SENIOR LEADER BEHAVIOR: WHAT DIFFERENCES MATTER?
By Craig Bullis and Charles Allen December 17, 2020
In 2004, the Commanding General, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) directed the USAWC to conduct a study to inform the future development of Army Division Commanders
In a March 2019 War Room article, we offered observations and recommendations for senior leader development using data collected for over a decade on the leader effectiveness of General and Flag Officers (G/FOs). Based on the number of messages we received, our conclusions in “Developing Senior Officers who Soldiers want to Follow†provoked significant reaction. As intended, the essay generated conversations on leader development systems and processes and revealed intolerance for ineffective leaders, especially at senior levels. However, several readers asked for details on the most egregious behaviors we found, suggesting such information could inform efforts to improve leader development.
While our Army War College (USAWC) student data did not allow for such fidelity, another series of USAWC research projects – the Division Commander Studies – provides insight into some of the most distinguishing behaviors. We will review those findings and suggest linkages between assessed behaviors and the foundational attributes that influence them. Such a perspective could augment recent Army Talent Management efforts to integrate knowledge, skills, attributes, and behaviors. Specifically, the identification of such distinctive behaviors and their linkages to underlying attributes (e.g., personality, intelligence) can better focus the military’s leader developmental systems and thereby enhance talent management programs across the joint force.
https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/articles/sr-ldr-behavior/
