Military Review English Edition July-August 2015 | Page 71

COMMUNICATION PARADOX

is on leader attributes, described with adjectives such as
decisive, agile, adaptive, confident, and disciplined. However,
while a person could become a great leader without
being decisive or adaptive, it would be impossible to become a great leader without being a great communicator.
The Army’s inattention to communication as a leadership skill is particularly acute in light of the abundance
of modern communication tools. The means available
for Army leaders to communicate are the best they have
ever been—PowerPoint, e-mail, Blue Force Tracker,
satellite communications, radio, television, social media,
SharePoint, and many more. Paradoxically, these increases in communication capacity diminish communication
between leaders and those led. The Army is drowning in
communications, and the victim is good leadership. The
solution is remarkably simple: acknowledge the importance of effective communication and integrate the
teaching of communication skills—writing and speaking—throughout the Army officer education system. In
addition, the Army should elevate the role of effective
communication in the exercise of mission command.

What is Communication in
Leadership?

Army Doctrine Publication (ADP) 6-22, Army
Leadership, defines leadership as “the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and
motivation to accomplish the mission and improve the
organization.”2 Central to this definition is the idea of
influencing, which, according to Army Doctrine Reference
Publication (ADRP) 6-22 (also called Army Leadership),
“entails more than simply passing along orders.”3 Indeed,
“all of the Army’s core leader competencies, especially
leading others, involve influence.”4 The ADRP outlines
how good leaders, in turn, communicate by listening actively, creating shared understanding, employing engaging
communication techniques, and being sensitive to cultural
factors in communication.5 ADP 6-0, Mission Command,
describes the importance of communication as
far beyond simply exchanging information. Commanders use communication
to strengthen bonds within a command.
Communication builds trust, cooperation, cohesion, and shared understanding.
… Mission command requires interactive
communications characte