U.S. Army Leader Development Practices for 21st Century Leaders

Presentation Overview and Administration

• Topic: U.S. Army presents leader development practices for $21st$ century leaders.
• Presenters: Presented by $MAJ$ Rob Mays and $MAJ$ Derek Imig.
• Organization: Army $ROTC$, University of Nevada-Las Vegas ($UNLV$).
• Date: $4\,DEC\,2013$.
• Agenda Items:
  • Administration and Introductions.
  • Leadership Defined.
  • Discussion – Leadership Examples.
  • Leadership Assessment.
  • Army Leadership $101$.
  • Group Exercise: Vignettes.
  • Closing Remarks.
• Introduction Prompts:
  • Name.
  • Position.
  • Organization.
  • Why are you here?

Formal Definition of Army Leadership

• Army Leadership Definition: The process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation, while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization.
• Source Reference: $ADRP\,5-0$, The Operations Process.

The Vision for 21st Century Army Leaders

• Secretary of the Army Perspective: A quote by Dr. Francis J. Harvey, Secretary of the Army, delivered on $23\,June\,2005$ in a speech to $CGSOC$:
  • "In short, Army leaders in this century need to be Pentathletes, multi-skilled leaders who can thrive in uncertain and complex operating environments…innovative and adaptive leaders who are expert in the art and science of the profession of arms."
  • "The Army needs leaders who are decisive, innovative, adaptive, culturally astute, effective communicators and dedicated to life-long learning."

Leadership Assessment and Results

• Exercise: Participants complete a handout and discuss results.
• Assessment Results Categories (Production Oriented vs. People Oriented):
  • A - $1,9$ (Attentive to People): Thoughtful attention to needs of people for satisfying relationships leads to a comfortable, friendly organization atmosphere and work tempo.
  • B - $9,9$ (Team Focused): Work accomplishment is from committed people; interdependence through a common stake in purpose leads to relationships, trust, and respect.
  • C - $1,1$ (Minimal Effort Management): Exertion of minimum effort to get required work done is appropriate to sustain organization membership.
  • D - $9,1$ (Task Focused): Efficiency in operation results from arranging conditions of work in such a way that the human elements interfere to a minimum degree.
  • E - $5,5$ (Focused on Balance and Compromise): Adequate organization performance is possible through balancing the necessity to get out work accomplished with maintaining morale of people.

The Pentathlete Leader Profile

• Attributes:
  • Decisive, with integrity and character.
  • Confident and competent decision-maker in uncertain situations.
  • Prudent risk taker.
  • Innovative.
  • Adaptive.
  • Accountable.
  • Empathetic and always positive.
  • Professionally educated, life-long learner.
  • Effective communicator.
• Multi-skilled Leader Capabilities:
  • Strategic and creative thinker.
  • Builder of leaders and teams.
  • Competent full spectrum warfighter or accomplished professional who supports the Soldier.
  • Effective in managing, leading, and changing the business side of the Army.
  • Skilled in governance, statesmanship, and diplomacy.
  • Understands cultural contexts and works effectively across them.
• Core Philosophy: Personifies the Warrior Ethos in all aspects, from war fighting to statesmanship to enterprise management; it is a way of life.

Core Leader Competencies (FM 6-22)

• Overall Definition: Leadership is influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organization ($FM\,6-22$).
• Competency Area: Leads
  • Leads others.
  • Extends influence beyond chain of command.
  • Leads by example.
  • Communicates.
• Competency Area: Develops
  • Creates a positive environment.
  • Prepares self.
  • Develops others.
• Competency Area: Achieves
  • Get results.

Full Range of Leader Competencies: Temporal and Functional Focus

• Achieve (Near-term Focus):
  • Focus on task ($Assigns$, $Manages$, $Executes$, $Adjusts$).
  • Goal: what and why (get results).
• Develop (Far-term Focus):
  • Focus on organization ($Develop$, $Improve$).
  • Goal: Environment, Self, and Others.
• Lead (Near and Far-term Focus):
  • Focus on people ($Purpose$, $Motivation$, $Influence$, $Balance\,mission\,with\,welfare$).
  • Who: Lead others in chain, extend influence outside chain.
  • How: Example set, communication.

Leadership Adaptability and Training

• Learning to Adapt:
  • Learn to adapt by adapting.
  • Seek challenges.
  • Lead across cultures and diverse backgrounds.

Group Exercises: Discussion and Vignettes

• Discussion - Leadership Examples:
  • Participants discuss their organizations in groups.
  • Analyze good or bad examples of leadership.
  • Identify traits, characteristics, competencies, or behaviors that define good leadership.
• Exercise - Vignettes:
  • Break into groups and read through a provided situation/vignette.
  • Develop two courses of action ($COAs$).
  • Select a primary/best course of action.
  • Allotted time: $30$ minutes for discussion and preparation.
  • Select member(s) to brief the results to the larger group.

Questions and Closing

• Closing Reflection: Reviewing leadership dilemmas and discussing "What did we do?"
• Open Forum: Final section dedicated to audience questions regarding leadership excellence.