Leadership ... A lifelong Journey Through Ever-Changing Roles

Abstract

Transformation and increased Jointness are major undertakings. To accomplish this feat, strong and consistent leadership is required from across the Department of Defense. This study provides the impetus for advocating standardized joint leadership education and development across all Services and at all levels. Today's environment has been described as volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA). The nature of this environment places great challenges on senior leadership and creates a change to a leader's perspective and consequently their behavior. An increased joint solution is feasible and required as a review of current Services leadership models finds little agreement on development of their officer corps. This study is not meant to be the panacea for defining leadership; rather it proposes a universal joint role-based model of leadership to use for the education and development of officers. It is not intended to usurp service traditions or values; instead it advocates a standardization that can function as a common body of knowledge to function within the profession of arms. Coupled with values, attributes, and principles, an officer's ability to lead within today s challenging environment is reflected in the roles they employ. Starting with tactical level junior officers, this model provides a cumulative framework progressing development to the strategic level. The progressive nature of the model explains the roles that all leaders assume at some point throughout their careers. This universal joint role-based model of leadership supports the officer perspective for all Services and at all levels of the environment.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 15, 2006
Accession Number
ADA448534

Entities

People

  • Phillip E. Rainforth

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Department Of Defense
  • Doctrine
  • Education
  • Human Behavior
  • Instructors
  • Leadership
  • Marine Corps
  • Navy
  • Personnel Management
  • Psychology
  • Social Sciences
  • Standards
  • Students
  • Training
  • United States
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Military Leadership and Professional Education.
  • Systems Analysis and Design