Military Review English Edition March-April 2014 | Page 15

STRENGTHS-BASED LEADERSHIP

on strengths-based leadership theory, supported
by feedback obtained from soldiers. To summarize,
leaders will improve the probability for individual
and unit success by—
●● Identifying subordinates’ talents and areas for
growth.
●● Providing individualized feedback.
●● Utilizing subordinates’ strengths.
●● Building and maintaining a positive climate.
●● Caring for subordinates.
●● Empowering subordinates.
While, these strategies are common sense and
may not represent a groundbreaking discovery, the

goal of this article is to increase intentional use of
effective leadership functions to develop subordinates. According to soldiers interviewed by ARI,
when leaders focus on developing subordinates,
their subordinates’ morale and well-being improve.
Soldiers with knowledge of their own strengths
and the confidence to make decisions within their
commanders’ guidance are also better equipped to
adapt to ever-changing operational environments.
By intentionally focusing on subordinates’ development using the strategies outlined here, senior-level
leaders do more than develop well-trained subordinates—they develop future Army leaders. MR

NOTES
1. Gretchen Spreitzer, “Leading to Grow and Growing to Lead: Leadership Development Lessons from Positive Organizational Studies,” Organizational Dynamics
35, no. 4 (2006): 305-15.
2. Jason M. Pape, “Reassessing Army Leadership in the 21st Century,” Military
Review (January-February 2009): 95-102.
3. Melinda Key-Roberts and M. Budreau, “Applications of Strengths-Based
Leadership Theory for the U.S. Army (TR 1321),” Fort Belvoir, VA, U.S. Army
Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, forthcoming report on
a 2011–2012 research study consisting of interviews with 41 commissioned and
noncommissioned officers.
4. P. Linley, Reena Govindji, and Michael West, “Positive Psychology Approaches
to Public Services Leadership: An Introduction to Strengths-Based Leadership,”
The International Journal of Leadership in Public Services 3, no. 4 (2007): 44-55.
5. Key-Roberts and Budreau.
6. Thomas E. Graham, “Counseling: An Ignored Tool?” Military Review (MayJune 1999): 39.
7. Key-Roberts and Budreau.
8. Graham, 39.
9. Albert Bandura, “Self-efficacy,” Encyclopedia of Human Behavior, ed. Vilanayur
S.Ramachaudran (New York: Academic Press, 1994), 71-81.
10. Key-Roberts and Budreau.
11. Ibid.
12. Caren Baruch-Feldman, Elizabeth Brondolo, Dena Ben-Dayan, and Joseph
Schwartz, “Sources of Social Support and Burnout, Job Satisfaction, and Productivity,” Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 7(1) (2002): 4-93.
13. Key-Roberts and Budreau.
14. For more information on emotions in the workplace see Seth Kaplan, Jose
Cortina, Gregory A. Ruark, Kara Orvis, Katie Engel, and Krista Langkamer, Emotions
at Work: Leader Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities to Enhance Soldier Performance
(ARI Technical Report No. 1302, 2012); or Amanda Shipman, Tamara Friedrich,
Brandon Vessey, Shane Connelly, Eric Day, Alyssa Douglass, John Schroeder,
Gregory A. Ruark, A Model of Emotion Management for U.S. Army (ARI Research

MILITARY REVIEW

March-April 2014

Product No. 2011-03, 2010).
15. George E. Reed and Richard A. Olsen, “Toxic leadership: Part Deux,” Military
Review (November-December 2010): 58-64.
16. Key-Roberts and Budreau.
17. Reed and Olsen, 59.
18. Key-Roberts and Budreau.
19. Ibid.
20. Zachary Horn, Kara L. Orvis, and Michelle Zbylut, CLIMATE: Instructor’s
Guide for Ethical Climate Training for Army Leaders (Fort Belvoir, VA, U.S. Army
Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences), forthcoming.
21. Key-Roberts and Budreau.
22. Ibid.
23. Ibid
24. Ibid.
25. For more information on strategies for facilitating subordinate satisfaction at work and home, see Donald O. Clifton, and James K. Harter, “Investing in
Strengths,” 2003, in Kim S. Cameron, Jane E. Dutton, and Robert E. Quinn, eds.,
Positive Organizational Scholarship: Foundations of a New Discipline (San Francisco:
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.), 111-21; James K. Harter, Frank L. Schmidt, and
Theodore L. Hayes, “Business-unit-level Relationship Between Employee Satisfaction, Employee Engagement, and Business Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis,” Journal of
Applied Psychology, 87(2) (2002): 268–79; or Gerry L. Wilcove, Michael Schwerin,
and Tracy Kline, “Quality of Life in the U.S. Navy: Impact on Performance and Career
Continuance,” Military Psychology 21(4) (2009): 445-60.
26. Key-Roberts and Budreau.
27. Ibid.
28. Ibid.
29. Ibid.
30. Casey Wardynski, David S. Lyle, and Michael J. Colarusso, “Towards a U.S.
Army Officer Corps Strategy for Success: Developing Talent” Officer Corp Strategy
Monograph Series, Vol. 3. [Monograph] (2010).

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