Toxic Leadership Character Analysis

This paper covers the need for developing leader's character in today's Army profession. It will clearly define what character means to the United States Army and identify values instilled in an Army professional throughout their career. As Soldiers progress through their careers, the United States Army sets different goals when it comes to character development. This paper will highlight what a leader of character should be and what values they should have. It will also list the effects a leader of good character can have on an organization and what impacts good leaders can have on a Soldier's career. This paper will also cover the effects poor leadership can have on an organization and how young Soldiers react to toxic leadership. Lastly,

In a perfect world, all Army leaders would live by the values and Army ethics. However, this is not a perfect world and there is bad leadership throughout our ranks. According to ADP 6-22, Army Leadership (Aug 2012) p. 13, toxic leadership is a combination of self-centered attitudes, motivations, and behaviors that have adverse effects on subordinates, the organization, and mission performance. A toxic leadership negatively affects trust within the unit, prevents soldier development, lower morale, and hinders long-term mission success. A toxic leader is selfish and does not live by the values and Army ethics. Bad leaders are not dependable and usually lead from the back. They lead by "do as I say, not as I do" method and do not believe mutual trust is needed. A toxic leader cannot develop a cohesive team. As Soldiers lose trust in their leaders, they become less susceptible to influence. They question the credibility of instructions given and their professional development suffers. Toxic leadership can cause young Soldiers to give up on their careers. Why would a soldier want to stay in a profession with no credibility and terrible leadership? These are perceptions a young soldier can have of the Army after working with a toxic leader. Bad leaders create a stressful environment by bullying Soldiers, using their rank inappropriately, and only looking to make themselves look good.

It highlights the effects a leader's character may have on an organization. Through mutual trust, effective training, and establishing good unit morale, leaders can produce an effective fighting force capable of accomplishing any missions. By establishing a positive working environment and understanding the attributes of bad character, leaders can prevent toxic leadership within their organization. As the Army waits for a standardized way of assessing and developing character, good leaders will continue to use the leadership development model and use the principles of education, training, and experience. Leaders of character strive to improve our profession and they understand it begins with the character of our