Today humanity enters the phase of its evolution characterized by critical alterations in all spheres of activity. The rise of technologies and the emergence of new values and perspectives impact the methods used to attain various goals and lead to replacing old approaches with new ones. This idea is also relevant to the sphere of military leadership. The ways armies perform their operations and align cooperation are being altered, meaning that commanders or leaders have to adapt to preserve their effectiveness and the ability to influence the situation and achieve the current goals. In this regard, it is vital to focus on preparing outstanding specialists who can lead in a world characterized by increased diversity.
The use of technologies is one of the most significant factors influencing the sphere. Unlike in past situations, nowadays, leaders do not have to be present on the battlefield (Halpin, 2011). Moreover, in numerous scenarios, it is impossible because of the globalization of military operations. Under these conditions, the use of technologies allowing mediated communication, giving orders, and introducing the necessary changes becomes critical (United States Government US Army, 2019). It means leaders should possess an enhanced understanding of how to use available technologies to align cooperation between various units and attain the current goals. It will help to remain effective regarding the increasing globalization and perform the central functions.
Another critical factor vital for creating effective leaders is diversity. The leadership function includes presence, expertise, relationship building, and cultural awareness (Morath, Leonard, & Zaccaro, 2011). However, it is impossible to consider all these issues if a leader does not possess the correct vision of people’s peculiarities, preferences, values, and beliefs. Moreover, today military operations might be performed in different regions, with various cultures and involving forces from many countries. It means a leader should be trained to know all these features as they are critical for managing diverse staff and distributing tasks (USArmyCGSC, n.d.). Additionally, considering the characteristics of the local population, it is possible to build better relations, which is essential regarding the shift of priorities towards collaboration. Under these conditions, diversity becomes a fundamental element of military leaders’ training.
Finally, it is critical to ensure that officers are ready to function in any environment. The previous paradigm focused on preparing leaders who were effective in military conflicts and wars. This approach resulted in a deficit of prepared commanders ready to act in environments other than war (Morath et al., 2011). However, today it is vital to ensure that leaders view their functions in peacetime (Yale School of Management, n.d.). It will help to create a more effective and flexible system characterized by a faster response to threats and better cooperation. For this reason, military specialists should be trained to act in different environments as it influences their ability to perform central leadership functions and preserve peace.
Altogether, the approach to military leadership is being altered today. The past perspectives on preparing good leaders become outdated as they cannot ensure the ability to achieve goals in the modern world. For this reason, it is vital to focus on training, including the ideas of diversity, different environments, and extensive use of technologies. It will contribute to the change in new leaders’ mentalities and their increased effectiveness in various situations. They will be able to inspire and manage people during wartime and preserve peace when no conflicts are observed. For this reason, it is critical to focus on new ways of creating good military leaders.
References
Halpin, S.M. (2011). Historical influences on the changing nature of leadership within the military environment. Military Psychology, 23(5), 479-488.
Morath, R.A., Leonard, A. L. & Zaccaro, S. J. (2011). Military leadership: An overview and introduction to the special issue. Military Psychology, 23(5), 453-61.
USArmyCGSC. (n.d.). About leadership: ADP 6-22 [Video file]. Web.
United States Government US Army. (2019). ADP 6-22: Army leadership and the profession. Web.
Yale School of Management. (n.d.). Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal on Leadership [Video file]. Web.