Leadership is significant for every organization, and the Army is not an exception. It is so because leaders are responsible for addressing the existing challenges and achieving the stipulated goals. These people also provide mentorship to younger and less experienced individuals, contributing to their better adaptation. The phenomenon under analysis is complicated since it consists of and draws attention to many issues. Thus, this paper examines the foundation of Army leadership, focusing on its levels and leaders’ characteristic features.
To begin with, one should define the concept under consideration. According to the US Department of the Army (2019), leadership denotes an activity to make people accomplish the mission. Such a broad definition does not mean that the Army does not need the issue. This phenomenon is essential for the organization because it unifies its warfighting abilities. Leadership also motivates and inspires people to make them achieve the desired outcomes. It is necessary to mention that the Army has three levels of leadership.
Various leadership levels are required to ensure that all soldiers and officers understand the organization’s expectations. According to the US Department of the Army (2019), there are direct, organizational, and strategic leadership levels. Firstly, direct leadership occurs during face-to-face contact between leaders and their subordinates. Secondly, the US Department of the Army (2019, 1-23) states that “organizational leaders exercise leadership through subordinate leaders.” Thirdly, a strategic level involves civilian and military leaders who determine the development of the Army. Even though strategic leadership seems to address more significant issues, one should not underestimate the importance of lower levels.
There is no doubt that the foundation of Army leadership begins in its smallest elements. Coleman Jr. (2011) admits that leadership comes from the team, section, and squad. It is so because young soldiers who require supervision spend much time in these structural units. Consequently, team, section, and squad officers should draw specific attention to provide them with the required assistance. This state of affairs makes these low-ranking officials apply leadership principles to cope with the task. Furthermore, one should state that not every person who makes others achieve the desired outcome is an Army leader. One should emphasize that Army leaders should have specific qualities and meet particular requirements, which will be described below.
Firstly, it is worth emphasizing that a person’s character has an impact on how they lead. It means that leaders should have particular moral qualities to affect and inspire their subordinates. That is why the US Department of the Army (2019) lists specific characteristic features that successful leaders should have. They include Army values, empathy, two types of ethos, discipline, and humility. These issues demonstrate that leaders should meet multiple requirements to succeed in their activity. For example, these individuals should be loyal, understand others’ emotions, express obedience toward fulfilling lawful orders, and so on. However, the character is not the only phenomenon that an effective leader should have to affect subordinates efficiently.
Secondly, presence plays a significant role in how effective a leader is. This phenomenon explains that leaders are successful and influential if their subordinates perceive them as having such traits. It means that individuals should invest in developing their presence in the Army. One should explain that presence does not only mean that a person should be seen. The given issue stipulates that leaders should bring qualitative changes to the organization. Army leaders have multiple variants to show that they meet this criterion. For example, it refers to demonstrating competence, having sound health, projecting self-confidence, recovering from stressful situations quickly, and others. In addition to that, it is not reasonable to forget about leaders’ mental capabilities.
Thirdly, the Army draws specific attention to leaders’ intellect that relies on knowledge and brainpower. People have different intelligence levels, meaning that some of them can show better results in this area. That is why various people can be leaders of different quality. One should explain that leaders’ intellect is a complex phenomenon. According to the US Department of the Army (2019), it includes mental agility, innovation, sound judgement, expertise, and interpersonal tact. These competencies are significant because they allow individuals to adapt to changing conditions, form sound opinions, and many others. This information means that those Army leaders who have decent intellectual abilities tend to succeed in leading and motivating others.
In conclusion, the essay has demonstrated that leadership is of significance for the Army. Through motivation, this phenomenon ensures that all military personnel aims at achieving shared goals. It is worth mentioning that three leadership levels explain how thoughts move from leaders to their subordinates. Furthermore, it has been mentioned that successful Army leaders should bear specific qualities and meet particular requirements. The idea is that character, presence, and intellect are of significance for the Army. These three phenomena are essential since they ensure that leaders can influence others and cope with the existing challenges. Consequently, the foundation of Army leadership is a significant issue that includes many fundamental aspects.
References
Coleman Jr., Arthur L. 2011. “Team, Squad, Section Leaders: Foundation of Army.” Fort Hood Sentinel. Web.
United States of America Department of the Army. 2019. “ADP 6-22. Army Leadership and the Profession.” Web.