Building on Self Strength (The Boss Approach to Leader Development)
Abstract
The wisdom of the handicapped (who focus on what they can do rather than what they cannot) is the foundation for a management philosophy called Building on Self Strength (BOSS). It contends that while the Army must do all things exceptionally well, its individual members do not. Instead, BOSS suggests that there is a greater payoff, because of intrinsic motivation, it we build on self strengths. The corollary, manage individual weaknesses, is best accomplished by finding ways to make weaknesses irrelevant. BOSS proposes that we stop encouraging individuals to be a jack of all trades, because we cannot afford to have masters of none. Although this management philosophy has broad application in personnel and training policies, the focus of this paper is on leader development. To be practical, BOSS must relate to the leadership competencies needed by the Army. These are described in DA Pamphlet 600-80. To apply the BOSS philosophy, it is also necessary to assess the talents of the leaders in (and entering) our Army. Developments in leadership competency assessment tools are encouraging. Recent successes in both government and private industry have shown promise. Wider use of these assessment tools seems in order. Conclusions, which support the BOSS approach to leader development and use assessment tools, are presented.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 02, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA222942
Entities
People
- Stewart H. Bornhoft
Organizations
- United States Army War College