Even before president George Washington, leader development has been a necessity for any strong military. Throughout the past decades, the United States Army has been refining training, education and the experience soldiers receive in order to advance their leadership skills. “The mission of leader development is to train, educate and provide experiences to progressively develop leaders to prevail in unified land operations and to lead the Army using mission command in a 21st-century environment.” (Chandler & McHugh, 2013) This informative essay examines the Army’s Leader Development Strategy (ALMS) of a leader and why it is important. It will also cover the attributes and competencies that a soldier must have in order to be a leader in the military. The twenty-first-century leader must be better equipped for a changing world and battlefield.
The preparation and learning that is part of leadership development is important; that is why they have created the Army Leader Development Strategy. It provides a blueprint for evolving army leaders to face the problems confronting our nation. Training of leaders is a systematic, continuing, and inclusive cycle. It turns citizens into soldiers that are capable, dedicated and skilled character leaders. The creation of leaders is accomplished through the professional mixture of training, education, and experience. ALMS is facilitated in three different domains, operational, self-development and institutional. The operational setting being the duty assignments and deployments.
The Army is upgrading real, interactive, and proactive preparation to allow young leaders to gain tactical and technological skills. Institutional domain is the courses and education either being brought into the military or implemented after a soldier has joined. It is an important part of the Army’s leadership growth program because the goals set for soldiers are the framework for comprehension. They constantly aim to strengthen and evolve as leaders of the trade. The self-development domain links the space between the operational and institutional domains and establishes the foundations for continued learning and progress. The Army uses a “360-degree assessments into our mentorship and counseling processes.” (Odierno, 2015) Feedback is an essential part of the growth of dynamic leaders. Leaders are more self-aware by seeking constructive criticism from colleagues, subordinates and supervisors alike. Investing in soldiers is the most proficient way to develop leadership in the Army.
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Attributes are the cornerstone of a leader’s effectiveness and success. Character is the most respected asset and the first. A soldier must use their personal experience to improve it and become the person that the Army wants. It starts with Army Values; an individual should have a baseline of morals. Along with empathy; so they will consider and appreciate a soldier’s emotions. Then Warrior Ethos; so they learn the values of the battle. Lastly discipline; require the soldiers to stay intact and in check. The second attribute is the presence. It is showcased from military/professional bearing, fitness, confidence and resilience. An individual who has character will show such traits as a leader in order to succeed in the military. The last attribute is intellect. Having mental agility, good judgment, ingenuity, and experience are the final tools that a soldier must pose in order to be an effective leader.
Competencies are the essentials of a soldier’s performance. Leading is the principal aspect of integrity. Proper leadership builds trust, leads by example and efficiently communicates no matter the circumstance. For example “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” (Winston Churchill, 1945) The concept of a leader is what the leader provides to its subordinates that will benefit them. To ensure one’s development, which is the second competency, they must prepare themself. Creating an environment of encouragement and being the stewards of the profession is the basic feature of any performance. That, in fact, would create a domino effect and draw soldiers to the positive impact and it will show. This final competency is to achieve. This is the last competency, achievement, are the performances and tests that will demonstrate how successful the leader is with the assigned task.
With a fast-changing army, leadership development is the most important aspect of the military in order to sustain a high level of execution for the future. In summary, this insightful essay analyses a leader’s strategy of the A.L.M.S., and why it is relevant. Also, address the qualities and suitability a person has to provide in order to be a leader. The soldier of the twenty-first century that is utilizing both of these techniques would be ideally suited to a growing environment and combat.
