Military Leadership Effects

Military leaders regardless of rank are of significant importance and have a major influence on the unit that they are tasked to lead. “The power of leaders to influence the motivation and performance of soldiers is well accepted within military and civilian communities” (Brit, 541). Critical to any military operation, an effective leader is vital in the completion of any mission, however when leaders are not able to motivate their subordinates, give clear directions, promote unit cohesion and morale, or even reprimand unsatisfactory performance, it can have negative effects on the unit and directly impact unit personnel and mission accomplishment. The effects of destructive leadership in a military unit will directly impact mission by causing the effects of excessive stress, destruction of team cohesion and the deterioration of morale from the very personnel they are attempting to lead.

This less than satisfactory communication between a leader and their subordinates can result in personnel being misdirected or unclear about what their roles and responsibilities are. “Leaders have the capacity to affect certain stressors by providing soldiers with clear expectations for performance and giving soldiers the latitude to exercise judgment over how jobs are done” (Brit, 542). Furthermore when subordinates are confused as to what their responsibilities are, they will eventually lose sight of what their mission is neglecting their roles and potentially compromising the mission. Additionally the effects of poor or ineffective leadership can directly contribute to the stressors and strains of subordinates leading to personnel suffering from physical and psychological stressors. These stressors and strains can consist of lack of sleep, hostility, workplace or family related conflicts, low commitment and or low morale (Brit, 542). If ineffective leaders do not disseminate tasks appropriately or motivate their personnel, it will likely result in disorganization and confusion further prolonging or halting the

It is important to note, “Our nation entrusts its military leaders with the most precious resource it has to offer—its sons and daughters who selflessly volunteer to serve, often at great personal hazard. Such patriotism deserves the very best leadership that we can muster” (Reed, Olsen, 64). The effectiveness of the unit will often suffer under a destructive leader and when assigned, they can cause irreversible damage leaving the unit worse off than when they received it and potentially lead to the loss of many good future leaders along the