Military Review English Edition March-April 2016

LEADERSHIP ATTRIBUTES CHARACTER Army values Empathy Warrior ethos/service ethos Discipline LEADS Leads others Builds trust Extends influence beyond chain of command Leads by example Communicates intent* PRESENCE Military and professional bearing Fitness Confidence Resilience DEVELOPS Creates a positive environment Fosters esprit de corps Prepares self Develops others Stewards the profession INTELLECT Mental agility Sound judgment Innovation Interpersonal tact Expertise ACHIEVES Takes prudent risk* Encourages disciplined initiative (through delegation and empowerment) to achieve results* COMPETENCIES Figure 4. Proposed Army Leadership Requirements Model (* denotes change) propensity to inspire leaders to become the doer of the action or micromanage the action’s execution. Getting results is an admirable goal for leaders when those leaders remain mindful that they are in their position to coordinate subordinates and inspire them into action. Guiding subordinates requires delegation and empowerment balanced against the risk and primacy of the mission. They are both necessary to inspire disciplined initiative, yet they are absent from the leadership requirements model. The first term, delegation, is specific to tasks and requires detailed instructions from the leader. Delegation involves risk, but since leaders typically monitor delegated tasks more closely, the risk level is smaller. The latitude given by leaders MILITARY REVIEW March-April 2016 should vary to a degree commensurate with the trust developed in subordinates and their experience level and competence. Empowerment, the second missing term needed to encourage disciplined initiative, is the essence of mission command. It provides subordinates the authority to make decisions in the absence of specific orders in accordance with the leader’s intent. Empowerment demands decentralization and decentralization takes trust. Figure 4 shows the Army leadership requirements model with the recommended changes. As previously mentioned, the recommendations include changing “Communicates” to “Communicates intent.” They also 89

Military Review English Edition March-April 2016 | Page 91