Army Leadership

Leadership… According to Webster’s, it’s simply referred to as “One who possesses the qualities of a leader…” If a person were to wonder what a leader was, they could get a fairly clear idea from the US Army’s Field Manual 6-22. This manual covers, with precise detail, what a leader, both military and otherwise, truly is. In this interpretation of what I feel leaders and leadership are, I will give the basic characteristics of leadership, what qualities are exemplified by leaders, and describe the effectiveness of good leadership in today’s modern military. It should be known, that “good leadership” is often a combination of multiple types of leadership that a “good leader” possesses. Such a leader utilizes a wide array of qualities with decisiveness to achieve a desired effect from those he or she leads. “Good leadership” is also, of course, a matter of interpretation and individual belief. One person may view someone as a “good leader’ who uses effective leadership, while another person may view the same person’s leadership qualities as being ineffective, unethical, immoral, dangerous and otherwise unhealthy for the general good of the people he or she affects.

What makes a leader? FM 6-22 describes a leader as:
“…An Army leader is anyone who by virtue of assumed role or assigned responsibility inspires and
Influences people to accomplish organizational goals. Army leaders motivate people both inside and
Outside the chain of command to pursue actions, focus thinking, and shape decisions for the greater
Good of the organization…” Some would say a leader is born a leader while others have the belief that a leader is created over time. Some would say a good leader cannot exist without experience, and others believe a leader can learn all they need to be effective from books and classes. If you were to ask me,