Leadership Issues
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Abstract
Almost all leadership theories are based on the relative importance assigned to the leader versus the follower in mission accomplishment. Those who believe that leaders are sufficiently enlightened or heroic examples of bold leaders such as Napoleon, Alexander, and Frederick the Great favor the authoritarian model of leadership. “Leadership remains the most baffling of arts as long as they do not know exactly what makes leaders get up out of a hole in the ground and go forward in the face of death at a word from another leader, and then leadership will remain one of the highest and most elusive of qualities. It will remain an art” (James L. Stokesbury). At the turn of the century, social scientists became interested in the worker as a means to improve production. Soldiers represent whats best about the United States Army. Day in and day out, in the dark and in the mud and in faraway places, they execute tough missions whenever and wherever the Nation calls. They deserve the very best leaders of character and competence who act to achieve excellence. Army leadership begins with what the leader must BE the values and attributes that shape a leaders character. Leaders skills are things one must KNOW how to do, competence in everything from the technical side of a job to the people skills a leader requires. A leader cannot be effective, or cannot be a leader, until they apply what they know, until they act and DO what they must. Here are the Army values that guide leaders, and the rest of the Army Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless, Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. They form the acronym LDRSHIP.
Evolution of Leadership Theory
Reviewing the evolution of leadership theory in this century is important to understanding todays theories and styles. Almost all leadership theory is based on the relative importance assigned to the leader versus the follower in mission accomplishment. Those who believe that leaders are sufficiently enlightened or heroic examples of bold leaders such as Napoleon, Alexander, and Frederick the Great favor the authoritarian model of leadership. Those who have greater confidence in the followers maturity, capability, and insights favor the democratic model. A perspective of leadership with regard to the respective roles played by the leader and follower has changed noticeably in this century. In the nineteenth century, the industrial revolution pulled many Americans out of rural areas into the city where industry was producing record wealth at the expense of the worker. Working conditions were awful as management ruled, ruthlessly enjoying immeasurable power to hire, fire, and dictate working conditions for the worker. The twentieth century began with a focus almost entirely on a leader dominant theory of leadership that assumed a low opinion of the followers motivation, maturity, and abilities. In the early part of the twentieth century, child labor laws and unions helped improve working conditions of America workers but also worsen the troublesome relationship between management and labor, leader and follower. The military longed for a defender for authoritarian leaders and also maintained a mostly authoritarian leadership style. At the turn of the century social scientists began to be interested in the worker as a means to improve production, in Management of Organizational Behavior utilizing human resources (APJ 1994).
“Leadership remains the most baffling of arts as long as we do not know exactly what makes men get up out of a hole in the ground and go forward in the face of death at a word from another man, and then leadership will remain one of the highest and most elusive of qualities. It will remain an art” (James L. Stokesbury).
BE, KNOW, DO
Army leader what one must BE, KNOW, and DO as an Army leader (FM 22-100). Leadership starts at the top. In order to lead others, one must first make sure their own house is in order. The first line of The Creed of the Noncommissioned Officer states, “No one is more professional than I.” But it takes a remarkable person to move from memorizing a creed to actually living that creed; a true leader is that extraordinary person (LtoL 2002). Army leadership begins with what the leader must BE the values and attributes that shape a leaders character. It may be helpful to think of these as internal qualities a leader should posses all the time. These values and attributes are the same for all leaders, regardless of position, although a leader certainly refines their understanding of themselves as they become more experienced and assume positions of greater responsibility. A seasoned soldier with combat experience has a deeper understanding of selfless service and personal courage than a new soldier does. Leaders skills are those things they must KNOW how to do, their competence in everything from the technical side of their job to the people skills a leader require. As leaders assume positions of greater responsibility, they should take the initiative to refine the additional skills in each group (LtoL 2002). It is difficult for leaders to be effective, they should not be a leader, until they apply what they know, until they act and DO what they must. Skills they will learn more leadership actions as they serve in different positions. Leadership is about taking action, but theres more to being a leader than just what they do. Character and competence, the BE and the KNOW underlie everything a leader does. So becoming a leader involves developing all aspects of leadership. This includes adopting and living Army values. It means developing the attributes and learning the skills of an Army leader. Only by this self-development will they become a confident and competent leader of character. Being an Army leader is not easy. There are no cookie cutter solutions to leadership challenges, and there are no shortcuts to success. The tools are available to every leader. It is up to the leader to master and use them (FM 22-100).
Character describes a persons inner strength, the BE of BE, KNOW, DO. A leaders character helps them know what is right. Character gives them the courage to do what is right regardless of the circumstances or the consequences. Leaders demonstrate character through their behavior. One of the key responsibilities as a leader is to teach Army values to subordinates. The old saying that actions speak louder than words has never been truer. Leaders who talk about honor, loyalty, and selfless service but do not live these values both on and off duty send the wrong message. If they talk the talk they should walk the walk. The Army values that guide the leader and the rest of the Army are Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor,