Military Review English Edition March-April 2014 | Page 7

STRENGTHS-BASED LEADERSHIP To develop junior leaders, higher-level leaders need a full understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of those within their chain of command. Leaders who are aware of subordinates’ strengths are more likely to place soldiers in positions that play to their abilities, creating the conditions for individual and unit success. Army Doctrine and StrengthsBased Leadership Doctrine is consistent with a strengths-based approach to leadership. According to Gretchen Spreitzer, the assumption underlying a strengthsbased approach is that nurturing strengths, as opposed to focusing exclusively on correcting deficiencies, creates subordinate leaders who are able to recognize and realize their full potential.1 In keeping with strengths-based leadership theory, Army leaders who focus on subordinates’ strengths and potential will be better equipped to manage and grow existing talent within their units. At the same time, they can build subordinates’ capabilities for future leadership roles. Leaders who understand subordinates’ strengths and weaknesses are not only in a better position to affect individual soldiers positively, but also they are in a better position to influence unit and organizational effectiveness through team and task assignments. Performance vs. Leader Development When asked about ways to assess subordinates’ strengths and areas for growth, soldiers frequently reference the Army’s Evaluation Reporting System. The officer and noncommissioned officer efficiency reporting processes—with their very real impact on career progression—have some bearing on subordinate development. However, these processes are designed primarily to report on performance rather than promote leader development. Alone, officer and noncommissioned officer evaluation reports contribute little to the development of subordinates. Likely, no formal, structured system of coaching or mentoring will succeed as well as an informal approach employed by astute leaders interacting with subordinates one and two echelons below them. Unfortunately, the demands of modern leadership make it a challenge to find time for dedicated subordinate development activities. In the Military MILITARY REVIEW March-April 2014 Review article “Reassessing Army Leadership in the 21st Century,” author Jason M. Pape describes how making time for subordinate development— considered a thing that should be done—tends to give way to requirements regarded as things that must be done.2 Considering the tension between time available and typical workloads, this article suggests concrete ways leaders can enhance subordinate development in the course of their day-to-day activities. The goal is to help leaders conduct developmental activities during daily business without adding time-consuming tasks to a leader’s load. These suggestions will also help leaders build a climate conducive to their subordinates’ development. Research-Based Strategies The suggestions for leader development presented in this paper summarize themes that emerged from research exploring the application of strengths-based leadership in a military context. As part of this research, the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, known as ARI, conducted interviews with 41 active duty Army leaders.3 The majority of Army leaders interviewed by ARI reported using strengths-based techniques to some extent, often without an explicit knowledge of strengths-based leadership theory. Nevertheless, many soldiers reported finding the techniques successful. This article describes six ways Army leaders can develop subordinates, consistent with strengths-based leadership theory: ● Identifying strengths. ● Providing individualized feedback. ● Utilizing subordinate strengths. ● Building and maintaining a positive climate. ● Caring for subordinates. ● Empowering subordinates. Identifying Strengths To develop a strength, individuals must first identify what they do well and what they need to improve on. Although individuals can identify strengths and weaknesses through formal processes, they also can use informal methods such as self-reflection. Because people tend to gravitate toward what they do well, such things as rate of learning, desire to participate in certain activities, and satisfaction gained from specific tasks can 5