Strategy for Developing the Right Leaders for the Objective Force-An Opportunity to Excel

Attrition rates are high! The Army must transform to the Objective Force! Senior leaders are out of touch with junior leaders! Technology is growing by leaps and bounds! The Army must retain captains twice non-selected for promotion to major and majors twice non-selected for promotion to lieutenant colonel! These challenges to Army leaders are occurring at a most difficult time-the Army's transformation to capitalize on changes in technology and address new and asymmetrical threats to national security. While taking on these new missions and challenges, the Army's core mission remains the same: to deter war and if deterrence fails, fight and win our nation's wars. While force structure changes have garnered the most attention in the transformation strategy, every aspect of the Army's existence will change or be affected by this transformation process. One element that will be key to the transformation success will be the leadership and leadership development adjustments that must support, keep pace with, and in some areas lead the Army's transformation efforts. This paper looks at a strategy for addressing the full spectrum of Army leadership that will yield leaders that can lead a digitized objective force and the millennium generation in 2020 and beyond. With information from leadership studies as a baseline, this paper assesses and, where applicable, proposes adjustments to the Army's leadership and mentorship doctrine, professional development program, evaluation system, and promotion program-all of which are essential tools that must play a role in the Army's move to the objective force. Transformation is difficult enough for any organization and trying to address leadership problems as well can be daunting to even the greatest of armies.