MILITARY LEADERSHIP- THE CHANGING PARADIGM
Despite the scope and speed of societal and technological
transformation, war itself will remain a constant in which life, death, and
personal sacrifice ultimately determine victory in combat. If history is any
guide, sustaining an effective military culture in this time of
transformation will require the support of timeless values and resources
coupled with an improved capacity for rapid adaptation to changing
circumstances.
Lt Gen Walter F. Ulmer Jr., US Army
Introduction
The 21
st
century environment is one of unprecedented complexity, ambiguity, speed
and organizational change. Conceptual skills provide the capacity to perform
effectively in these conditions. Leaders must become versatile, flexible, adaptive and
innovative to remain effective in the new millennium. The pattern of hierarchical
leadership of the past are not well suited to the global complexity, rapid change,
interdependence and multifaceted challenges. In the information age future leaders
will act in the capacity of facilitators, coaches, designers and teachers. The new
leadership paradigm is transforming the role of followers and revolutionizing the
design of organizations for the twenty first century. A basic premise of collaborative
leadership is the recognition that no one person has the solutions. Collective action is
based on shared vision, ownership, mutual values and respect.
The technological revolution is likely to intensify. This will not only lead to new weapon
systems, but information warfare which will change the nature of war. Today, effective
leaders drive change to take advantage of emerging technology. In 2030 successful
leaders will probably need about the same mixture of tactical leaders, staff officers,
and senior decisionmakers we have today. But without changing the way they are
prepared, there will be an increasing number of tactical level commanders who are
unable to take full advantage of new warfighting technologies or cope with
increasingly complex personnel problems, staff officers who are controlled by the
bureaucracy rather than controlling it, and senior level decisionmakers who are
captives of institutional decisionmaking processes. The world is rapidly changing. The
leadership team of 2030 is being created now. It will mature over the next three
decades. What we need is a clear development concept to guide its progress toward
2030. The human dimension of warfare will always remain preeminent. War is
uncertain, mentally complex, physically demanding, and an intensely emotional
experience. Physically and mentally tough, competent and confident, highly trained,
knowledgeable and disciplined, multifaceted, adaptive, — these are the characteristics
of successful leaders in the twenty first century. The question we face is how to build
an officer corps for such an environment
In any Army, in any time, the purpose of "leadership" is to get the job done. Desirable
qualities and skills may vary a bit, but the basic formula for leader success has
changed little in 2000 years. Today, we face significant challenges none more critical
than developing 21st century leadership. What issues will confront future leaders?
