The Study of Leadership – Do More Good, Find Meaning, Make Better Decisions & More

U.S. Army soldiers studying a map in the field, captioned "Leadership: the art of motivating a team in concerted action to accomplish a common objective"

This article was written by Ernie Audino and appeared in Frontlines of Freedom. THE STUDY of LEADERSHIP – DO MORE GOOD, FIND MEANING, MAKE BETTER DECISIONS & MORE.

The deeper we push into the 21st Century, the more apparent it is that we’re experiencing a crisis of leadership. It’s evident in the great number of institutions that routinely fail to accomplish their missions, increasingly fail to deliver success for others, and yet increasingly begin acting to perpetuate their own existence. Unfortunately, little will change for the better without the development of selfless, competent, wise & courageous leaders.

Few great leaders are born, but they can be developed…if we commit to begin our own personal study of the subject.

First, because it’s the right thing to do. Our world is always made better through good leadership…at whatever level….family/local to teams/clubs to companies/organizations, to military units (of course), to national/international efforts.

Second, because at rock bottom, many of us are interested in self-improvement (otherwise self-help books wouldn’t be the best- selling books in the USA year after year), and the study of leadership is first about leading yourself. If you can’t do that, you can’t lead anyone else. The act of leading a team, for example, is enhanced by good leaders and good leadership. Both arise thru the combination of study and practice…with real responsibilities and real consequences. With real stakes. Where the Real World buck stops with YOU. You see how you perform, succeed or fail…and THAT’s where you really begin to learn about yourself. What worked and what didn’t. What about yourself that you should sustain and what you need to improve.

And Third, because leadership is about sacrifice, and through sacrifice is where we all can find meaning. Leadership is about sacrificing self for the mission, and leading is about sacrificing self for both the mission and the team. In every case the leader sacrifices for a common objective, something bigger than himself…and THAT’s what brings meaning to our days.

The Frontlines Report has hosted several shows on aspects of leadership, and we will air many more in the future. Warriors, soldiers, officers, admirals & generals. They led teams on the battlefield where style points don’t count, and every contest is for all the marbles. This week we’ve brought in another combat leader, someone with a junior officer’s perspective….and that of a female making things happen on the ground in the Middle East! Army Captain Jennifer Devine. Her lessons of leadership on the battlefield are as applicable to our daily lives back here as they are in the sands of the Middle East. Click here to listen to our discussion: https://frontlinesoffreedom.com/show-976/

Written by Ernie Audino Senior Military Fellow, Kurdistan Program (U.S. Chair), Gold Institute for International Strategy
Read at Frontlines of Freedom