Toxic Leadership In The US Army

The ability to be a leader is a direct derivative of both natural selection and learned academia. Some people are born with the ability to lead which reflect in both actions and attitude, while others are academically educated to become leaders. In either case the US Army is an institute that is in need of leaders who can create passion and conviction among its subordinates. The problem however lies not in the aspiring positive leaders of the US Army, but yet in the leaders that form a negative connotation of what a leader should immolate. A toxic leader in any US Army leadership position, most definitely in a Special Forces position, creates a leader that exudes negativity. The root cause of this leaders short comings revolve around the

It is natural that a team leader be the voice of the ODA as well as demand respect deserved for accepting the role as a team leader. The problem develops when an officer is unaware of his surroundings and fails to utilize the vast majority of his NCO cohort. Toxicity can occur when the officer feels as though his status as an officer also dictates his experience on a team. A good leader assesses the ODA for its strengths and well as its weaknesses to implement improvement procedures. A toxic leader who neglects his cumulative team experience is a detriment to himself and the Special Forces

The issue that arises revolves around the confidence of the new commander. I have seen firsthand the inept ability of a new team leader to have the confidence necessary to effectively lead. When a leader feels threatened by the experience of the ODA’s NCOs they can become toxic by relying on rank to dictate command. When a leader lacks confidence in themselves it can become a very negative environment for the ODA. Leaders would be better suited to join forces with the experience on the team and learn from the vast array of knowledge they possess. Toxic leaders will utilize rank in order to justify their inept ability to adapt to a new environment.

Leaders in Special Forces Command deserve respect for volunteering to command a higher level of soldier. The job of leading the countries elite soldiers is a task not taken lightly. It is important however that the leaders maintain a good rapport amongst the soldiers in which they command. Toxic leadership is the undoing of the present ODA development and could corrupt future generations of Special Forces soldiers from obtaining adequate leadership