Does the Leadership Style and Command Method of General Sir John Monash Remain Relevant to the Contemporary Commander?

Abstract

Leadership is an art and many leadership attributes remain timeless. This study of a successful leader is significant in that it gives us insight into a leader who has led before us, and it identifies how he mastered the art of leadership. General Sir John Monash remains one of the most highly regarded officers to have emerged from the First World War. While his extraordinary achievements have already been documented, this study will provide greater detail on how a 49-year-old, newly promoted militia Colonel would, within the next five years, attain the highest operational command available to an Australian on the Western Front: command of the Australian Corps. General Monash was appointed command of the Australian Corps, yet he was not a product of the Australian or Imperial military education system, as were his professional military colleagues. He could be considered a Civil Engineer with a military hobby. This study will identify the sources of General Monash's leadership style and method of command, assess whether he really accelerated the conclusion of the First World War through his innovative tactics, and determine whether his leadership style and method of command provide a relevant example to contemporary commanders.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 11, 2009
Accession Number
ADA512537

Entities

People

  • Colin D. Bassett

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Civil Engineering
  • Civil War
  • Doctrine
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Engineering
  • Engineers
  • First World War
  • Military Education
  • Military Science
  • Military Training
  • Psychology
  • Students
  • Training
  • United States
  • War
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Military Leadership and Professional Education.