THE EFFEFTS OF BEHAVIORAL LEADERSHIP 1
The Effects of Behavioral Leadership Approach on Military Personnel
Nelson T. Rumsey
School of&Business,&Liberty University
BMAL 702: Leadership Theory
Dr. Chavonne Stewart
May 5, 2024
THE EFFEFTS OF BEHAVIORAL LEADERSHIP 2
Table of Contents
Title page………………………………………………………………………………...………. 1
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………...….... 3
The Effects of Behavioral Leadership Approach on Military Personnel........................................ 4
Leadership Competencies and Their Development……………………………………………….4
Behavioral and Emotional Dimensions of Leadership…………………………………………....5
Therapy and Psychological Support in Leadership…………………………………………….…6
Organizational and Social Dynamics……………………………………………....…………...…7
Strategic and Paradigmatic Shifts in Leadership………………………………………………….8
Leadership in Crisis and Change Management………………………………………………….10
Longitudinal Perspectives and Career Pathways……………………………………………..….11
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….12
References………………………………………………………………………………………..14
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Abstract
Military leadership is changing fast because of new technology, what people expect from them,
and the different challenges they face. The article starts by discussing what's already known
about military leadership, covering areas like how decisions are made, understanding emotions,
how things work in organizations, being able to change when needed, and growing a military
career. By looking closely at academic studies, it points out what's missing in today's research
and shows why we need new ways to teach leadership in the military. It suggests that future
studies should investigate how AI and virtual reality can help create real-life-like situations.
These situations would make leaders decide on tough choices when under stress. It also mentions
that by studying data and making predictions, it's possible to spot the good ways leaders act. This
can help make training that fits what each person needs and considers their situation. The study
plan wants to change how military leaders are trained. It will use new tech to make training
better, help leaders make smarter choices, and improve how teams work together. This work will
fill in missing parts from other studies and use new ways to help military leadership grow. This
literature review will add new info and help military places all over learn and do better.
Keywords: Military Leadership, Development, Decision-Making, Adaptive Leadership
THE EFFEFTS OF BEHAVIORAL LEADERSHIP 4
The Effects of Behavioral Leadership Approach on Military Personnel
Effective leadership within the military is of utmost importance because of the high-
stakes nature of military operations, they can be life or death, how their results could have an
impact on national security, as well as the health and safety of those following you (Meerits &
Kivipõld, 2022). The following literature review will explore a variety of perspectives on
leadership within the military, weaving together current research and theoretical insights together
to demonstrate best practices and some obstacles to leadership within the military. This paper
looks closely at how different ways of leading affect soldiers. It brings together new studies and
ideas to show what makes good leadership in the army. This includes looking at what skills
leaders need, how they handle their emotions and behave, the kind of support they give for
mental health, how they work with others and make decisions, handle emergencies, and help
with long-term career growth. The goal is to fully understand what makes someone a successful
leader in the military and how it helps the missions succeed and keeps soldiers feeling okay.
Leadership Competencies and Their Development
Meerits and Kivipõld (2022) explain that new military leaders need to stay sharp and
make fast choices, showing how important it is to be decisive in the army. When starting out as
leaders, they often face moments where they must decide quickly, and these decisions can lead to
big changes. It's clear that being able to make quick decisions is crucial, but it's also important to
think about how choosing speed over getting it right might affect the outcome. The pressure of
these situations can lead to quick, but not always right, decisions because of common shortcuts
in thinking. So, while being able to think on your feet is a key part of leadership, learning how to
avoid these shortcuts and think things through clearly is just as important for being an effective
leader.
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In addition to the viewpoints offered by Meerits and Kivipõld, Northouse (2022) shares
important ideas about basic leadership theories. These theories help explain how military leaders
learn to make decisions. Northouse talks about topics like situational leadership and contingency
theory, showing how leaders change their decision-making based on different situations and
challenges. He also looks at how these theories work in real-life, high-stress military situations,
making it easier to see why understanding leadership is useful for the military. Though
Northouse gives us a lot to think about with these leadership theories, it's smart to closely look at
how well these ideas fit in all kinds of military settings. Military tasks can be very different, from
fighting in wars to helping keep peace, so leaders need a deep understanding of various factors
that affect how they lead and make decisions.
When you mix Meerits and Kivipõld's ideas about being quick and smart with what
Northouse says about leadership basics, you get a very deep look at how decision-making in the
military works. Looking closely at how thinking, acting, and different situations affect making
good decisions helps military leaders get better at making choices that work well for missions
and lower the chances of things going wrong.
Behavioral and Emotional Dimensions of Leadership
Germain and his colleague’s work in 2023, along with Aguilar's study in 2019, show how
crucial it is to focus on mental health and being smart about our feelings, especially for people in
the military. Their research points out a big change in how we see the link between a healthy
mind and being a good leader in the military. They say that strong support for mental health and
a deep knowledge of feelings play a big part in military leadership that cares about all aspects of
a person.
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Germain and colleagues investigate how technology can help leaders deal with stress and
tiredness, which are very important for making good decisions when times are tough. They talk
about how important it is to use new tech to make soldiers stronger and happier. But even though
technology can help leaders a lot, we need to think carefully about if it's always the right thing to
do because of ethics and limits. Also, not all tech solutions will work the same way for every
soldier, so we must think about where and how we use them.
Aguilar's research shows that leaders with emotional intelligence are more effective
because they create better team feelings and work dynamics. The study points out the good
things about having emotional intelligence in military groups, especially for making teams work
well together. It suggests that teaching emotional skills is just as important as technical
knowledge for military leaders. However, it's worth looking closely at how being real with
emotions fits with the often serious and tough image of the military. Also, using emotional
intelligence in the strict setup of the military means leaders must be smart about treating
everyone fairly and making sure everyone feels included.
To sum up, the study by Germain and Aguilar highlights how important it is to include
mental health help and the growth of emotional smarts in the training of military leaders. By
really digging into what their research says, military places can raise up leaders who are not only
great at tactics but also strong, caring, and in tune with how their team members feel.
Therapy and Psychological Support in Leadership
Skopp and colleagues (2023) talk about how important it is for military leaders to use
cognitive processing therapy (CPT) to help soldiers with their mental health. They show how
CPT can really change things by giving leaders and their teams ways to deal with the tough
mental parts of being in the military.
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The idea that Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is key in improving the mental health
of military people fits well with bigger plans to make mental health a focus in the military. By
showing how CPT helps soldiers handle their thoughts and feelings, Skopp and others highlight
its value in building strength and mental health in the troops. Yet even though CPT looks like a
good treatment, it's important to take a close look at whether all soldiers can get to it. Things like
stigma or practical barriers might stop CPT and other proven treatments from being widely used.
So, it's vital to work on making it more okay to ask for help and to include mental health help in
the main training for leaders. This could make CPT more effective in the military.
Skopp and their team found that Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) gives leaders ways
to handle stress at work. This fits with the idea that being a good leader is about more than just
knowing stuff; it's also about understanding and managing feelings. CPT helps leaders do their
job well even when things get tough. But, to really make CPT work for leadership training, we
need to look at the big picture. This means breaking down the roadblocks to getting help for
mental health and building an environment where soldiers feel strong enough to face
psychological challenges.
In short, Skopp and their team's study shows how crucial CPT is for making mental
health better and making leaders more effective in the military. By closely looking at their
research, military groups can put the mental well-being of their members first. This helps create
leaders who are not just good at tactics but also strong, understanding, and able to build teams
that support each other.
Organizational and Social Dynamics
The research from Özdemir and Yalçın (2023) along with Jansen and Delahaij (2020)
provide important information on how leadership works in the military. These studies show that
THE EFFEFTS OF BEHAVIORAL LEADERSHIP 8
being a good leader in the military involves dealing with the organization's problems,
understanding how people interact, and making sure missions are successful.
Özdemir and Yalçın (2023) looked at how schools and the military handle problems and
who leads them. They found that good leaders in both places follow the same basics. But, even if
learning from each other is helpful, the special challenges and ways of doing things in the
military mean we need to think carefully about how these ideas are used. Understanding what
makes each situation unique is key for military leaders to do their best.
Jansen and Delahaij (2020) investigated how being part of a group affects how well
leaders do and how successful missions are in the military. They found out that being close as a
group and creating a shared identity helps everyone work together better and be more effective
as a team. They talk about how important it is in the military to look out for each other and how
strong social ties can really help leaders and the outcomes of their missions. But they also say
that we need to be careful when we think about how well this idea works in different places
where soldiers might come from various backgrounds and must deal with different kinds of
challenges. There's also a tricky part about making sure everyone feels like they belong in the
group while also valuing what makes each person different. This shows how hard it can be to
lead in the military in a way that keeps everyone together yet still respects their individuality.
To sum up, the studies by Özdemir and Yalçın (2023) along with Jansen and Delahaij
(2020) help us understand the group and social sides of being leaders in the military. By looking
closely at what they found, leaders in the military can learn more about the tricky parts of leading
in such environments. This way, they can create stronger, better teams ready to succeed in
changing and tough situations.
Strategic and Paradigmatic Shifts in Leadership
THE EFFEFTS OF BEHAVIORAL LEADERSHIP 9
Frăţilă (2022) talks about how important it is for military leaders to be ready to change
their plans quickly when things don't go as expected. This fits well with the idea that to do well
in today’s fast-changing battlegrounds, you need to be able to "adapt and overcome." The study
points out that being able to make fast changes and solve problems well is crucial for dealing
with the complicated aspects of military missions.
Understanding that military leaders must quickly change their plans due to new situations
is an important part of being a good leader when things are uncertain. Frăţilă's ideas highlight
how essential it is for these leaders to be open to change and tough enough to deal with the
unknown, making smart decisions along the way. However, being able to adjust is important for
tackling new problems, but it's also important to think carefully about how changing plans too
often might make it hard to stick to a long-term strategy. Finding the right mix of being flexible
and having a clear, long-term strategy is key for military leaders.
Frăţilă's study points out how important it is for military bosses to make strong decisions
when things keep changing. It shows that to lead well when things are unsure, bosses need to
think well and act right. Even though it's key to adjust fast, it's also important to think about the
downsides of just reacting without thinking it through. Making quick decisions without enough
thought can make leadership less effective. So, leaders need to find the middle ground between
being quick and thinking things out carefully.
Frăţilă's study shows how important it is for military leaders to be adaptable and to make
fast decisions. By really understanding and using these ideas, military leaders can develop the
skills they need to deal with the challenges of today's warfare effectively. This involves being
flexible, strong, and thinking ahead, which in the end, makes missions more successful and
operations run better.
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Leadership in Crisis and Change Management
Jetly and André (2020) investigated how military tactics can help solve big world
problems, especially during health emergencies. They found that the skills military leaders have
are very useful in many areas, not just fighting wars. This study shows how these leaders are
adept at handling crises and working with others in different fields to tackle complicated issues.
It points out that the things military leaders can do are important for more than just the army,
especially when it comes to dealing with health problems.
In 2020, Jetly and André talked about how important it is for leaders to think about
keeping the environment safe. He showed how leaders making choices with the environment in
mind is becoming more common. Jetly and André pointed out that leaders need to think about
how their decisions will affect the environment in the long run. This work shows how talking
about leadership is changing to include the need to take care of our planet.
Jetly and André's study gives us important lessons about military leadership becoming
more involved in different areas. However, we need to think hard about how these military goals
might clash with what society needs. Using military ways in new places can bring up questions
about what's right and what's possible, making it essential to look closely at how this affects the
relationship between the military and civilians and how countries work together. At the same
time, it's becoming clearer that taking care of the environment is crucial for strategy, but making
the military greener could be tough. This is because they're used to doing things a certain way
and might not have all the resources needed. So, if we want military leaders to focus on being
more environmentally friendly, we must tackle the big challenges and help build a culture that
values taking care of our planet within the military.
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Jetly and André’s study highlights how military leaders are playing a bigger part in
tackling worldwide issues and supporting lasting solutions. Military leaders can use their
knowledge to deal with difficult situations and help achieve important goals that benefit both
society and the environment.
Longitudinal Perspectives and Career Pathways
Reitan and Stenberg's study in 2024 looks closely at how military leaders grow and
succeed in their careers. They show us how personal development, help from the organization,
and changing roles as leaders in the military work together to make leadership strong and
effective over time.
Reitan and Stenberg looked closely at what helps leaders grow and do well in the
military. They found out that being open to learning, able to adjust, and having good mentors are
key to becoming better leaders, especially when things keep changing. They also talk about the
different jobs and duties leaders have as they move up and what skills they need to have at each
step. This teaches us a lot about how to develop good leadership skills over time.
While the study by Reitan and Stenberg gives us a detailed look at how leaders move up
in the military, it's important to think about how this could affect diversity and inclusion. Their
work might show us the hidden roadblocks that make it harder for people from different
backgrounds to become leaders. This suggests we should be actively doing things to make sure
everyone has the same chance to grow as a leader. Also, focusing only on the usual signs of
being a successful leader might mean we don't fully appreciate leaders who are different or use
other ways of leading. We need to think about leadership in a wider way that values many kinds
of views and life stories.
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In summary, Reitan and Stenberg's research offers a comprehensive examination of
military leadership development, providing valuable insights into the factors contributing to
leadership success and effectiveness over time. By critically engaging with their findings,
military institutions can cultivate a culture of continuous learning, mentorship, and inclusivity
that empowers leaders to thrive amidst evolving operational challenges and societal expectations.
Conclusion
When we look at what experts say about being a leader in the military, we see it's
complex and always changing. Meerits and Kivipõld (2022) tell us that military bosses need to
make quick decisions and always be on their toes, showing why being able to decide things fast
matters a lot when things get tough. Northouse (2022) adds to that by explaining the key
leadership ideas that help these leaders make smart choices and adjust to new situations in their
work.
Germain (2023) along with Aguilar (2019) really focus on how knowing about mental
health and understanding our emotions can make military teams stronger and more united. Skopp
et al., (2023) also add to the conversation by saying how therapy that helps you process your
thoughts can give leaders the tools to handle stress and tough situations. Özdemir and Yalçın
(2023) with Jansen and Delahaij (2020) shine a light on how teamwork and the feeling of
belonging are key to being effective in military leadership and help a lot in achieving their goals.
Frăţilă (2022) talks about how important it is for military leaders to be adaptable and
quick to respond when unexpected things happen. This supports the military's "adapt and
overcome" belief. Jetly and André (2020) look at military leadership from a bigger picture,
discussing how it can be used to tackle worldwide issues and help the environment. Reitan and
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Stenberg (2024) thoroughly explore how military leaders grow. They show that always learning,
being able to change, and having guidance are key for leaders to thrive and stay strong over time.
A possible topic for new studies in military leadership might look at how technology and
growing as leaders connect. It would be interesting to see how new tech like artificial
intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and looking at big sets of data can help make leadership
training better, improve how decisions are made, and help teams work together in the military.
Studying this topic might look into how well AI simulations help train leaders to make tough
choices when under a lot of stress. It could also investigate how virtual reality (VR) training
places can help people get better at understanding their surroundings, talking to others, and
managing emergencies in settings that feel real and let them interact.
Also, we can dive into how using data analysis and future-telling methods might help us
see patterns in what makes a good leader and how they perform in army groups. By looking
closely at lots of information on what leaders do, what happens after, and the situation around
them, we might find out what helps leaders do well. This way, we could make models that
predict which activities will help grow good leaders.
Collectively these ideas give a complete look at what it takes to be a good military leader.
They show how making decisions, understanding feelings, working well with others, being able
to change when needed, and growing in your career all link together. By really getting into these
ideas, military places can help make leaders who are not just great at tactics but are also strong,
caring, and able to bring people together to work well as a team, even when things are always
changing.
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THE EFFEFTS OF BEHAVIORAL LEADERSHIP 15
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