Leadership is paramount to our profession. It is integral to our institutional success today and tomorrow. As we transition to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex and uncertain environment, our Army requires intelligent, competent, physically and mentally tough leaders of character. Army leaders must adapt their thinking, formations, and employment techniques to the specific situation they face. It requires an adaptable and innovative mind, a willingness to accept prudent risk in unknown or rapidly changing circumstances, and an ability to adjust based on continuous assessment.
The army comprises of people who must work together in cohesion to form teams aimed at achieving the objectives of every mission. According to FM 6-22 (2015), leadership is the most important element in the success or failure of a mission. The personal leadership qualities are some of the only things that machines cannot substitute due to the requirement of continuous adaptation and connect the gut feelings that enhance the better decision-making during uncertainty. It is important to note that engaging in missions is a challenging and complex task characterized by risks due to change of the future and the unpredictability of the enemies. The army comprises of teams working in teams and must be incorporated in the Army’s ethos and cultures. The hostility of the field operations and the severe physical and mental requirements must be considered by the leaders to ensure their units can undertake the missions according to the required practices and ethos ( FM 6-22, 2015). This reflective essay illustrates the leadership adaptations, and enactment to provide a positive and cohesive working environment while factoring in the multi-faceted cultural changes of our Armed Forces.
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Paper’s Arrangement
The first section discusses the multifaceted cultural changes of our Armed Forces. It illustrates the changing sphere of gender transformation and integration of females in the combat arms. The understanding of the scope and changing cultural practices in the Armed Forced, it will be easier to demonstrate the required adaptability in leadership to ensure cohesion and achievement of the mission’s objectives. The next chapter discusses the leadership skills that have been instrumental as a noncommissioned officer to enhance the positive working environment. The qualities considered will demonstrate the required changes that will influence the changes needed to improve the collaboration and cohesion of the team of diversified teams following the changes in policies by the DOD on transgender and the removal of ground combat restrictions for women. The two sections will enable making a responsible and final description of the adaptation required and the leadership skills that will ensure efficient units in ground combat.
Multi-faceted Cultural Changes of our Armed Forces
The Armed Forces are regarded as heroes to every U.S. citizen due to their sacrifices and determination to defend the country and engagement in the fight for human rights in the international world. For instance, the Iraqi War is an example of the hostility and endurance of the military in the foreign spheres to protect humanity of the Iraqis from the dictatorship of Saddam Husain. Although the citizens have high regards of the military, the gender discrimination in the Armed Forces was one of the main shortcomings associated with the Armed Forces. In July 2015, the Secretary of Defense changed the policies that led to thousands of soldiers to lose their roles and responsibilities to serve because they were transgender or did not conform to the socially accepted norms of sexuality. The policy changes were aimed to reduce gender impartiality and support the integration of soldiers regardless of their sexual orientations ( FM 6-22, 2015). The society is changing, and gays, lesbians and transgender relationships are acceptable but with the DOD failings in the past due to the back-mindedness of society’s norms may be detrimental in the implementation of the new policies. The assumption that allowing the transgendered soldiers to serve would result in unwanted relationships that would jeopardize the mission of different units is a way to promulgate discrimination, but as other countries allow transgender soldiers, it is time for the U.S. Armed Forces to enhance gender equality in its units.
According to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, gender discrimination is prohibited since it does not affect the performance of the tasks. However, the Armed Forces are exempted to the requirements of abiding by the rules and regulations. The exemptions have subjected the transgender Americans in the military to lose their opportunities to serve and have increased the need to hide their personalities. The lack of freedom to emphasize their rights as Americans have been discriminative and caused stereotyped opinions that cause emotional trauma for these soldiers ( DTM-16-005 . 2016). . The soldiers are treated as criminals due to their sexual orientation which diminishes their ability to collaborate and integrate with their team members. As noted by the Secretary of Defense while changing the common policy in regards to transgender Americans in the Armed forces, “…we can’t allow barriers unrelated to a person’s qualification to prevent us from recruiting and retaining those who can best accomplish the mission ” (Test, 2016). The statement demonstrates that the limitations in the past subjected the soldiers in unwarranted torment through loss of jobs and opportunities to use their talents.
The issue of female inclusion in the ground combat restrictions for women has dominated the Armed Forces for ages. Women role in the ground combat have undermined their ability to work in mixed teams during wars. The assumption that women are not equipped to engage in combat was due to their weaknesses compared to men have been used to diminish the role of women in the Armed Forces. Following the Iraqi-Afghanistan War whereby women demonstrated their ability to work in mixed teams and depicted that the assumption were just mere stereotyping ideologies. Studies in women and occupation responsibilities have illustrated that corporations with female leaders tend to have better performance due to their ability to be supportive and team emphasizers. Males are more competitive compared to female thus may result in reduced decision-making due to the failure to seek opinions and ideas from their subordinates. Multi-faceted teams tend to have higher performance levels due to the ability to use the diversity to enhance productivity (Kellogg, 2014). However, poor leadership skills transform diversity into the biggest challenge of any team.
Leadership Skills
The military comprises of missions that guide the daily operations. Leaders in the units must address the issues of culture, responsibilities, cohesion, motivation, stress, and human endurance to ensure they can form conducive working environment. Culture competence is responsible for the ability of the soldiers to communicate, coordinate and understand their roles. In multi-faceted units, leaders must understand the different reasoning of the subordinates and the relationship with friendly, neutral and enemy parties to carry out the missions effectively. The cultural issues such as economics, diversity and beliefs may result in an unwanted relationship between the team, but the strength and flexibility of the leader will enhance coordination of and understanding between all members.
As earlier described, the hostility and unpredictability of the ground combat environment are dependent on the endurance of the soldiers, motivation and cohesion. Army leaders must understand that unlike machines, humans are emotional and have a limit for their perseverance ( FM 6-22, 2015). Treating the subordinate as machines will jeopardize their ability to perform at the highest levels. The subordinates’ needs to feel that their efforts are valued, and their shortcomings addressed, for instance, therapy should be evaluated as a means to help performance rather than a sign of weakness. The hostility of environment can result in errors hence the need to conduct training and endurance techniques to that supports the soldiers before and after any operation.
The secrecy of missions has resulted in failures due to information delivered. Deaths and fatal injuries have changed the lives of soldiers due to withholding of valuable information by the leaders. Leaders must understand the need for accurate, timely, usable, complete, precise and reliable information before or during the operations. Withholding relevant information is fatal and calamitous hence the need to include the entire unit to ensure they understand their roles and all the plans needed for the mission. The claim, Mission is Boss is one of the most famous quotes used by the military, but it is important to note that human is programmed to think based on the surrounding and the required intentions ( FM 6-22, 2015). Many are times when a direct order may result in deaths or failure of the operation. Soldiers are taught to follow rules at all costs but it time to acknowledge that soldiers are humans, not robots. The leaders should promote creativity and critical thinking when faced with issues that were unprecedented. The Armed Forces should be given the opportunities to change use the best means when faced with constraining circumstances as long as their actions do not confusion.
Delegation, inclusivity, and diversification in leadership are paramount in enhancing definite cohesion and working conditions. Leaders must be willing to delegate leadership roles to the officers on the ground as they are more likely to have a better understanding of the environment and the tactics that are most effective. Delegation motivates the team and enhances cohesion. The Iraqi-Afghanistan War demonstrated that including women in the groups ensures dynamic skill-sets which provide unity and ability to have a progressive worldview which is vital for the undertaking of the practices. Women have endured ground combat restrictions, but as the Congress calls for inclusivity, the DOD should support women and ensure they play critical roles in the Armed forces due to their ability to improve performance and follow the rules (Kellogg, 2014). The transgender Americans in the military will ensure that their talents are utilized for the benefit of the Armed Forces.
Conclusion
The description of the emotional and physical demands in the combat arms demonstrate the need to enhance leadership skills and diversity. The changes in policies are confident due to their support of gender equality, but the implementation process can be inhibiting. It is, therefore, the task of the leaders to be flexible and transformative in their administration to ensure support for diversified working forces. The fundamental values such as characters, presence, intelligence, will aid in building trust, leading the team, collaboration and cohesion which are essential in the realization of the goals of the mission.
References
DTM-16-005 . (2016). Defense.gov . Retrieved 6 January 2018, from https://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/features/2016/0616_policy/DTM-16-005.pdf
FM 6-22: Leadership Development . (2015). Milsci.ucsb.edu . Retrieved 6 January 2018, from http://www.milsci.ucsb.edu/sites/secure.lsit.ucsb.edu.mili.d7/files/sitefiles/fm6_22.pdf
Kellogg, A. (2014). Women Soldiers in Combat Arms: Creating the Momentum for Change . Publications.armywarcollege.edu . Retrieved 6 January 2018, from http://publications.armywarcollege.edu/pubs/153.pdf
Test, D. (2016). U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > Designer Test > News . Defense.gov . Retrieved 6 January 2018, from https://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/features/2016/.../DoDTGHandbook_093016.pdf
