Valuing Leadership in an Era of Prophets, Politicians, and Pugilists.

Abstract

If duty, honor, and country provide the long-term direction or vision for our travels then what innate force should keep us on that path? Gen Ira Eaker suggested that a leader possesses strength of integrity, wisdom, and courage and that these characteristics alone provide the focus to keep one on the proper course in life.5 Carl von Clausewitz also struggled with the attributes of leadership before outlining the qualities consistent with a military genius: (1) courage (both moral 'COURAGE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY' and physical 'COURAGE IN THE FACE OF PERSONAL DANGER') and (2) power of intellect ('War is. . . wrapped in a fog of greater or lesser uncertainty. A sensitive and discriminating judgment is called for'). From these characteristics, Clausewitz derived two others: (1) coup d'oeil (the inner eye or the 'quick recognition of a truth that the mind would ordinarily miss or would perceive only after long study and reflection') and (2) determination ('the capacity, having taken a decision, to stick to it').

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 07, 1997
Accession Number
ADA329053

Entities

People

  • Charles T. Barco

Organizations

  • Air Command and Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Battles
  • Contracts
  • Demographic Cohorts
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Judgment
  • Leadership
  • Lessons Learned
  • Litmus Tests
  • Military Education
  • Psychology
  • Students
  • Training
  • Universities
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Educational Psychology
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.