The Strength of Our Soldiers is Our Families
Abstract
Leadership development is a complex process and crucial for organizational effectiveness across contexts. The purpose of this study is to uncover what factors influence leader development in a U.S. Army context; specifically, the role of family experiences on leadership development. Interviewers spoke with U.S. Army leaders (N = 89) from all levels, using a standardized protocol. From a content analysis of interview transcripts, we identify four overarching themes in how Soldiers experience family-to-work spillover influencing their leadership development: (1) role models and authority figures, (2) social experiences and key relationships such as marriage, (3) caring for loved ones, and (4) grappling with challenging life events/transitions such as divorce. Our findings contribute to understanding of leadership development in context and suggest family relationships and experiences are key influences in the development of Army leaders. The research described herein was sponsored by the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, Department of the Army. The views expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, DoD, or the U.S. Government.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 07, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1167767
Entities
People
- Kathy T Vu
- Rachel C. Amey
- Stefanie P. Shaughnessy
Organizations
- U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences