...CANADIAN ARMED FORCES LEADERSHIP AND STRUCTURE Abstract Leadership is at the core of any organization, especially the military. The Canadian Armed Forces, being a hierarchal organization, places a strong focus on leadership. Leadership principles and styles, as well as different leadership models, make up the foundation of the military ethos, and serve the common mission. Leaders in the Canadian Armed Forces are required to possess specific characteristics and focus on the well-being of their members, in order to achieve the commander’s intent. Introduction “As a leader you want to inspire you people to be so engaged and committed, to have accomplished so much that even when they are nighty-five years old, sitting in a rocking chair on the back porch, they will look back on their time under your leadership with the satisfaction of accomplishment and contribution, and a feeling that they have made a difference. What they will remember most is how you made them feel as they did their work ad focused on their job. Only then can your job as a leader be considered complete” General Rick Hillier (2010) Leadership is essential in any organization, especially the military. It is a complex and convoluted topic that has received a great deal of attention. It has been in the spotlight for quite some time, and been the focal point of many studies. Leadership has been defined in various ways. The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have defined leadership as “directly or indirectly...
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...Leadership in life, in business, in government, in everyday activities among all humans is needed to move forward. Definitions for leadership vary from one leader to another and are viewed differently from one follower to another. Leadership could be a trait one is born with or a lesson taught throughout life (Yukl, 2010). The research about leaders and leadership is so vast; higher learning institutions dedicate an entire class on the subject. The Unites States military branches use the power influence approach to ensure strong leaders and the power of influencing the general public they serve. The strength of the Power Influence Approach is also its weakness. The guideline of “leaders act and followers react” (Yukl, para. 56, 2010) will help leadership be established and hold the ultimate level of power which is a strength. The followers who are natural leaders will not react as expected. Eliminating this weakness requires the leaders to know who their followers are and recognize those who will be leaders. The United States military leaders recognize which followers are future leaders. The military as a whole also uses their power to influence those serving in the different branches, but also influencing the general public. According to J.D. Scanlon “Still, many governments do in fact routinely seek to influence domestic public opinion through such things as recruiting advertising or health promotions. Likewise, government communicators routinely develop "messages" designed...
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...What leadership skill or trait do you think is essential for leading a global organization? Explain why you think this way. Support your position with references. Having spent the last 20 years in the military, I have been inundated with what the Army believes are the characteristics needed in order to be a great leader. The military, specifically the Army defines leadership as “the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization” (Army leadership, 2012, p. 1-1). In the military, I’ve had the opportunity to be both an assigned leader as well as an emergent leader as described by Northouse (2013). The experiences in both instances have led me...
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...Modern Military Leadership Oliver Maddox Baker College This essay will journey through the never ending evolution of military leadership and how it has evolved into what is used to lead the world’s best fighting force. Areas such as wartime, peacetime and the global war on terrorism leadership will be explored. Why has leadership changed over the years and what were the lessons learned in during the development of this modern day leadership, will be answered in this essay. They will hopefully take away a better understanding how and why military leaders lead the way that they do. According to (Laurence, 2011) Today’s military leaders, more so than political leaders and corporate executives, face overwhelming volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. In addition to the leadership demands posed by the in extremis conditions of warfare, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan require cultural competencies as well. In the military one does not simply sign up to be a leader. For an officer, they have to first get a degree from a college and be accepted into a military officer program or graduate one of the vigorous military academies. The enlisted side of the military also has to attend and successfully graduate various leadership schools as they progress in rank. These schools are designed to prepare the enlisted member as they embark on the levels of Non-Commissioned Officer and Senior Enlisted Non-Commissioned Officer. From the first day of basic training, leadership...
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...Power Influence Approach Power influences is a very effective and sometimes dominate approach to leadership. Many leaders use the position of power to influence the outcome of a mission or project. Power possession is inheritably dangerous because of the opportunity for abuse. When used in a proper manner power is beneficial, and necessary. Power approach to leadership exists when a leader understands the position that he or she has and understands the power associated with the position. This power style of leadership can prove a detriment and an asset to leadership. Power is as a motivational tool to compel the resolve of the company on employees and suppliers alike. At times leaders misuse the power of the position. Ethic and moral violation are a possibility when leaders use the power of the position to causes undue influence on personnel or practices within a company. Strengths The influence of power has much strength. Creating an environment of accomplishment, and motivation is an attribute of the power influence style of leadership. According to Yukl (2010), one common indicator of leader effectiveness is the extent to which the performance of the team or organizational unit is enhanced and the attainment of goals is facilitated. An effective unit is often seen as highly motivated and dedicated to the cause or mission (p. 10). Weaknesses Leaders abuse power for many reasons; some personal greed and others out of arrogance. It is constantly in the news where...
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...Military leadership theory brings forth the discovery of many ideas regarding the application of knowledge from a military background in a business environment. Much information was premised on business owners, managers and employees working collectively, how to improve communication skills, and how to define a goal and motivate others to follow it based on military leadership. The connection between these two worlds of business and military is apparent. Many of today’s companies derive their structure and leadership model from that which is applied in the army. The military typically has a main leader or a decision \ maker, who transmits orders to subordinates at lower levels. This model is almost identical to what is seen in many business organizations throughout the world (Rost, 1993). The US Army defines leadership as “The process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation, while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization” (Army Leadership, 2012). However, this definition does not delve into whether leadership is innate or not. There are two main ideas – Colonel Sherman L. Kiser states that leadership is an exact science capable of being understood and practiced by anyone or General Sir Archibald P. Wavell’s which states “no amount of learning will make a man a leader unless he has the natural qualities of one” (Taylor and Rosenbach, 1984). Leadership has gone through several stages of development throughout history, which...
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...a defined structure to achieve predetermined outcomes using financial, human, and material resources. This paper will focus on the organizational structure of Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton (NHCP), how the NHCP structure supports client-centered care, uses information systems, the methods of communications, the decision making-ability, informal and formal reporting lines while looking at issues of power and control, in addition to who the actual leaders are in the organization, how social and cultural influences of the community are integrated into the delivery of care as well as the generational deference influences. All as they relate to the organizational structure of Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton. The type of organizational structure used at Naval hospital Camp Pendleton, is a tall service line structure with the hospital captain at the top answering to regional leadership and directly to Washington D.C. Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton also uses classical theory; the military and federal government work very well on the premise of efficiency through design, a rational and well-defined task or organizational design. Nursing does not have an independent chain of command but falls under the charge nurse in each departments answering to the department head who answers to the executive officer who answers to the commanding officer. The chain of command is the hierarchy of and responsibility within the organization. Line authority is use a linear hierarchy thought, which activity...
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...The Center for Army Leadership (Center for Army Leadership) conducts research on trends in leadership development, leadership sets the current requirements for Army leaders and develops leadership training curriculum used throughout the U.S. Army . Located in the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. Introduction General MacArthur, in a speech in 1962, spoke to the soldiers about what he had learned about his military service in his long career of fifty years and two world wars: "Your mission is to win our wars. You have been trained to fight. Yours is the profession of arms, the will to win, the sure knowledge that in war there is no substitute for victory, that if you lose, the nation will be destroyed. " That desire to fulfill the mission against all adversities that may arise is what is called "warrior ethic" and is what differentiates the military profession from any other. If this were not enough reason for a military leader at best, be added that his subordinates deserve nothing less. This reference manual United States Army was created in order that staff can prepare for this great responsibility. The ideas presented in the book are the result of two centuries of experience and wisdom, guided by continuous learning through practice and the need to respond to an ever-changing and challenging. Leadership is not about rank or stars on the uniform, but of responsibility and mission accomplishment. Therefore, the principles outlined...
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...Justice in the military Observation Paper Criminal Justice in the military Observation Paper The experiences of the last 8 to 9 years in the military serving as cavalry scout and then as a military police officer have been unique. Developing work habits to a standard, under a complex structure of leadership and a chain of command. As a whole there is need to developed professionalism to represent the core, the face that our nation has to see. When the area in the military is part of the criminal justice system other attributes are observed as well. Leadership, culture, law, and influential stakeholders are part of the criminal justice environment at the work place. When we talk about leadership in the work place legally by the book there is a chain of levels which is normally divided in three levels. There are the ones that are in the upper management which constitute of commissioned officer and non commissioned officers. Then we have the middle management the level may constitute of the lower level of non commissioned officers or including well trained specialist and corporals. Finally the lower management constitutes of soldiers who really do not have a role of leadership but they can take action between their peers. Here there are three levels that constitute a single bureaucratic structure of leadership. Meaning we have a boss and a set of management drains down from the boss to the subordinates. Communications is must in these type of leadership information must...
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...What defines a king as being successful is a matter subject to opinion, making it considerably difficult to determine success objectively. However, if one focuses upon the stability of the kingdom alongside its progression during a king’s reign then a sense of general success is being obtained. Being a military leader was a significant quality as it is often depicted as being a central factor of both Carolingian and Anglo-Saxon kingship. Whether it was the most important quality for a successful king to possess in Western Europe c.600 to c.900 is debatable. Other factors such as the relationship with the papacy, religion in its own right, and reforms are also significant in enabling a king to be successful. Yet, with careful consideration...
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...particular historical time related to Alexander the Great, Arthur Wellesley, U.S. Grant, and Adolph Hitler. The mask of command is a work based on facts, real events, real people, character description, styles, and places separated into four chapters and conclusion. The first chapter, “Alexander the Great and Heroic Leadership”, describe the life, personality and its achievements. Alexander, son of Philip II of Macedon would become known worldwide as founder of Hellenistic world and the most famous general of antiquity what no other could be before or since. The second chapter, “Wellington: the Anti-Hero” examine Wellington’s military career in Britain during the period of his exile in India to its peak of career the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo. Moreover, John Keegan talk over Wellington’s numerous rewards and later achievements as Prime Minister of Britain. The third chapter, “Grant and Unheroic Leadership” is focused on military growth of Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant starting with the period of being solder to obtaining the position of commander of the Armies of the United States. Grant take place to become a fundamental supporter to the government’s military cabinet and was entitled as the eighteenth president of the United States. The fourth chapter, “False Heroic: Hitler as Supreme Commander”, is focused on Adolph Hitler, the Third Reich, and its tendency to world domination during World War II. The author covers...
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...Course 17-020 5th Platoon ADM (Ret) William H. McRaven The purpose of this paper is to analyze how United States Navy Admiral (Retired) William H. McRaven positively affected the United States military. He had such a profound impact on the military, not because of his accomplishments, but because of his leadership and mentorship. This paper will discuss how Admiral (Retired) McRaven demonstrated each of the Army leader attributes and competencies and the subsequent impact that he had on the military. I will describe how Admiral (Retired) McRaven contributed to my personal growth and development, leading to my personal leadership philosophy. I will conclude with the legacy that I personally hope to leave on the Army....
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...as high-status individuals. And in return, ethical leaders must allow their followers to have autonomy, and direction. Unfortunately, all leaders are not created equal. A common phase often spoken throughout the ranks within the military is “rank has its privileges”. Sadly enough, what this often translates into are personnel entrusted with a leadership position pushing their tasks down to lower ranking personnel for completion. The cause of this is simply, “as a leader’s sphere of influence increases, they may feel that certain benefits and perks are due to them”(Rainer, 2012). In the military you quickly learn that this way of life closely resembles a dictatorship not a democracy. Leaders should, and do, influence organizational ethics. What’s unfortunate about the underlining social culture of the military is its unnecessary and excessive use of formal power to influence personnel. For an effective leader this is frustrating because people are not held accountable for meeting the criteria of excellence that the public holds the military to. At the tip of this unethical sphere are the use of coercive and reward power over employees. There is a plethora of reason which contributes to this type of behavior. A leaders’ power to influence is particularly effective because leaders are delegate with the power to decisions about the rewards and punishments that are imposed on employees. To keep some form of perspective within this topic, a leader’s role within an...
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...AU/ACSC/0607C/97-03 UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY ON ORGANIZATIONS A Research Paper Presented To The Research Department Air Command and Staff College In Partial Fulfillment of the Graduation Requirements of ACSC by Maj Molly K. Moon March 1997 Disclaimer The views expressed in this academic research paper are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the official policy or position of the US government or the Department of Defense. ii Contents Page DISCLAIMER ................................................................................................................ ii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.......................................................................................... iv PREFACE....................................................................................................................... v ABSTRACT................................................................................................................... vi INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 FROM GRUDGING ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO MANAGING DIVERSITY .............. 3 IMPACT OF DIVERSITY ON INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS.................... 9 Diversity Climate Factors.......................................................................................... 12 Identity Structures................................................................................................ 12 Prejudice...
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...Situational Leadership Approach in Organizations Trina J. Hill LDR 531 - Week 2 January 22, 2013 Dr. Devona Smith-Fink Situational Leadership Approach in Organizations Management theorists Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard developed the situational leadership approach. This methodology supports the notion that there is not one leadership style more important or ideal than another. Rather, the leader must apply an adaptive manner by judging the impact of contextual information along the path of leadership processes. Military organizations have recognized the importance of the contextual factors involved in the situational leadership approach. The Situational Life Cycle Theory of Leadership The theory requires the leader to examine the maturity level of their subordinates and fuse the task-oriented and relations-oriented behavior. Leadership style is also emphasized; and a delicate balance with maturity and style materializes to successfully lead based on the situation. Hersey and Blanchard modeled four leadership styles: telling, selling, participating and delegating with four maturity levels: low, medium (low skills), medium (high skills), and high maturity. “Four degrees of maturity (quadrants M1-M4) are distinguished… segments of a continuum ranging from immature to mature” (Yukl, 2010 p 233). The cycle is progressive as relationships and behaviors are directed, coached, delegated and supported from leader to subordinate, as exhibited in the figure. A high-maturity...
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