Can We Talk? Transformational Leadership and Communications Technology at the Tactical Level of War
Abstract
This monograph examines the tension between the science of increased technological control and the art of the demands of command and leadership on the modern battlefield. Specifically, it analyzes the potential for battalion commanders to exercise transformational leadership if they have the ability to monitor the locations and activity of all their subordinates. The monograph is introduced with a brief presentation of the character of combat on the lethal battlefields of the future. It goes on to show that these conditions will require units to execute dispersed operations in order to survive -- only massing to generate combat power before quickly dispersing again. The assertion is made that fighting wars with these methods will require leaders to develop leadership styles, such as transformational leadership, which empower their dispersed subordinates to exercise unprecedented individual initiative. The question of how the increased technological capacity to control will affect such leadership styles at the tactical level of war is then posed. A thorough examination of the evolution of transformational leadership theory in the early 1980's follows the introduction. Brief case studies are presented which highlight the potential for transformational leadership in political, corporate, and military settings. Current developments in communications technology are then considered with special emphasis on improvements in synchronization and generation of combat power. A more thorough examination of the communications capabilities of the Inter-Vehicular Information System (IVIS) demonstrates that the deployment of an automated command and control system can lead to improved synchronization on the lethal battlefield of the future....Leadership, Transformational leadership, Communications technology, IVIS.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 19, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA262631
Entities
People
- John K. Stoner
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College