The Army offers unparalleled opportunities for leadership development, and not just at the theoretical level but also at the practical and applied stages. Nowhere is leadership more important than in the military, which is why the principles taught in this course will continue to resonate with me as I progress in my career. While every lesson has something to offer, the modules on leadership theories and on ethics have proved especially helpful for me to gain insight into different styles and approaches. For example, Big Man theory, trait theory, and situational leadership theories all apply to the Army. Because I have a better understanding of the diversity of leadership styles, my attitudes about leadership have changed since taking this course. Some leaders are more effective as transactional managers, focused on specific tasks and goals, but lack the big picture vision that sets apart servant leaders and visionary leaders. I appreciate that the Army recognizes different theories of leadership, all of which should ultimately be evidence-based, with outcomes proving the efficacy of different styles or approaches. In fact, the Army does allow individual leaders to cultivate specific skills and traits to promote the greater good of the organization—and the country—as a whole. Other topics I benefitted...
Followership is an interesting concept in leadership because it switches the emphasis from the leader to the team. In a hierarchical organization like the Army, followership is actually of the upmost importance. Servant leadership is a concept akin to followership, highlighting the relationship between leaders and their followers, and how both are integral to promoting the mission and values of the organization. As Buckner (2014) points out, the Army does not depend on only cultivating a servant leadership approach and certainly does not align itself with models like transformational leadership, which could potentially undermine chain of command. However, the Army always needs situational leaders: those who have a high degree of situational awareness and the ability to respond to change with decisive action. This course has revealed the complexities of Army leadership, in that we need to inspire followership based on principles, values, and intrinsic motivation while also respecting organizational culture and chain of command.
Leadership of David Petraeus Leadership The Leadership and Legacy of General David Petraeus David Howell Petraeus, born November 7, 1952, is a former American military and public official. He served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from September 6, 2011, until his resignation on November 9, 2012. Prior to his assuming the directorship of the CIA, Petraeus was a four-star general serving over 37 years in the United States Army. His
Leadership On the surface, Military Leadership and Virtual Leadership seem like polar opposites. Military leadership is old, entrenched, and traditional with little flexibility in terms of normative behavior. On the other hand, virtual leadership is new, highly flexible, and sometimes signals a flat organizational hierarchy. Military leadership cannot exhibit a flat organizational hierarchy, because effective military leadership depends on the ascription to established structure and chain of command. In spite of
So was this true for Cornwallis, who must bear the dubious association of his side's historical failure to retain the American colonies even as evidence suggests that his best efforts were extended as exemplary traits of leadership. Certainly, as Buchanan reports, "it is also a measure of his leadership that in all the actions in which we have observed him his militia performed like seasoned regulars." (Buchanan, 190) This relationship between leader and organizational members
Leadership is a term that can mean many things to many people in many situations. It can refer to a sergeant in the U.S. Army leading his men through minefields to track down enemy combatants in Afghanistan. It can mean the fastest car in a NASCAR race and it can allude to the young man in a Sunday School class who takes over competently when the regular teacher is unable
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
Organizational transformation, once seldom required, is now required frequently in many organizations. This places increased emphasis on the importance of leaders with transformational skills. The other way in which globalization has impacted leadership is the increased need for "soft" skills. The human element of leadership was virtually irrelevant during the early 20th century, as labor was viewed as little more than a commodity. However -- and in particular in
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