Current Leadership Barriers

This activity will address module outcome 3. Upon completion of this activity, you will be able to:
• Describe current military leadership barriers (CO4)
In this course, you will write several reflective papers. They are reflective because in addition to being based on your readings and research, you will be asked to finish each paper with a paragraph or two about how the assigned topic applies to you and what experiences you have had. It is important to understand the material but equally as important to how you can use it.
• Write a 2-page reflective essay describing the leadership barriers that military leaders frequently encounter in both peacetime and during conflict given the diversity of the force and the more common practice of operating in a joint environment
• Include a proposed solution for the barriers discussed as well as potential training required in order to successfully navigate those challenges. Base your argument on sound and academic research and include examples to illustrate your argument/position.
For assistance with your writing projects, visit Excelsior College Library. It is important to cite your sources properly when you are writing a research paper (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. and using someone else’s ideas. By citing sources, you will avoid plagiarism (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. and give credit to the originator of an idea. There are many writing style guides, such as APA and MLA, used in different disciplines. The resources on this page are the three main writing styles used in Excelsior College courses. (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. The resources cover documenting sources in-text and in a list of references.
You may also find the Excelsior OWL (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. helpful in writing your papers. Additionally, we recommend Smarthinking, a free tutorial service available to you from your student toolbar.
Ensure your paper is free of grammatical errors. Use APA style for all writing assignments.
Compose your work in a .doc or .docx file type using a word processor (such as Microsoft Word, etc.) and save it frequently to your computer. For those assignments that are not written essays and require uploading images or PowerPoint slides, please follow uploading guidelines provided by your instructor.
Check your work and correct any spelling or grammatical errors. When you are ready to submit your work, click “Upload Submission.” Enter the submission title and then click on “Select a file to upload.” Browse your computer and select your file. Click “Open” and verify the correct file name has appeared next to Submission File. Click on “Continue.” Confirm submission is correct and then click on “Accept Submission & Save.”

Learning & Assessment Activities
During this module you will:
Read:
• Required
o Module 3: Module Notes: Leadership in the Military
o Jenkins, D. (2012, Summer). Global critical leadership: Educating global leaders with critical leadership (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. Competencies (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. Journal of Leadership Studies, 6(2), 95–101. Retrieved from http://vlib.excelsior.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=84482901&site=eds-live&scope=site
o Changing Minds.org. (n.d.) Leadership theories (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. Retrieved from
http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/theories/leadership_theories.htm
o Department of the Army. (2012). Chapter 6: Army Leadership (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. [PDF, File Size 7.64MB]. Washington, DC: Department of the Army. Retrieved from http://www.benning.army.mil/mssp/PDF/adrp6_22_new.pdf
o Chapter 1 Leadership and Force Development. United States Air Force. (2004). Leadership and Force Development [PDF, File Size 1MB].
o U.S. Coast Guard Leadership Competency section. United States Coast Guard (2012). Performance Improvement Guide [PDF, File Size 1.8MB].
o United States Marines Corps (2002). Introduction and Appendices of Leading Marines [PDF, File Size 1.4MB]. Retrieved from
http://www.marines.mil/Portals/59/Publications/MCWP%206-11%20Leading%20Marine.pdf
• Optional
o Paul, R. & Elder, L. (2009). Critical thinking: Where to begin (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. Retrieved from: http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/critical-thinking-where-to-begin/796
o Friedman, T. & Mandelbaum, M. (2011). That used to be us. New York NY: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
View:
• Required
o TED. (2011, April 6). Stanley McChrystal: Listen, learn, and then lead (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. [Video file, 15:38 mins]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmpIMt95ndU
o Stanford Graduate School of Business. (2012, February 17). Stanley McChrystal: Leadership is a Choice (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. [Video file, 51:01 mins]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7DzQWjXKFI
Discuss:
• M3D1: Evaluate Theory and Practice of Military Leadership Styles
• M3D2: Analyze Military Leadership Challenges in a Global Environment
Submit:
• M3A1: Final Paper Annotated Bibliography (second set of five sources)
• M3A2: Reflective Essay – Current Leadership Barriers
Use the EC Library resources for research assistance and to properly cite your work:
• Military Leadership Research Guide (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site.
• Plagiarism & Copyright (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site.
• Excelsior Library Writing Help (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• APA Citation Help (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site.
• Excelsior College Online Writing Lab (OWL) (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Leadership in the Military
As the U.S. has grown its military, so too has its diversity grown and yet it still continues to maintain its success in defending the nation while maintaining its core value system. How does that happen? It is a fair question and worth exploring as some may argue that it finds its success due to its resources and wealth. It is however, worth discussing the role that leadership has played in achieving its success. As this module suggests, it is not only about resources but rather it is about leadership. While resources play a vital role in any conflict, the same can be said about leadership as we have seen, in the Sun Tzu video. A small force can defeat a more powerful enemy if the correct strategy and leadership are in place and with this in mind, it is critical to explore how military leaders are able to lead in a constantly changing environment.
General Creighton W. Abrams, former Chief of Staff of the Army, stated “The Army is people; its readiness to fight depends upon the readiness of its people, individually and as units. We improve our readiness and foster a ready state of mind by training, motivating and supporting our people” (Department of the Army, 2006, p. 7–4).
Based on General Abrams statement, it is valid to assume that the success of the military is due to its ability to lead people. While there are several leadership definitions, the army provides a definition that reflects the leadership tenets of all U.S. military organizations. The U.S. Army Field Manual (FM) 6–22 defines leadership as “the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization” (Department of the Army, 2006, p. 1–2).
Since people are the greatest resource of military organizations and leadership is the method by which organizations produce effective results, then it is appropriate to explore the different leadership styles used by military organizations. Furthermore, by exploring the theory and practice of military leadership styles, one can further evaluate the military’s effectiveness. In order to structure our analysis, please go through the leadership theories and styles provided by Changing Minds.org (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site.
Go to the Leadership Theories and Styles interactive (View the Transcript [PDF, File Size 38KB]).
While the interactive list of Leadership Theories and Styles is not a complete list, it does create a foundation for our analysis. Now that we have a better understanding of some leadership theories and styles, our next step will be to review and analyze the leadership publications for military organizations in the module readings. The intent is to examine the leadership styles in your organization.
It is through leadership that the military brings together people from diverse backgrounds. Leaders in a global environment must surpass the values and ideas of others while forging relationships with members of other cultures and organizations (Jenkins, 2012). One argument about leader development is the promotion of critical thinking. Critical thinking can be defined as “the art of analyzing and evaluating thinking with a view to improve it” (Paul & Elder, 2009). Global leaders able to think critically may be better prepared to lead in unpredictable environments. We may argue that another method of improving leadership is through reflection. Reflection allows individuals to assess past actions. It is how we learn from our experiences.
General McChrystal reflects on his experiences and exposes some of the challenges the military encountered as America transitioned from a conventional force to the global war on terrorism. In his analysis, he reveals the need to work with other organizations and countries across the world. He expresses the complexity of working with over 46 nations and creating a shared consciousness and purpose. As the need to collaborate with others across the world increases, military leaders must develop the necessary skills to lead a culturally diverse force.
Global leaders must be able to think critically in order to embrace challenges in a complex global environment (Jenkins, 2012). It is imperative for leaders to recognize these challenges and develop some of the skills outlined by General McChrystal in his presentation.
Please read and view:
• Jenkins, D. (2012). Global critical leadership: Educating global leaders with critical leadership Competencies (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site.
• Stanley McChrystal: Listen, learn, and then lead (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. [Video File, 15:38 mins].
• Stanley McChrystal: Leadership is a Choice (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. [Video File, 51:01 mins].
Understanding the many leadership theories and styles that describe the traits of leaders is the first step in developing a unique, personal, leadership philosophy. In the next activity, you will be asked to reflect on those traits and to identify a military leader whom you admire. This exercise will challenge you to reflect upon the characteristics that this leader embodies and how and why they are crucial to the military organization. In the first discussion, we will examine military leadership styles, and which styles are best for the military leader.
Image Citations:
Photograph of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Alberto Colon, with the 27th Engineer Battalion, inspecting his static line before jumping from a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft during a mission in support of Joint Operations Access Exercise (JOAX) 12-2 at Fort Bragg, N.C., June 8, 2012. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Eric Harris, U.S. Air Force/Released).
Creighton W Abrams (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Photographer. Britannica Image Quest, Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 May 2016. Retrieved from quest.eb.com/search/115_2733081/1/115_2733081/cite. Accessed 2 May 2017.
By DVIDSHUB – Cultural Diversity Day (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22431731
“General McChrystal, Ambassador Mark Sedwill visit Badghis province- RC-W 002” by Resolute Support Media is licensed under CC BY 2.0.