Military Review English Edition September-October 2013 | Page 33

LEADERSHIP

a leadership-requirements model to describe its expectations of its leaders in two broad categories: attributes and competencies. Attributes are primarily internal traits and consist of character, presence, and intellect, while competencies are primarily related to actions and skills that consist of leading, developing, and achieving.6 While all of these attributes and competencies are important, the only one that the Army views as an inseparable component of successful leadership is character.7 As an attribute, the Army defines character as the sum total of an individual’s moral and ethical qualities,8 the essence of “who a person is, what a person believes, and how a person acts.”9 The Army defines the four component parts of character as— ? The internalization of the Army Values. ? Empathy. ? Commitment to the Warrior Ethos/Service Ethos. ? Discipline. In further describing character, the Army identifies two central components of character: values and beliefs.10 Beliefs are defined as closely held convictions accepted as true, while values are beliefs that shape an individual’s actions.11 While personal beliefs and values are central to a leader’s identity, it is an individual’s personal “understanding of oneself . . . [that] . . . ultimately determines a leader’s character.”12 The logical flow of this doctrine is itself weak as it travels from the four component parts of character (Army Values, Empathy, Commitment, and Discipline) to two central components (individual values and beliefs), and ultimately to self awareness. In summary, the Army clearly states that character is “essential to effective leadership”and that it is based on personal values, beliefs, and ultimately selfunderstanding.13 As essential as character is to leader effectiveness, it is important to understand how the Army approaches character development within the context of its doctrine on leader development, a subordinate component of its leadership doctrine. Unlike the development of the other five attributes and competencies of t ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q????????????????????????????????????????????????????????%??????????????????????????q??????????t??????????????????????????)5%1%QId?IY%\????M???????=?????????()?????????????????????????????????????????????????????]?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????I@?????Q??????A????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????(+??????????????????????????????q??????????????????????????Êt?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????()????????U?????????????e???????????
???????????????()Q??????e????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????^<%?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????^<%
????????????????????????????????????????????^<%1??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q???????????????????????????????????????e?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q?????????????????????????????????????????????]????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????(??((