Navigating Complex Challenges: Shaping Leaders for intricate Environments
In the year 2040, the United States finds itself in a high-intensity conflict with a near-peer adversary. Amidst this challenging scenario, the Army's leadership is put to the test. The Army's struggles to build leaders who can thrive in complex situations, as opposed to simple or complicated contexts, are becoming increasingly evident.
The Army's leadership doctrine categorizes traits into competencies and attributes. Traditional traits like "prepares self," "gets results," "military and professional bearing," "fitness," "confidence," "self-discipline," and "Army values" remain important for simple and complicated situations. However, the least demonstrated leader attributes in complex contexts are "innovation," "interpersonal tact," and "empathy."
As the battlefield evolves, so must the Army's leadership. The division commander, for instance, is prepared with advanced communications platforms and a state-of-the-art battlefield tracking system. Yet, the command post is not immune to threats, as it was targeted by enemy long-range precision fires and air-delivered precision munitions, requiring immediate evacuation and the use of directed-energy defense systems.
In complex environments, leaders must adopt a different approach. They must probe the environment, conduct small, experimental actions, and analyse patterns to respond effectively. This requires patience and humility, as they will not immediately have the right answers and must take time to understand the environment.
Moreover, leaders operating in complexity must establish a culture that fosters trust, open communication, and interaction between the entire team. This is crucial for building strong teams that can react nimbly to the dynamic and unsolvable nature of complex contexts.
The Army's leadership doctrine also emphasizes the need for a culture shift. The Army must shift its leadership emphasis from stewards of the profession to professional entrepreneurs. Future leaders must possess better social reasoning skills to understand how various individuals and groups will perceive their actions, and they must deliberately shape the information environment.
The Army's leadership education and training also need a revamp. The Army needs a new model to intentionally develop attributes and competencies different from those that were the most important for twentieth-century warfare. Deliberate inaction, along with decisive action during windows of opportunity, will require leaders to be risk tolerant.
The Center for the Army Profession and Leadership (CAPL) conducts an annual survey of Army leaders called the CASAL survey. In 2016, the survey results showed that the three most demonstrated competencies were "gets results," "prepares self," and "stewards the profession." However, the least demonstrated competencies included "develops others," "leads others," and "extends influence outside the chain of command."
The article suggests that the Army is taking steps to overhaul its personnel system and introduce mission command. However, a culture shift is necessary for true adoption of mission command. The next article in the series will explain the interaction of leaders and context with the third part of leadership's paradoxical trinity: followers.
In conclusion, the Army's leadership must evolve to meet the challenges of the 21st century. This means developing leaders who can navigate complex environments, fostering a culture of trust and innovation, and revamping the approach to leader development. The future of the Army depends on it.
