Thomas Dawkins MSG Kyle Casey MSL 302 25 March 2024 Exploring the Dynamics of Leadership: Andrew Roberts’s “Leadership in War” In this work, Andrew Roberts examines the parallels between military leaders in the context of battle, by dissecting the aspects of leadership. By examining the different decisions, strategies, and personal characteristics of prominent figures such as Winston Churchill, General Patton, and George Washington, the reader can analyze the different leadership styles and how they shape the outcome of military conflict. In the military, there are a range of leadership styles that a leader can possess, which can often determine the success of that campaign. The dynamic methods and various principles of leadership that Roberts …show more content…
Patton was the commander of the Allied forces during WWII, who played a crucial role in the Battle of the Bulge, the largest and bloodiest battle fought. He was able to gain an advantage over the enemy by devising effective counter-strategies based on enemy movement, which was pivotal in the campaign. This example from the text reinforces the necessity it is for a military leader to be able to make decisions. Adaptability demonstrates a military leader’s ability to adjust their strategy, and fix and revise prior planning, in response to unexpected circumstances. Innovation and resilience paired with adaptability are what often prevail over adversity and successfully overcome obstacles. Roberts stresses how leaders must be flexible in this regard, as their situation evolves in a wartime scenario. To highlight adaptability, he describes the experiences that George Washington faced during the American Revolution as a military leader. He was able to implement various measures such as training programs, educational opportunities, and healthcare services, while occupying Valley …show more content…
As Prime Minister of England during WWII, Churchill was prominent in the cohesion among the Allied Powers. He demonstrated the necessary traits as a leader to create strong relationships among his peers and subordinates. Churchill emphasized the importance of maintaining alliances and skill-building to further the war effort. He gave clear direction to those he supported, paired with unwavering determination to reach a common goal with the Allies. Churchill was able to inspire millions of military and civilian individuals with his ability to rally during the wartime campaign and maintain morale and confidence. Along with his insistence on working as a team, he also stressed the urgency to effectively communicate. With strong utterances, he cultivated strong relationships and promoted the resistance movements globally against opposition. The success of the Allied forces during WWII is largely due to Churchill’s influence in Eastern Europe as an exceptional leader who promoted cohesion and teamwork. In conclusion, Andrew Roberts navigated various aspects of leadership in the military setting and explained how the dynamics shaped the warfighting
COL Prescott’s role in the Battle of Bunker Hill, or more correctly know as the Battle of Breed’s Hill, is a great example of how to properly execute mission command. An overview from The Cowpens Staff Ride and Battlefield Tour (Moncure) reveals a number of operation and strategic objectives that the American militia had to consider. In this instance, COL Prescott takes charge of 1200 men with instructions to defend against incoming British forces that were seeking to occupy the surrounding hills during the Siege of Boston campaign. COL Prescott utilized a variety of steps in the operations process that contributed to his expert utilization of mission command over his forces. Through various sources from published works by experts on the subject, COL Prescott’s mission command demonstrates its effectiveness in his understanding of the situation against the British, his visualization to create an end state for t...
Successful leadership on a battlefield can be measured in different ways. It is possible for a good, successful leader to lose a battle. Conversely, it is possible for an ineffective leader to win a battle, given the right circumstances. What distinguishes a successful leader from an unsuccessful one is his/her ability to oversee an operation using effective mission command. In ADP 6-0, mission command as a philosophy is defined as “as the exercise of authority and direction by the commander using mission orders to enable disciplined initiative within the commander’s intent to empower agile and adaptive leaders in the conduct of unified land operations” (ADP, 1). William Henry Harrison, Governor of the Indiana Territory, executed good mission command in the Battle of Tippecanoe because of his ability to effectively utilize the doctrinal tasks of “understand, visualize, describe, direct, and lead” operations.
Part 1, The Basics of Leadership, Chapter 1 covers Fundamentals of Leadership while Roles and Relationships are covered in Chapter 2. This section describes and depicts levels of Leadership. We as a military are set apart from other non-military professions in that Soldiers must be prepared to use deadly force and have the courage required to close with and destroy the enemy. All leaders, from non-commissioned officers and warrant officers, to commissioned officers, inherently possess a great responsibility. The repercussions of decisions and actions impact the lives of Soldiers and their families. Additionally, these decisions affect the battlefield environment including enemy and non-combatants, both military and
In deed on June 6, 1944, the little town of Bedford, VA, suffered a tragedy that would never be forgotten. But through the pain and hardship some of officers who leaded the Bedford boys displayed remarkable leadership’s principles. One of the basic functions of leadership is to unite people: bring people together to achieve common objectives. There is truth in the statement, where there is unity there is strength. This essay will offer a working definition of effective leadership principles and discuss the function of leadership as it relates to followers, motivation and power.
Hull, Bradley Z., and Scott J. Allen. 2012. "Using the 5Ps Leadership Analysis to Examine the Battle of Antietam: An Explanation and Case Study." Journal of Leadership Education 245-262.
Secondly, military leaders tend to hold high levels of responsibility and authority at low levels in our organizations. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, military leadership is based on a concept of duty, service, and self-sacrifice. We take an oath to that effect.” There is no formula for leadership, as great leaders have different leadership styles. When discussing military leaders and what makes them great examples of success, their personalities range from flamboyant and daring to reserved and cautious in battle.
Quintrall, M. M. L. (1998). The chesty puller paragon: Leadership dogma or model doctrine. (Master's thesis, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College).
Military Leadership is always an important factor in wars. Good commanders will accomplish the goals of their side while inferior generals will only hinder performance and fail their leader. However, not all great generals are victorious. Victories depend heavily on the availability of resources. Leadership does not relate to the supplies one has to draw from, but instead the personal traits of the man himself. General Robert E. Lee is a prime example of an excellent general whose brilliance was impeded by the Confederate’s lack of resources. General Ulysses S. Grant’s genius is rebuffed when compared to that of Lee’s.
It is far easier for us in the present than it was for those at Gettysburg, to look back and determine the path that the leaders should have taken. As students, studying battles such as this, we have the advantage of hindsight, knowing the outcome. Nonetheless, we can still learn valuable lessons from it. To do so, this analysis will explore some of the decisions of the leaders at Gettysburg, and how they were affected by the operational variables. This essay will scrutinize some of the leaders at Gettysburg, and the impact of their actions. The outcome of this analysis will show that what was true in 1863 is still true today. While many variables are vital to a successful army on the battlefield, none should be neglected. Each variable discussed in this examination will prove to be important, but the information battle will be paramount in the battle of Gettysburg.
Introduction “Leaders have always been generalists”. Tomorrow’s leaders will, very likely, have begun life as specialists, but to mature as leaders they must sooner or later climb out of the trenches of specialization and rise above the boundaries that separate the various segments of society.” (Gardner, 1990, pg. 159). The. In a recent verbal bout with my History of the Military Art professor, I contended that the true might of a nation may be inversely proportional to the size of its military during peacetime.
By examining Churchill’s use of rhetoric we can see what exactly made him such a great leader. His speeches were able to do more damage to the Nazis than any bomb could have done because his language rallied the people together. His use of repetition proved his points and reminded the country of what mattered most. His descriptive words helped build up anger against the Nazi rule and persuade everyone to pull through the tough times. He used pronouns in such a way that it would personalize everything and help unify his country. Through his unique use of words Churchill was able to convince many that if they could just endure that they would at last be victorious (Bungay).
Standing in a crowd of hundreds, anxious about what is to come—combat; waiting for a man whose reputation greatly precedes him…the man who will lead you into battle—into a nightmare. As he took the microphone and declared, “you are here because you are real men and all real men like to fight.” These words are those of General George Patton…and he has your attention. Inspirational and blunt are just a couple of the many terms used to describe General Patton. General Patton was also a visionary in employment of combat forces; in fact, he was an expert on the subject. The manner in which he led his troops was in itself visionary. Despite his military prowess and formidable leadership, General Patton was humble in leadership and intellect. These three attributes will demonstrate that he was above all, a visionary and ethical leader.
Snider, D. M. (2008). Dissent and strategic leadership of the military professions. Carlisle Barracks, PA: Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College.
To this very day, this speech remains as one of the most influential and unforgettable speeches concerning World War II. Churchill’s remarkable speech was delivered after the events of the Dunkirk Evacuation, which forced 336,000 Allied troops to retreat from Dunkirk to Britain. Because of this Nazi power being exerted over allied forces, Churchill had to make sure his speech was profound and direct. He wanted to enthuse and excite the British people and to cause urgency that difficult times were upon them and an inevitable crisis was on the horizon. Churchill’s had articulated an essential determination and urgency to defend Britain “no matter what the cost”. He conveyed a message of necessary unity that was required to win the war and to fend off the Nazi influence and assault. Churchill wanted ...
As an officer in the United States Army, it has been imperative for me to understand every facet of leadership and why it remains important to be an effective leader. During this course, I have learned some valuable lessons about myself as a leader and how I can improve on my leadership ability in the future. The journal entries along with the understanding of available leadership theories have been an integral part of my learning during this course. For all of the journals and assessments that I completed, I feel it has given me a good understanding of my current leadership status and my future potential as a leader. All of the specific assessments looked at several areas in regards to leadership; these assessments covered several separate focus areas and identified my overall strengths and weaknesses as a leader. Over the course of this paper I will briefly discuss each one of these assessments and journal entries as they pertained to me and my leadership.