Leadership and the Army Profession

Leadership in the army profession is a critical quality in the mission of the army, but it cannot be taught. There are numerous skills that the army is equipped with, but they are all up to one intent: serving the interest of nations. Army leadership plays a pivotal role in serving the interests of the nations with effectiveness, expertise, and tact. Regardless of the positions that they occupy in the army, soldiers are supposed to conduct themselves with the army values in their minds.

Army leadership and the profession, as defined by the army in AR 600-100, are influencing through the provision of motivation, direction, and purpose. The army has a framework that captures the army's values. This framework is abbreviated as LDRSHIP and entails the following:

• Loyalty: committing allegiance to the objectives of command, oath of enlistment, and one's peers.
• Duty: to remain bound to the welfare of one's mission statement, the welfare of self, and that of fellow soldiers.
• Respect: having an understanding that everyone is important for the ultimate effectiveness of the mission.
• Selfless Service: having a comprehension and acceptance of the fact that the needs of many, in most cases, will outweigh those of the few.
• Honor: being governed by virtues that compel you to act in recognition of what is right and wrong.
• Integrity: transparency and honesty in intentions and actions, and never using any means to deceive your audience.
• Personal Courage: fighting through the challenges of fear and self-doubt and remaining steadfast through challenging moments.

Understanding toxic leadership is equally important to the understanding of the good one in the army profession. Starting from the individual level of a soldier, a negative environment fosters toxic leadership. A negative environment sets in when a soldier cannot follow, rely on, or trust their leadership. Army leadership that is self-centered, insensitive, incompetent, and criminal slows or prevents growth within a platoon, team, or squad.

Right from the initial entry, a soldier's brain is characterized by leadership. The army's professional culture has been sustained through five major values. These include trust, stewardship, military expertise, esprit de corps, and honorable service. All the values in the army are upheld by the virtue of trust, which means that one has confidence in the superiors and the subordinates. Military expertise refers to the level of know-how that a soldier has in the military customs, service, and occupation. Honorable service is the ability to serve in a capacity that exemplifies the wholeness of the values of the army. Stewardship is the capacity to be tactful and careful in handling the soldiers' responsibilities. Esprit de corps means the 'spirit of the corps,' which implies unity of self and your element. Synchronicity is created with soldiers who are well-equipped with the culture of the army and cadence of action and are effectively trained. Iron fist does not guarantee a strong command, but respect, communication, and attentiveness do. When one masters the art of respecting all ranks, they develop individually, and unity matures. The army profession is anchored on this individual development.

Leadership development in the army profession is evident in transformative moments of military service. For example, during complex joint operations, military leadership principles guide officers to navigate an uncertain environment while maintaining unit cohesion. Young lieutenants learn to balance mission requirements with troop welfare, demonstrating how army leadership and the profession are interconnected through the practical application of values. These experiences reinforce that leadership cannot simply be taught in classrooms—it must be cultivated through disciplined practice and mentorship from seasoned professionals who embody the army values.

In pursuit of establishing a foundation, soldiers need to be given dynamic ways of thinking. The army is comprised of many parts that represent various life experiences. The various experiences that work together as a unit are the factors that develop potential leaders. When one enrolls in the army, the first thing that they are taught is how to be a soldier. This is what is known as professionalism in uniform. Being a soldier gives the individual pride when serving and helps the person directly align to the military bearing. Self-confidence is created when soldiers are equipped with the army's technical and cultural knowledge. When one wishes to have the soldiers willing and open to trust them, he should instill confidence. Through such developed confidence, the soldiers start taking more calculated risks.

Military history provides numerous examples of how effective army leadership transforms ordinary soldiers into extraordinary units. When examining leadership and the army profession throughout conflicts, we see that successful commanders like Patton and Eisenhower embodied the LDRSHIP values in decision-making and troop management. These leaders demonstrated that the theoretical framework of army leadership principles must be applied practically in both training and combat scenarios to develop soldiers' full potential. The effectiveness of leadership in the army profession can be measured by a unit's cohesion, operational success, and resilience under pressure.

When soldiers are well-equipped with confidence, they start identifying risks versus rewards, which is a crucial thinking tool. Through critical thinking, the soldiers can maneuver issues concerning the professional, social, and moral importance of ethics in the army profession. Besides, when soldiers are rewarded through certification and commendations for their critical thinking, their confidence is further validated. Some of the things that validate the soldiers' military expertise include graduation from professional military schools and promotions. Also, subordinates benefit from validation of duty as they have attainable goals through their leadership. A soldier is shown the standards that they need to attain where the commitment to the army goals is demonstrated.

Contemporary military operations present unique challenges that test army leadership in unprecedented ways. Hybrid warfare, technological advancements, and multinational coalition operations require adaptive leadership skills that extend beyond traditional command structures. Army leadership and the profession have evolved to address these challenges through an emphasis on critical thinking, cultural awareness, and ethical decision-making in complex environments. Today's army professionals must balance tactical proficiency with strategic insight, demonstrating that leadership in the army profession continues to adapt while maintaining its core values and principles.

It can, therefore, be rightly deduced that in the army leadership and professionalism are synonymous, but not mutually exclusive. Leadership in the army profession requires both technical competence and character development, as seen in the examination of both the five essential values and army values. The common factor these values demonstrate is the leadership attributes that every soldier should strive to possess. The army culture systematically fosters followership attributes that build strong leadership capacity. Army leadership is thus not merely about command—it's about developing a professional identity that balances technical expertise with moral courage. When a person carries leadership as a trait, the soldier's ability to execute such traits becomes the very definition of military professionalism in action.

References

1. Department of the Army. (2007). Army Leadership (Army Regulation 600-100). Retrieved from https://irp.fas.org/doddir/army/ar600-100.pdf
2. Association of the United States Army. (2015). The Army Values. Retrieved from https://www.ausa.org/army-values
3. Department of the Army. (2013). The Army Profession (ADRP 1). Retrieved from https://irp.fas.org/doddir/army/adrp1.pdf
4. Aubrey, D. (2017). Handling Toxic Leadership. NCO Journal. Retrieved from https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/NCO-Journal/Archives/2017/October/Handling-Toxic-Leadership/
5. Army University Press. (2023). Irregular and Hybrid Warfare. NCO Journal. Retrieved from https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/NCO-Journal/Archives/2023/July/Irregular-and-Hybrid-Warfare/
6. Ensign, J. (2023). Five Pivotal Moments: Military Leadership Lessons that I Still Share. LinkedIn. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/five-pivotal-moments-military-leadership-lessons-i-still-josh-ensign-rynhc
7. NATO. (2021). Hybrid Warfare – New Threats, Complexity, and 'Trust' as the Antidote. NATO Review. Retrieved from https://www.nato.int/docu/review/articles/2021/11/30/hybrid-warfare-new-threats-complexity-and-trust-as-the-antidote/index.html
8. Army University Press. (2014). Boldly Transforming Leadership Development. Army.mil. Retrieved from https://www.army.mil/article/119271/boldly_transforming_leadership_development
9. Department of the Army. (2019). The Army Profession (STAND-TO!). Retrieved from https://www.army.mil/standto/archive/2019/08/02/
10. Philadelphia Military Academy. (n.d.). The Seven Army Values. Retrieved from https://pma.philasd.org/the-seven-army-values/

Did you like this example?

2297

96