Military Leadership: Theories, Traits, and Strategies

Introduction

Leadership is one of the key concepts in the military, as leaders must command their subordinates by adopting attitudes that provide purpose, guidance, and incentive. A military leader has to concentrate on completing missions while also guaranteeing the welfare of his or her subordinates in the process. When considering leadership strategies, the military is typically most supportive of the idea of chain of command. In contrast to other types of leaders, a military leader needs to focus on performing selfless service by putting the interests of the organization and its members before his or her personal needs.

Army leaders need to have a complex understanding of the duties that come with being a leader, in addition to being familiar with the values and attributes they must embody in order to be as effective as possible. In many cases, an army leader needs to be more than a person who possesses the knowledge and character required for the position. He or she must also be well-acquainted with the strategies available for putting those values into practice.

Path-Goal Contingency Theory

When examining military leadership through the lens of contingency theory, it becomes clear that a superior must be able to assume different leadership roles depending on the situation at hand. Concepts such as the way subordinates feel toward their leader, the clarity of the mission the group must perform, and the leader's ability to exercise authority are all essential in shaping military leadership.

A military leader needs to make rapid decisions in critical circumstances while also maintaining moral reasoning. Depending on the tasks at hand, a commanding officer selects individuals for leadership roles that align with their particular qualities. As Earnhardt notes, "A military officer may function extremely well as a department head or division officer, but may be unable to make time-critical decisions."

One of the strategic functions a military leader must consider is improving the psychological condition of his or her subordinates. Doing so is more likely to motivate them with regard to their duties and to generate satisfaction from performing their assigned activities. A subordinate's motivation can be significantly influenced by factors such as:

Power, Influence, and Follower Behavior

A commanding officer who effectively implements the path-goal theory would develop strong relationships with junior officers. Through this approach, the commanding officer generally seeks to align the success of all missions with the well-being of each subordinate. The main objectives of the group's mission and the junior officer's ability to internalize those objectives as his or her own are among the principal elements of a path-goal approach.

Military leaders must have a more complex understanding of leadership than their civilian counterparts, because the resources they oversee are far more consequential. "The context in which they operate is one of chaos, danger, unlimited liability, and fighting spirit" (Horn & Walker 2008, 543). Being a military leader therefore means overcoming each of these challenges while reaching out to subordinates in a way that persuades them it is in their best interest to adopt certain attitudes and behaviors.

As military leaders, individuals develop a thorough understanding of the effectiveness of particular attitudes. Superiors need to be well-acquainted with the nature of their own attitudes, how those attitudes influence their behavior, and how they in turn influence the behavior of subordinates. Subordinates respond positively or negatively depending on the attitudes their superiors employ, which means that effective leaders study the effects of their actions and replicate behaviors that have proved successful. "Effective leaders will not only understand their followers' attitudes, they will be able to influence these attitudes to make sure that they are in line with group ideals" (Horn & Walker 2008, 17).