Military Leadership Qualities Essay

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

most out of the interaction.
A personable leader is one that subordinates are willing to talk to. It allows you as a leader to help a Soldier with a problem early on in their troubles. The Soldier will be willing to confide in you before the problem becomes unmanageable. A leader that is personable is able to connect with his Soldiers and use it to build a trust based relationship. Part of being a leader is being approachable. A leader must mentor and teach his subordinates and do these things effectively. A leader that is personable has a clear advantage in this. Look back in your past and think of the awkward leader that you never wanted to be around. Even though he may have been a decent leader but because he could not carry a normal conversation you did not want to spend any more time than required. Being a personable leader allows you to lead with a servant style leadership with much more ease.
A leader’s job is not only to succeed in the mission at hand but to take care of his Soldiers and their families.

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

example.
Leading by example is an all encompassing trait where individuals are doing the right thing at all times. A leader that leads by example will always demonstrate to his subordinates the right way to accomplish the mission, no matter how small. A leader that leads by example lives by the Army values. They are the leaders that choose the hard right over the easy wrong. The moral compass of a leader that leads by example does not deviate. He ensures that his actions are correct and executed properly.
In conclusion; leader traits are numerous but effective leaders have something in common. They are personable, they serve their subordinates and they lead by example. Their ability to be personal and make an early relationship built on trust is essential. The leader that serves his subordinates is a leader that needs not worry if his Soldiers will accomplish the task at hand. Finally a leader that leads by example will always demonstrate the right execution and cannot be picked apart over minutiae. Overall as an effective leader you will say “Follow Me” and your Soldiers follow suit.