Title: Strategic Leadership for Strategic Landpower: Make Explicit That Which Is Implicit, and Do What Your Boss Needs You to Do
Abstract: We would like to share 12 principles of strategic leadership based on our personal experience. We believe their application can support the success of leaders and organizations as the Army works through the strategic application of landpower in its role as the foundational element of the joint force. Successful strategic leaders generally follow personal rules devised from their own hardearned experience, as well as the business rules of the organizations they lead. To gain widespread credibility with the joint force and policy makers regarding the strategic utility of landpower, senior Army leaders will need to develop the high level of leadership competency that ensures their bosses can make the hard decisions necessary to achieve national strategic objectives. Good leaders learn from experience and develop personal rules over time. Strategic leaders will use the lessons they learn to improve their leadership competency, and they will share lessons they believe could help other leaders improve their competency.As military leaders advance through years of service, they become more focused on managing strategic issues for the Army-issues that affect ever-larger numbers of people and organizations. The Army's lieutenant colonels, colonels, general officers, sergeants major, and senior Army civilians are its strategic-level leaders. They face the challenges of leading in a way that ensures the Army can apply landpower to achieve positive strategic outcomes across the range of military operations.The Role of Strategic LandpowerOur nation's land forces must sustain the capacity to dominate traditional land warfare. They must assure allies and deter adversaries. They must compel enemies to change their behavior in ways favorable to the United States. The principal players in the application of strategic landpower are the Army, the Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command. Each is designed for a different purpose, but those purposes intersect on the land where people live and interact. Our discussion here focuses specifically on the Army.The Army is applying the strategic landpower concept across the prevent, shape, and win construct. This means in the absence of a crisis, the Army will employ landpower in key areas to maintain stability, build awareness, and establish relationships that prevent or resolve conflict before it becomes a bigger problem. Regionally aligned forces are an example of how the Army does this now. We maneuver forces worldwide to maintain strategic balance and prevent conflict, deterring aggressors and assuring our friends. Maneuvering strategically means engaging partners with mission-tailored forces to advance shared interests and maintain a relative positional advantage over time.Once a crisis occurs, the Army will use landpower via expeditionary maneuver to restore strategic balance. Because of the time and effort invested during pre-crisis activities among the people of a particular region, the force will be better prepared to apply landpower responsibly and effectively during decisive operations. When conflict escalates to war, our Army will compel changes in enemy behavior through the ethical application of violence. All the Army's efforts at the tactical and operational levels should be focused on achieving the desired national strategic end state.Twelve Strategic Leadership Principles to Make Leaders SuccessfulAll Army leaders must succeed at two practical tasks. The first is to make explicit that which is implicit. This means they must understand vision or intent and put it into definable, measurable, positive action. The second is to do what the boss needs them to do, whatever that is and whether or not they understand or agree with it. Both tasks address how we support our civil and military leaders, equip them to make the right decisions, and assist them with their strategic responsibilities. We offer these 12 principles to help Army leaders understand the strategic perspective and enhance their leadership competency. …
Publication Year: 2014
Publication Date: 2014-07-01
Language: en
Type: article
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