Verified Document

Army Leadership Philosophies Essay

Related Topics:

What is Army Leadership
Leadership philosophy is one of the most important things an Army leader can bring to a unit because it is the intellectual foundation upon which all action is based. A leader without a philosophy of leadership is like a house built on sand: the first wave that comes along will exhaust it and quickly a succession of waves will reduce it to nothing. Leadership philosophy on the other hand is like a castle built on rock: no wave can wear it down, no assault can penetrate it. As an Army leader, the leadership philosophies that I would bring to a new unit would be 1) to always be honest, as honesty demonstrates transparency and forces one to be accountable for one’s thoughts, words and deeds; 2) to always be supportive no matter the situation; and 3) to inspire my unit to want to achieve its potential and develop towards the ideal forms pointed out by Plato so many centuries ago—the one, the good, and the true (Santas, 1980).

In the military it is not uncommon to identify attributes such as honor and integrity with philosophies of leadership. The reason for this is that leaders are expected to uphold and embody high-minded principles so that others are reminded of what they themselves should strive to be. Some expect that leaders are meant to authoritarian, to make all the decisions for underlings, who never think they have to one day think for themselves. However, the Army does not teach such a version of leadership. The six principles of mission command are based on the idea that even followers are expected to lead and make decisions on their own at some point—and effective command leaders are responsible for making sure that followers know that (ADRP 6-0, 2012).

Some of the most important components of leadership are the ability to communicate effectively, the ability to listen, the ability to create a sense of shared understanding, and the ability to inspire with...…know, however, that the reason is simple: the soldier has no fundamental awareness of or belief in the good. The reason Plato focused on the good is that he knew this was the prime motivating force—the ideal calling to all people and urging them to be better, to climb upwards, to rise above the pitfalls and find the goodness, truth and beauty in life. Even soldiers need to be aware of beauty for it humanizes and makes us appreciate what we have and why we have to fight to keep it.

My philosophy of leadership would ultimately come down to showing my unit why it matters that we do what we do and that we do it well. Every member counts because every member is part of the whole—and the whole would not be whole without each one of us. My job as a leader would simply be to show the way and then allow them to begin to grow and reach up to embrace the good.…

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Leadership Philosophy Reflects the Values,
Words: 944 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

The measures should be quantifiable, and should be continually evaluated and adjusted. The fifth element of my five-year leadership plan is to find myself in a management position. Taking on leadership roles within low-level positions is an important first step, but by the end of the five-year plan I want to be in a management position, characterized not only by staff but also by a budget. At this point,

Leadership Philosophy of Leadership the Leadership Philosophy
Words: 1002 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Leadership Philosophy of Leadership The leadership philosophy that I strive to adhere to is best summed up by the time-honored adage that an effective group is more than the sum of its parts. The primary means that such a situation as this one may occur is through an effective form of decentralized leadership (Thomas 2008) in which all of the parts (or in this case, the subordinates) are encouraged to add

Army Leadership
Words: 2045 Length: 7 Document Type: Essay

Essay Topic Examples 1. The Impact of Transformational Leadership in Military Operations: ����Explore how transformational leadership, characterized by inspiration and charismatic guidance, significantly influences the outcome of military operations, the morale of troops, and the adaptation to rapidly changing combat environments. 2. Servant Leadership: The Backbone of Military Ethics and Professionalism: ����Discuss how the concept of servant leadership, prioritizing the needs of subordinates and fostering a culture of care and commitment, is a critical

What Army Leadership Consists Of: A Field Manual
Words: 603 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Army Leadership THE STUFF IT IS MADE OF A Sacred Agreement and Commitment Entering the Army is a big and serious decision, which begins with an oath. When Army leaders, soldiers and civilians take the oath, they bind themselves to a sacred agreement and commitment to the country and their subordinates (Schoomaker, 2006). As history witnesses, these men and women of the Army demonstrated exceptional courage, sacrifice and patriotism in numerous battlefields, all

How a Personal Leadership Philosophy Works
Words: 645 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

A philosophy of leadership provides the set of guiding principles throughout the initial US Army Military Training, establishing the framework and foundation from which I will develop a cohesive and strong leader identity. One of the main purposes of cultivating a leadership philosophy now is to determine the set of values from which I will not waver, even as circumstances and situations require flexibility in my responses and creative thinking

Leadership Course No -- Leadership It Had
Words: 2062 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Leadership Course No -- Leadership It had often been said earlier that leadership is an inherent quality in certain individuals, but there are also leaders who are made through management institutions, by organizations, through institutions like the armed forces and even through political relationships, etc. There are certain qualities that a leader must have or develop to be a leader and remain a leader and those are the subject matter of discussion

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now