Military Review English Edition March-April 2014 | Page 11
STRENGTHS-BASED LEADERSHIP
To foster a positive climate, leaders should make
their subordinates feel they appreciate an honest
effort, even when mistakes are made. Study participants reported that military leaders who willingly
tolerate risk are better able to provide subordinates
with opportunities for development. Soldiers working in a safe and supportive learning environment
have greater incentive to practice new behaviors
and learn from their mistakes. As one interviewee
stated, giving subordinates the opportunity to
practice a task without pressure can also lead to
large gains in confidence and ability.18 Because
mistakes inevitably will be made, leaders must
make an effort to provide constructive feedback
instead of embarrassing or disparaging remarks.
Allowing subordinates learning opportunities in
which mistakes go unpunished, but corrected, can
decrease risk of failure or injury in future missions.
Allowing subordinates to experiment within the
commander’s intent is a powerful learning experience that also cultivates trust between subordinate
and commander, as the next quotation from the ARI
study illustrates:
My squadron commander . . . set my standards and guidelines; and I knew I could
go out there and screw up. And as long as I
was within his left and right limits, he was
going to defend me whether I got in trouble
or not, or [he would] just take it as a learning
experience.19
In decentralized operations, it is critical to
maintain a positive climate for effective mission
command. Leader behaviors (such as being open
to feedback, regulating emotions, and tolerating
mistakes) are essential to maintaining morale and
effectiveness when units tackle complex assignments—especially when direct leadership is counter
to the mission at hand. Leaders must be able to
gauge the level of toxicity in their organization and
strive to keep an open and professional working
environment. Because many of the strategies for
establishing a positive climate encourage subordinates to engage in independent action, they may
seem counter to the traditional military structure.
However, establishing a positive climate is a topdown leadership function. That is, the leader at the
top establishes the rules and boundaries for group
behavior, provides instructions, and establishes
clear mission intent. Moreover, by allowing trial and
MILITARY REVIEW
March-April 2014
error, managing emotions, and accepting feedback
from subordinates, senior leaders create the conditions for development to occur.
In addition to the strategies for cultivating a
positive climate outlined above, further guidance
on influencing unit climate will be found in ARI’s
forthcoming publication CLIMATE: Instructor’s
Because many of the strategies for establishing a positive
climate encourage subordinates
to engage in independent action,
they may seem counter to the
traditional military structure.
Guide for Ethical Climate Training for Army Leaders.20 Actions such as assessing climate, modeling
behavior, and articulating and enforcing standards,
although discussed in the context of ethics, will
apply to understanding and influencing the developmental environment in a unit.
Caring for Subordinates
Like establishing a positive climate, caring for
subordinates creates the conditions for individual
and unit success. Caring for subordinates encompasses behaviors aimed at relationship and rapport
building and can have tremendous payoffs. When
subordinates feel that their leader is interested
in them and their experiences, they feel more
motivated to excel. Practices such as asking subordinates about their family and personal interests,
as well as understanding their personal problems
and assisting when possible, ensure soldiers feel
they are an important part of the team. Soldiers
will obey a command regardless of whether they
personally know the leader who gave it. However,
when soldiers feel they are an important part of the
organization and respect their leader for more than
rank or position, they often go beyond the call of
duty to ensure they do not disappoint that leader.
Leader behaviors aimed at developing subordinates are often interpreted by subordinates as caring
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