MAGAZINE
SPRING 2020
NATO LEADERSHIP
NATO SCHOOL Oberammergau ( NSO ) conducts education and individual training in support of current and developing NATO operations , strategy , policy , doctrine and procedures .
It will remain flexible and ready to rapidly respond to the challenges of the future security environment by supporting the educational and individual training requirements of NATO . We will establish strong and
The military approach to leadership is often cited as the gold standard for others to follow . Indeed , military leaders examine historical figures with the aim of learning from them . The demands of today ’ s increasingly fast-moving environment , as well as the continued study of past leaders , suggest that we , as NATO leaders of the future , also need to consider what that future holds , particularly in the multinational environment of NATO where there is a rich setting to learn and develop ones ’ leadership style on a daily basis .
AIM This article aims to stimulate debate on leadership training within NATO , as well as to invite the reader to consider what skills they individually require to equip themselves for the future leadership challenges in the Alliance . Actions currently being investigated within
NATO are also highlighted for reference / further research .
BASICS Leadership training / development is , and always will remain , predominantly a national responsibility , even in the NATO context . Nations take raw recruits / candidates and mould them into the leaders that their army / service / profession requires to operate successfully . NATO typically only ‘ borrows ’ these national personnel for one tour ( approximately three years ) or , in rare instances , perhaps two or three tours during a careers . Our national systems continue to promote and manage their careers using NATO as an opportunity to ‘ broaden ’ their experience / knowledge base and enhance their skills .
This author posits that more than a broadening opportunity , NATO assignments provide a unique occasion , perhaps not yet fully embraced ; to develop these leadership skills across what the business world would call the “ global environment ”. Additionally , NATO positions allow officers and noncommissioned officers ready access to the multitude of training and education that NATO Education and Training Facilities ( NETFs ) offer .
LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT There are many definitions of leadership and management . Professor , leadership expert , and prolific author , John P . Kotter , stated that “ leadership
52 and management are two distinctive and complementary systems of action ” and in a changing world , one cannot function without the other . More specifically , he states that
“ Managers promote stability while leaders press for change , and only organizations that embrace both sides of that contradiction can thrive in turbulent times ”¹
Unlike day to day managerial skills , leadership can also be viewed through transactional and transformational lenses ², with the transactional leader being task / outcome oriented , but maintaining compliance with an organization ’ s rules . The transformational leader stimulates ideas and creativity and also creates a safe environment to challenge the status quo . Neither style is wrong , but as Kotter states ; a predominance of one style is often not the healthiest option for the organization , particularly in a rapidly changing environment , such as NATO .
TEST ACRONYM The TEST ( Team , Environment , Self , Technology ) Acronym is designed as a simple prompt to support thinking about leadership . There are many academic and commercially based examples of leadership assessment , with much overlap . This author offers TEST as a simple , yet striking opportunity for continued military leader reflection .