Military Review English Edition March-April 2016 | Page 108

Investing in people pays dividends for a lifetime.
—Kevin McAninch

L

eadership is a core Army function and a unifying element in mission accomplishment.
Therefore, creating a unique and challenging
leadership development program to grow subordinate leaders is a key task for all commanders. The U.S.
Army’s doctrine on leadership says, “Through education, training, and experience, leaders develop into
competent and disciplined professionals of the Army.”1
But, how do Army units develop leaders to ensure
excellent leadership that operates cohesively across the
levels of command?2
Most units establish a leader professional development (LPD) program that is briefed and approved
during quarterly training briefings. Program topics
range from individual professional development
skills to execution of routine collective Army tasks.
However, in some LPD programs, though some members of the audience might learn elementary sta