Leadership in the Military Organization in the Context of the Current Military Phenomenon

International Conference KNOWLEDGE-BASED ORGANIZATION Vol. XXIV No 1 2018

LEADERSHIP IN THE MILITARY ORGANIZATION IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CURRENT MILITARY PHENOMENON

Laurențiu Mihail GRIGORE

“Nicolae Bălcescu” Land Forces Academy Sibiu, Romania [email protected]

Abstract: Military action is a specific type of human action which takes place in a particular physical, geographic and psychological environment. In this article we refer to the specific conditions in which military leadership is running. Also, we refer to the qualities of the military leader.

Keywords: leadership, military organization, military phenomenon, leader, commander

1. Introduction defined and guided situation, courtesy of Human society has evolved and developed communication processes, to achieve a over the course of history due to social, determined goal or purposes." (1) economic, and organizational-political T.M. Newcomb, R.H. Turner and P.E. factors. Man as a social being participates Converse (1965) define leadership as "a intensely and directly in the activity of the relationship of facilitating roles" (2) in community to which he belongs and in order to achieve the goals. which he fulfills a certain role and holds a By interpreting these two definitions in a certain status. Man thinks, works, creates, creative manner, it results in respect to consumes, fights, etc., having a clearly leadership: defined position in the hierarchical structure - leadership is done by a person who of the society belonging to. Somewhere at has the role of leader and has the mission to the top of the pyramid, there is someone lead the group in achieving the set goal; who is leading, by taking a number of - not all the actions undertaken by the actions, which are more or less leader of the group are included in the scientifically grounded. ledership range, but only those that aim at What is he leading? Whom is he leading? achieving the common goal; Why is he leading? For how long is he - the appointed leader or the person leading? How well is he leading? These are who has reached the leader position, is not some of the questions we are trying to always the only person who leads the group answer as accurately as possible. since it can not cover all the range of content, given the complexity of the tasks, thus creating the possibility that the leading 2. Leadership in the military organization activity is distributed over several From psychological perspective, hierarchical levels; LEADING is a phenomenon of social - the leadership is also based on influence, through which a certain type of specialized knowledge and not only on the behavior determines changes in other psychosocial qualities of the leader; behaviors. - even though the social group or Tannenbaum, J. Wechsler and F. Massarik organization has a formal leader, the (1961) define leadership as a form of process of interpersonal influence of the "interpersonal influence exerted in a

83 behavior of the organization is in reality assimilated and executed in a timely carried on by several people in different manner. So, in this case we are talking hierarchical positions, but who implicitly about a high efficiency of influence due to lead to the realization of the common goal the hierarchical power factor. through their actions . In economic or other types of organizations, Following these ideas, we can exemplify there are not many people wishing to take the activity of the Staff of a large unity. We leadership positions in order to be able to all know that a military structure is run by a exert influence on others, but in military commander, supported by a major state. organizations, the need for power, The commander decides based on the especially among militaries is much more analyzes and proposals of the Staff, the pronounced. decision being a scientifically based option In the training process in military rendered by the Staff, the Staff being academies, military students learn how to headed by a chief. A Staff is structured into lead people in combat, meaning how to analytical entities by specialized fields influence and control their subordinates' (resources, information, logistics, behavior based on the power factor. So the communications, etc.), which orient both future commanders learn to control and the behavior of the forces subordinated to influence the behavior of the subordinates, the commander and his leadership behavior. and later on, to promote in the military If we analyze the leadership in the military hierarchy in the highest leadership organization, we should also define it from positions. the perspective of the relationship between I believe that a military leader should: influence and power. The power we are - wish to exert his influence in the referring to is closely related to the psycho- conditions given by the power of the intellectual potential of a person to exert position held, by creatively applying the influence on others in order to change their specific military knowledge; behavior in the direction required by the - be concerned of accumulating status purpose for which the organization exists symbols and constantly seek new, superior (social group)(3). hierarchical, leadership positions; The military organization is pyramidally - generate and join the competition to structured, therefore the relationship promote to a superior leadership position; between influence and power is the - be direct, efficient and creative in foundation on which the military command the act of influencing and persuading is made. Thus, the higher the hierarchical subordinates. position the commander (chief) holds , Power in the military organization has the associated with more power, the broader the following sources: spectrum and the quality of the influencing -The power offered by the position in actions. the hierarchical structure of the military The positioning on a superior hierarchical institution -it ensures the legitimacy of the position brings a power benefit, a greater actions undertaken by the commander in degree of influence, and reduces relationship with the subordinates and is dependence on other members of the based on orders, regulations, instructions, military organization. Thus, a divisional normative acts, etc. The power of the commander will hold ample maneuvering hierarchical position in the military territory and several thousand troops, organization, more than in other organized into distinct action structures organizations, allows the commander to use with different roles and status. Following punishments and rewards to influence specific regulations, these are dependent on (convince) the subordinates. The pyramidal the hierarchical influence expressed through and centralized system gives the clear and precise orders that must be commander the power to quickly and

84 efficiently influence the entire structure 1. The subordinates enthusiastically due to his central position. The fulfillment join and strive to achieve the desired of tasks is done more forcefully than freely behavior. In this case, we can say that the consented, and the results of leadership commanding process undertaken by the based only on this source of power may commander was correct and that the sometimes be inappropriate. methods of influence were in line with the - The personal power is a source of expectations of the subordinates. power through which the commander exerts 2. The subordinates adhere influence over his subordinates based on his moderately to the commander's demands personality traits. In order to exert his and engage with some circumspection in personal power in the governing act, a carrying out the tasks. It results that commander must cultivate interpersonal although the act of leadership has achieved contacts with his subordinates over time, to its purpose, the subordinates are not become and manifest himself as a convinced of what they have to do, but they charismatic personality that convinces do it because they have to. through personal force, force that invites to 3. The subordinates display voluntary action, freely consented. It is in resistence against the command required by some way opposed to the hierarchical the commander and attempt to find ways power. It is freely consented, it mobilizes not to achieve the required behavior. It is the energies to the maximum and is based desirable for the military organization to on the mutual trust between the commander have such effects of commandment to be and subordinates. extremely rare. In this situation, it is - Information, as a source of power in necessary to analyze the management military leadership, is carried out at both competences of the persons commanding formal and informal levels. In the military directly the respective structure. If such an organization, commanders give and receive attitude of response to the act of command reports. These refer among others to the occurs during military action, in our view, activity and actions of subordinates. the best reaction is to isolate and remove Knowing the reality of the organization, the from combat the respective structure. commander's decisions will be correct. Obviously, these effects of command are Information from informal sources used in also dependent on the leadership style the military leadership acts can lead to practiced in the current military undesirable effects, as it may be erroneous. establishment. The cybernetic and Therefore, all information from informal integrated battlefield, as well as the sources should be verified by formal means demands of modern society, determine not and only if they are confirmed, to be only social and military behaviors, but also included in the decision-making process. leadership styles. A good commander will be the one who The leadership style of a military uses all three power sources outlined above commander can be defined as the behavior in a balanced and harmonious manner. through which he transposes into practice Power is an interpersonal phenomenon, that the requirements of his military leadership manifests itself only in relation to function. subordinates, and the effectiveness of The requirements of the commander leadership (influence) also depends on their position are entered in the job description in willingness to respond appropriately to the the form of attributions, and their required behavior. fulfillment depends on the person in charge. It is expected that the effects of the act of The same attributions can be transposed command on the subordinates manifest into practice in different ways by different themselves on the subordinates in three people, that is, by different behavioral types of behaviors. styles. It follows that leadership style

85 encompasses both motivational and In the military actions, in the context of the behavioral attitudes in a specific contemporary military phenomenon, we organizational framework. consider that the most appropriate The leadership style adopted by the leadership styles are: patriotic, exigent, commander in military activity can be creative, dynamic. influenced by a number of factors such as: The patriotic style involves mobilizing the - the psycho-social and behavioral resources of the subordinates by engaging traits of the commander (intelligence, them in solving the mission in relation to creativity, vision, motivation, values, the nation's superior interests. beliefs, health status, level of knowledge in The exigent style is adopted by the field of military art, etc.); commanders who understand the - the psychosocial and behavioral importance and dangers of military action traits of the subordinates (motivation, on the organization and on the global intelligence, skills, competences, abilities, society and act with the utmost values, beliefs, etc.); responsibility in making decisions. - the specific of the military The creative style means that the decision is organization (normalization, hierarchical based on military knowledge, combat organization, battle doctrine, logistic conditions, subordinate potential, and support, etc.); hazard. - the specific of the combat situation The dynamic style is usually adopted by (the order of battle received from the commanders during the course of combat superior echelon, the nature and the actions with a strong changing character. character of the military objective to be attained, the weather, the battle field in 6. Conclusions which the action will take place, etc.) In conclusion, leadership in the military - the available timeframe organization in the context of the (depending on the form of combat - in contemporary military phenomenon is done defense, the time available for making the by successful leaders, prepared for decision decision is set by the enemy because it is making in uncertainty and risk conditions the offensive and establishes both the place and capable of effectively influencing the and the moment of triggering the armed behaviors, attitudes, opinions and feelings confrontation). In literature, several management styles are of the subordinates, responding to the described, such as authoritarian, permissive, structure's needs but also to their individual democratic, related, divided, dedicated, etc., and collective needs, obviously depending which refer more to the leadership of a on the requirements of the integrated and political and social economic organization. cybernetic battlefield.

References [1] Robert Tannenbaum, Irving R. Weschler, Fred Massarik, Leadership and Organization., McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1961. [2] T.M. Newcomb, R.H. Turner and P.E. Converse, Social Psychology, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1965 [3] Paul E Spector, Industrial and organizational psychology, J. Wiley & Sons, New York, 2000