Military Leadership Qualities Essay

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Leadership comes in all different forms. Junior leaders learn from the good leaders just as much as they do from poor leaders. Defining those attributes of a good leader has been the topic of discussion through many books and professional papers. This is not specific to the military but also entails the civilian professional world. It is a topic that all leaders or aspiring leaders must focus on. An effective leader has specific traits, traits that make a subordinate want to follow them. Traits of an effective leader are being personable, servant style leadership, and leads by example. This is because these traits will construct a relationship built on trust. A leader sets the tone during the initial interaction with a subordinate. That leader must be personable to receive the …show more content…

Part of being a leader is serving his subordinates. Do not misread this. This is not a role reversal but a relationship built on leaders taking care of their Soldiers “which is serving others by meeting their legitimate needs”. Pg182 (Hunter 1998) When a Soldier understands that his leader cares about him, he will accomplish great things because he knows he will be taken care of. As a leader you succeed or fail by the works of your subordinates. A Soldier that works for a servant leader has a vested interest to ensure he accomplishes the mission on time and effectively. Your actions or inactions as a leader determine the climate of your organization. “Effective commanders demonstrate a sincere concern for their subordinates’ welfare. This contributes to a positive command climate more than anything else a commander does. Sincere concern is a product of empathy. Effective commanders believe in and act for the welfare of individuals and the group to which they belong.” Pg2-12 2-77 Being approachable and serving your Soldiers is important but you must also lead them by

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