Leadership Styles and Leadership

Army Leadership

Informal and Collective Leadership

Many people believe that the leader in any group or organization is one of the most important factors necessary to achieve the group's objectives. As a result of the perceived importance of the formal leadership, this role receives a lot of attention and a plethora of research has been conducted to better understand the qualities and actions of leaders that can make them successful in a range of different situations. However, there are other aspects of leadership that are beginning to attract more attention extend the focus of leadership beyond the leader themselves. For instance, some research has focused on shared and distributed leadership as well as the related theories. As the Army continues to evolve into a new generation of warfare the need for decentralized command structures has grown more salient and thus the attention on leadership research has broaden its focus from the traditional scope of leadership research. Collective leadership has been identified as one of the possible functions that can increase the adaptability of the Army and help it to meet the challenges it now faces.

Collective Leadership

Collective leadership is a concept that has been steadily receiving increased attention as modern organizations, institutions, and communities face new challenges that are emerging in the 21st century; it is in this environment that leaders must be capable of crossing many boundaries which can sometimes require that traditional assumptions are unlearned and new practices are relearned (Martin, 2007). The rigid command structures of previous generations are being challenged as the importance of teamwork and distributed leadership are ushering in new paradigms that are more responsive and adaptable.

There are a range of different ideas about exactly what the collective leadership model does, or should, entail but there are some basic underlying principles that seem to be consistently shared. The underlying principles look at the role of leadership as more of a relational model in which the group as a whole shares in the leadership function, and as such the collective leadership transfers leadership and decision-making in a fluid manner (Martin, 2007). There are many aspects of this perspective that are consistent with more traditional leadership models such as the transformational model. The transformational leadership model is defined as a leadership style in which the leaders are able to influence their subordinates to achieve higher performances (Bass, 1999). The leader will set an inspiring vision for the organization and empower the collective unit to fully devote themselves to meeting their shared objectives.

In the context of the United States Military, the era of asymmetric warfare has been quickly ushered in (Friedrich, Vessey, Schuelke, Ruark, & Mumford, 2009). This era can be defined as one in which there is not an "enemy" in the traditional sense, one that is centrally organized with a structured command channel. The challenges that the military now faces are now largely decentralized themselves and often consist of various loosely affiliated networks or cells. With challenges emerging such as modern terrorism, the entire leadership structure needed to face these challenges effectively has been called into question. Furthermore, meeting challenges such as these requires that an organization be adaptable, flexible, and dynamic so that decisions can be made quickly on the spot rather than having to consistently be relayed through a central command post.

However, although the basic requirements for effective leadership in the modern environment have been identified, there has been no precise "leadership formula" that has emerged (Friedrich, Vessey, Schuelke, Ruark, & Mumford, 2009). The challenges that teams often face are more dynamic and complex than any one leader could be expected to adapt to in all situations. Different situations can vary greatly in terms of the most effective leadership style that could be used in a set of particular circumstances. Therefore, it is believed that generally the requirements to adapt leadership styles to suit the entire range of potential challenges exceeds what any leader could be expected to embody. For example, leaders typically have a natural style of leadership that they possess and although they can improve and refine their style, it is difficult to completely change their style to meet a particular set of circumstances.

With this in mind, having a collective leadership structure that contains individuals with different leadership styles and different skill sets is believed to be more capable in meeting the needs of the complex situations that modern teams face. Although it may be feasible for leaders to learn to vary their styles when needed, it is believed that the collective leadership model would be a more realistic option to be able to encompass the range of skills and abilities that are needed in different situations. For example, if a team contains individuals with different leadership styles and abilities, then these skills could be harnessed when needed in a manner in which no single leader could consistently mirror on their own. Thus, building diverse teams that can work together effectively and share the leadership function is now believed to be one of the most important components in the future of leadership research.