Something Old, Something New: Army Leader Development in a Dynamic Environment
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This electronic representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for non-commercial use only. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of our research documents. This product is part of the RAND Corporation monograph series. RAND monographs present major research findings that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND monographs undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity. Something Old, Something New Army Leader Development in a Dynamic Environment Henry A. Leonard, J. Michael Polich, Jeffrey D. Peterson, Ronald E. Sortor, S. Craig Moore Prepared for the United States Army Approved for public release; distribution unlimited The research described in this report was sponsored by the United States Army under Contract No. DASW01-01-C-0003. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Something old, something new : Army leader development in a dynamic environment / Henry A. Leonard . [et al.]. p. cm. “MG-281.” Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-8330-3887-7 (pbk.) 1. United States. Army—Officers—Training of. 2. Command of troops. 3. Leadership—United States. I. Leonard, Henry A. UB413.S65 2006 355.5'50973—dc22 2005034812 The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research organization providing objective analysis and effective solutions that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors around the world. RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. R® is a registered trademark. © Copyright 2006 RAND Corporation All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from RAND. Published 2006 by the RAND Corporation 1776 Main Street, P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138 1200 South Hayes Street, Arlington, VA 22202-5050 201 North Craig Street, Suite 202, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-1516 RAND URL: http://www.rand.org/ To order RAND documents or to obtain additional information, contact Distribution Services: Telephone: (310) 451-7002; Fax: (310) 451-6915; Email: [email protected] Preface This report examines the nature of demands on Army officers in the contemporary operating environment and ways in which those demands may affect future leader development. Compared with the relative stability that characterized the world situation over many preceding decades, the operational picture in recent years has become much more variable—encompassing sharply different operations in unfamiliar locations, such as Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Haiti, and Kuwait. Those operations were followed by the onset of international terrorism directed at the United States, and the ensuing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. These developments spell profound changes in missions and environments, affecting Army leaders in ways that are yet to be deter- mined. The research project on which this report is based arose from dual concerns about the possible effects of the changes in the operational environment and a closely related development, the Army’s ongoing transformation of its structure and posture. As Army planners recognized early on, the emerging environment calls for different operational activities in different contexts, compared with historical norms. Simulta- neously, the Army had embarked on planning for new types of units with novel or- ganizational structures and equipment (such as Stryker brigades and eventual conver- sion to future combat systems).1 These changes prompted questions about how best to prepare future leaders for the new demands that will inevitably be placed on them. This report describes RAND Arroyo Center analysis and findings regarding three major topics: the general attributes and intellectual qualities required by leaders in the modern environment; specific operational skills and depth that the new envi- ronment demands of leaders; and the extent to which career paths can provide addi- tional time and experience in operational units while still meeting all of the other demands on the officer corps. ____________ 1 Since this research was conducted, still other structural changes have been announced, such as the initiative to modularize combat units and create different supporting entities. iii iv Something Old, Something New: Army Leader Development in a Dynamic Environment This research was sponsored by the Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, and was conducted in RAND Arroyo Center’s Manpower and Training Program. RAND Arroyo Center, part of the RAND Corporation, is a fed- erally funded research and development center sponsored by the United States Army. For more information on RAND Arroyo Center, contact the Director of Op- erations (telephone 310-393-0411, extension 6419; FAX 310-451-6952; email [email protected]), or visit Arroyo’s web site at http://www.rand.org/ard/. Contents Preface ........................................................................................ iii Figures ........................................................................................ ix Tables ......................................................................................... xi Summary..................................................................................... xiii Acknowledgments ........................................................................... xxi Glossary.....................................................................................xxiii CHAPTER ONE Introduction ...................................................................................1 Background ....................................................................................1 Focus and Content of This Report ............................................................2 Sources and Methods ..........................................................................4 CHAPTER TWO Military Leadership: From the General to the Specific.......................................5 The Army Construct: Be–Know–Do ..........................................................6 Persona: What the Leader Should “Be” .....................................................7 Knowledge and Skill: What the Leader Should “Know” and “Do” .........................8 Other Perspectives on Leadership..............................................................8 Military Professionalism .....................................................................8 Skills Needed for a Changing Environment............................................... 11 The Structure Above the Foundation: Skills for Operational Command ................... 15 Focus on Decision Making in Battle Command .......................................... 15 Models of Decision Making ............................................................... 16 Summing Up: Decision Making in Today’s Environment................................ 21 CHAPTER THREE Key Leader Competencies for the Contemporary Operating Environment ............... 25 Features of the Environment................................................................. 26 Wide Variety of Potential Threats......................................................... 27 v vi Something Old, Something New: Army Leader Development in a Dynamic Environment Increased Unconventional Threats ........................................................ 28 Enhanced Enemy Capabilities in Regional Conflict ...................................... 29 Wide Range of Terrain Types ............................................................. 29 Increased Stability and Peacekeeping Operations ......................................... 30 Increased Use of Information Technology and Networks................................. 30 Leader Skills.................................................................................. 31 Understanding the Enemy Situation ...................................................... 32 Understanding the Physical Environment................................................. 33 Understanding Own Capabilities and Requirements ..................................... 34 Understanding Social and Cultural Features of the Environment ........................ 37 Scenario Analysis............................................................................. 39 Understanding the Enemy Situation ...................................................... 40 Understanding the Physical Environment................................................. 42 Understanding