An army leader is an individual bestowed with the responsibility of influencing and inspiring people to fulfill organizational goals. As stipulated in ADP 6-22, leadership is an important element of combat since it dictates the mission command, information, intelligence, and movement. The main purpose of leadership in the military is to influence civilians, army officers and the government to do what is required by law. In doing so, leaders are required to exhibit a high degree of character, presence, and intellect. Besides these major attribute, leaders are also expected to be loyal, trustworthy and self-conscious.
Character refers to valued attributes that define people’s behavior. However, it is worth noting that integrity is the main aspect that describes the character of any human being. This is because it dictates what people consider to be morally and legally right. Therefore, in times of war, army leaders are expected to develop their integrity by adhering to the stipulated guidelines. In doing so, they can develop their unquestioned credibility by leading from the front. Self-concept is another key element that describes a leader’s character. In the military, army leaders are required to identify themselves as individuals who understand their duties and are committed to seeing through the mission no matter the obstacles. General Stanley McChrystal was a four-star US army general who exemplified the top qualities of leadership. In 2009, he was deployed in Afghanistan with the aim of creating the best plan for the attack ( Knoke, 2013). However, he manifested his great character by realizing that he could not accomplish the task without having proper integrity and trust in his team. Based on this concern, McChrystal formed a team of soldiers that were guided by the same vision he believed in ( Knoke, 2013). As much as he was successful in creating a harmonious team, his character was manifested in his desire to lead from the front by abiding by the rules.
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As stipulated in ADP 6-22, presence is another key attribute that a leader is expected to exhibit ( Michelson, 2013) . In the military perspective, presence refers to the impression that a leader manifests over his or her juniors. These aspects could include actions, demeanor, outward appearance, and words. Problem solving, confidence and resilience in a team emanates from how leaders present themselves over their juniors. A better inspiration can be drawn from General McChrystal’s strong presence in the Afghanistan military mission. Despite being a reputable army commander, he persuaded his team to follow a given dream which served to bring success to the entire United States army. George C. Marshall is another army leader that exemplified great presence through his honesty, trust, and fairness ( Payne, 2016) . Marshall was a successful army commander in the world war II. Marshall’s achievements were influenced by his stellar personal character which made him a role model for all those individuals he worked with. Even though general Marshall hated war, he spearheaded air force operations which involved destroying key destructive targets in Japan, Italy, and Germany. Upon receiving his foundation award of 2004, Marshall was praised by many US dignitary officials for being one of the greatest treasures of the nation ( Payne, 2016) . It is with this knowledge that good leaders are described by the kind of impression they exhibit to their juniors.
Great intellect is another key attribute of an army leader. This trait describes a leader’s ability to make proper decisions in times of problems. Considering that the decisions made by army leaders have direct consequences to their team members, it is prudent for them to think, review and effectively analyze their strategies. However, proper intellectual ability emanates from an individual perspective, and this is the main reason there are numerous styles of leadership on the globe. Based on this concept, it is evident that General McChrystal was characterized by high intellectual ability in the battleground. For instance, he adopted a collaborative leadership style after realizing that the Afghanistan war could only be won through great teamwork ( Knoke, 2013). Besides McChrystal, General George Washington is another key American figure that manifested great intelligence on the battlefield. In 1775, George Washington was bestowed with the responsibility of commanding the troops against American enemies ( Stowe, 2015). However, he managed to create an organized group of soldiers through his charismatic and tactical strategic know-how. For instance, in 1978, when the American army was retreating against Cornwall’s troops, Washington’s tactical prowess proved the difference between the two fighting groups ( Matuz, 2017) .
In today’s military, presence is the key attribute that each army leader is expected to exhibit. Considering that the impression manifested by the leaders play an instrumental role in the motivation and the unity of the group, it overrides other discussed attributes of leadership. Through a proper external image, a leader can establish a positive culture which can be embraced by future generations. As much as army leaders are required to be strategic and intelligent, great milestones in this organization cannot be achieved without unity and motivation which directly originates from a leader’s outward impression. This attribute can also serve to positively influence the society since the moral standards established by the military officials serve to enlighten the public on what is good and bad.
In summary, leadership is all about directing, motivating and influencing people’s behavior to realize the dreams of an organization. However, this aspect can only be achieved when leaders manifest great attributes of intelligence, presence, and character. Marshall, George Washington, and McChrystal are some of the mentioned individuals who demonstrated great attributes in the battlefield. However, their prowess was instigated by their ability to establish trust, integrity, and unity in their respective teams. Lastly, a leader’s presence overrides all other discussed attributes since it dictates the unity, teamwork and motivation of any group of people.
References
Knoke, D. (2013). “It Takes a Network”: The Rise and Fall of Social Network Analysis in US Army Counterinsurgency Doctrine. Official Journal of the International Network for Social Network Analysts .
Matuz, R. (2017). Presidents Fact Book Revised and Updated: The Achievements, Campaigns, Events, Triumphs, and Legacies of Every President from George Washington to the Current One . Hachette UK.
Michelson, B. M. (2013). Character Development of US Army Leaders: A Laissez-Faire Approach . Army War College Carlisle Barracks Pa.
Payne, R. (2016). Marshall Story, A Biography of General George C. Marshall (Vol. 7). Brick Tower Press.
Stowe, C. S. (2015). George Gordon Meade and the Boundaries of Nineteenth-Century Military Masculinity. Civil War History , 61 (4).
