of intelligence, in conjunction with innate intelligence, Goleman advised, is required to make an effective leader.

Gone are the days of intelligence relating only to academia and the testing of the intelligence quotient (IQ). The 21st century brought about the introduction of “emotional intelligence” as an added skill set in a leader’s tool kit. Essentially, the ability be aware and manage one’s own emotions, the others emotions, and effectively applying that information to guide ones thinking and actions (Salovey and Mayer 1990). This type of leader is mindful not to offend, employing an empathetic approach while genuinely using self-discipline and care when interacting with others. According to Goleman (1998) “Effective leaders are alike in one crucial way: they all have a high degree of emotional intelligence. “ His position is a good leader will know what type of leadership to engage, based on the situation.

The following essay attempts to critically analyse ‘emotive’ leadership theory and perspective. This will be done by both academic research and popular moods. Furthermore, this essay seeks to define emotive leadership, gain insight, ask if emotive leadership is relevance in the modern leadership and to question if emotive leadership is a romantic myth as suggested by Jackson and Parry along with trust issues within organisations. With the aid of popular moods to further the critical analysis throughout, such as the autobiography by Amanda Palmer ‘the art of asking’ in which she discusses the dynamic between her and her fans, in which she shares the role of leader.

Leadership is perhaps the most well studied aspect of this research proposal, but has only minimally been looked at in relation to emotions and stressful situations. Leadership is such a broad concept that any viewing of it from a particular perspective may yield new results. Understanding if leaders can benefit from emotion regulation training is important due to the many factors that can impact leadership abilities (Arnold et al., 2015; Foti & Hauenstein, 2007). Openings and gaps in the literature exist because there are so many factors that can impact successful leadership, and many times correlations or other qualitative methods are used because of the complexity. Quantitative methods are needed to support much of this information, and

Possession of emotional intelligence is an essential component for every effective leader in whatever capacity. The ability for a leader to comprehend and manage his or her emotions and of the people close to them is critical in good leadership. As outlined by Kotter, good leadership needs “motivating and inspiring,” in other words, keeping individuals moving in the appropriate direction, in spite of significant obstacles to change, through appealing to elementary, but untapped human values, needs, and emotions (92). Not only does this define a good leader, but it also goes a long way in differentiating between a leader and a manager. When an individual blends different aspects of emotional intelligence with management skills, he or she