The Attributes Of A Leader And Importance Of Army Values

The purpose of this paper is to describe the attributes of a leader. There are 3 attributes of a leader and they are character, presence, and intelligence. All of these attributes form to create a good leader. A good leader is key to the success to a strong military. As a leader it is our objective to make sure we are always prepared, on time, and ready for our duties. A leader also needs to help instill these attributes into future leaders.

“Character is essential to successful leadership. It determines who people are, how they act, helps determine right from wrong, and choose what is correct. Elements internal and central to a leader’s core are Army Values, Empathy, Discipline, The Soldiers Creed, Warrior Ethos, and Service Ethos.” (ADRP 6-22). The 7 army values are something Soldiers strive to live for every day. Together loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage, by taking the first letter of each of them spells the word LDRSHIP or as we know it leadership. This is what we have been taught from day one of joining the Army. Further breakdown of the Army Values goes more into depth of each word and describes them all out. When joining the Army you swear a loyalty to the United States of America and its constitution. It is your duty to always strive to do your best in all aspects of your military career and your life. You should always respect others and treat others as you would like to be treated. When you have selfless service you are always striving to help other people without expecting to gain anything from them. Honor encompasses all of the Army Values. Always do what’s right and keep your integrity as an important part of your character. When faced with fear it is your personal courage that keeps you moving forward. Living the army values is an important part of your character and your army life. I am an American Soldier, these are the first words that are spoken when reciting the creed. The creed along with the warrior ethos go hand in hand and are a major part in a Soldiers character. Finding an understanding for each other, or empathy, is a great way of showing off your character to others. This helps into maintaining good morale and mission effectiveness by knowing what your troops needs whether it be at home or at work. Another major factor in one’s character is discipline. Whether it was taught by the military or at home, discipline is a strong pillar of how people see your character.

When it comes to presence there are four main points to hold to yourself. Military and professional bearing is always important as to project a commanding presence and a professional image of authority. Always having confidence in yourself is always important in projecting confidence. This includes keeping your composure through strong emotions. Always keeping yourself fit in both mind and body. The last point is resilience and the ability to be able to bounce back through stressors and high pace tempos. Keeping all these in mind will help in presenting yourself well.

Just like the other subjects intellect also is broken down into sections. It is broken down into five parts mental agility, sound judgment, innovation, interpersonal tact, and expertise. Mental agility is the ability to adapt and overcome uncertain or changing conditions. This kind of thinking provides and ability to keep an open mind and critical think situations. Sound judgement requires the ability to assess situations in a different manner. Good judgment comes with experience, whether it come from others through observing or through trial and error of their own doing. Innovation and the ability to introduce new ideas always helps in teaching your Soldiers and creating a learning environment that accepts new ideas. Interpersonal tact is how to deal with other people in a tactful manner. This ability is always good in order to react properly to each other individual person. Last but not least is expertise. It is always expected to maintain a professional level of expertise in anything that you do. The army says “expertise is possessing facts, belief, logical assumptions and understanding in relevant areas.” (ADRP 6-22). Always stay up to date on all your training in the field that you are leading in order to assist your Soldiers and pass knowledge down the line.

In conclusion the Army is always striving to create a better leader. By instilling the attributes of leadership at the lowest level, the Army is training its junior enlisted before they become leaders, and as such they are creating quality over quantity. Since day one the army always strives to teach you all the skills needed to learn so as to be the best that you can be.