Military Review English Edition March-April 2014 | Page 40

The Plattsburgh Manual, a handbook that described how the U.S. Army created its mass-expansion officer corps for service in the First World War, summarized this point with candid rationale: “A good private makes a good corporal, a good corporal makes a good sergeant, a good sergeant makes a good lieutenant—a good colonel makes a good brigadier general—all exactly as in civil life.” 16 The inference to be taken from this statement sergeant for the 557th Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, is that sufficient Sgt. 1staClass Shvoda Gregory, motor new sergeants during aEngineerjunior leadership development course talks to small group of specialists and five-day time and exposure to his battalion administers quarterly to better prepare its new and future leaders, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, develop skills at the Wash., 24 January 2012. (U.S. Army) next lowest position creates conditions for success as one progresses up forces believe leadership by example presents the opportunity for greater reward, “both in mission the ladder of rank and responsibility. Skills. Third, junior officers with prior experience success and unit cohesion.” Good judgment, confihave enhanced skills in nontechnical areas only time dence, and adaptability are the IDF goals for junior and performance of duties can develop, such as officers prior to their implementation as platoon confidence, the ability to lead by example, adapt- leaders. The Israeli model of combat leadership, ability, and judgment. According to FM 6-22, the according to an IDF psychologist, “requires an ability to lead with confidence involves “having experienced leader to assess and mitigate risks and prior opportunities to experience reactions to severe to make correct decisions.”19 It is interesting to note situations.”17 Once leaders have collected experi- that the IDF selects its officers exclusively from the ences gleaned from these “severe situations,” they ranks of its conscripted enlisted force. All future become aware of what “right looks like,” and logi- officers serve for two years in the ranks prior to cally, are better prepared to lead confidently and by attending a commissioning course to develop—and example. Adaptability, according to our leadership to be screened for—the type of technical skills, doctrine, is also a product of time and practice: “As confidence, and judgment required to become a the breadth of experience accumulates, so does the by-example style of leader.20 Glancing at the negative, a lack of confidence and capacity to adapt.”18 The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), an organization judgment in a junior officer can inspire catastrophic that has amassed military leadership experience results in a worst-case scenario. The leader of a over the past several decades due to near-constant platoon controls mass destructive combat power regional conflict, bases its leadership doctrine and must know when to apply this force, where to around personal example. While accepting that apply it, and in what circumstances it is justified this style of leadership creates greater risk, Israel’s and lawful. The official Army investigation into the 38 March-April 2014 MILITARY REVIEW