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The Army 's Formula For Success

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After more than a decade of armed conflict, the United States Army has emerged as one of the most effective fighting forces in the world. Years of shaping to meet high mission demands have turned our service into an occupation like no other. As we look ahead to the future, it is important to understand what has made our profession successful in the past so that we may uphold our hard-earned legacy. The biggest obstacle we face is that the Army’s formula for success continues to introduce new and complex variables as we quickly move into modern operational environments. The only steadfast factor that truly determines our fate is effective leadership. We must tirelessly seek to understand effective leadership in order to maintain the …show more content…

By fully grasping what attributes we should have when placed in charge of Soldiers, our actions can produce beneficial results for our units and show that we have learned from the great leaders that have come before us. Our attributes affect all of the actions we make, both good and bad. The Department of the Army (2012) measures the effectiveness of an individual’s attributes by assessing their character, presence, and intellect (ADP 6-22 p.6). Character is one of the three key elements that determine our initial certification as Army professionals (ADP 1, p.2-5). Having strong character means that a leader has the ability to make the right decisions legally, ethically, and in the best interest of the American population (ADP 1, p.2-5). Presence is the image of ourselves that we portray to our subordinates that can inadvertently expose our true personality and demeanor. Lastly, intellect is the mental agility and critical thinking skills that we possess and apply toward creating solutions and achieving results with minimal consequences. By dissecting these terms and definitions, it is easy to understand why the Army highlights these basic human traits. Conversely, when it comes to comprehending what it means to exemplify true leadership by using these traits, we get disconnected. After a few years in the Army, most Soldiers begin to realize that there is a clear inconsistency of leadership styles at all levels within our ranks. We often find

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