Adaptive Leadership Essay

Due to its purpose, the military has always been known to produce quality leaders. From George Washington to John F. Kennedy, the list goes on and on. The military’s rich history has afforded scholars the opportunity to dissect how leadership is developed in the military. People can look to the military for guidance on effective leadership because officers “… are trained for high-stakes positions at a young age and are sometimes thrown into those roles with no warming.” (The Different Ways Military Experience Prepares Managers for Leadership, p. 82) According to Professor Michael Useem author of “Four Lessons in Adaptive Leadership,” leadership development is best derived from the military as the “environment creates a culture of readiness and commitment.” (p. 86) Professor Useem believes there is something to be learned from this world to apply in the corporate sector since corporations are facing more uncertainty and continuous new types of competitors. From this belief the author has reached a conclusion that adaptive leadership should be used utilizing four precepts; they are, “meeting the troops,” making decisions, focusing on a mission, and conveying strategic intent.
Although the author provides excellent points regarding military leadership being a good standard for the corporate world to use, adaptive leadership should not be known as the encompassing “official” leadership style of the military. The point that the author makes; attempting to convince the reader that adaptive leadership is good, is flawed because there is more than one approach to leadership in the military, and that would include a process driven leadership approach. The author shows favoritism towards adaptive leadership by using examples such as Gettysburg and Normandy, even using Marine Corps Officer Candidate School to show his MBA students how important military like thinking helps in the “real world.” The author goes on to advertise adaptive leadership as a “military” style rather

References: Useem, M. (2010). Four Lessons in Adaptive Leadership. Harvard Business Review, 88(11), 86-90. Groysberg, B., Hill, A., Johnson, T. (2010). The Different Ways Military Experience Prepares Managers for Leadership. Harvard Business Review, 88(10), 80-85.