Literature Review: The Effects of Behavioral Leadership Approach on Military Personnel 2
Abstract
Being a successful leader in the military is no easy task. You need to be exact, organized, and
ready to change and adapt because your choices affect a country's safety, how well your team
works together, and the health of those serving under you. The way leaders act is more important
than any natural traits they might have. The behavioral leadership approach, which puts focus on
specific behaviors of leaders rather than their traits, tells us that leadership skills can be seen,
checked, and learned. This crucial in the military context where there's a lot of inherent risk.
Literature Review: The Effects of Behavioral Leadership Approach on Military Personnel 3
Literature Review: 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.
Leadership Competencies and Their Development
Meerits and Kivipõld (2022) highlight the importance of being alert and making quick
decisions for military leaders at the beginning levels of leadership as well as the beginning of
their respective careers. Adding to this, Northouse (2022) explains basic leadership ideas that
support these skills. He shows how these theories work in real-life situations where there's a lot
of pressure.
Behavioral and Emotional Dimensions of Leadership
Germain and colleagues, in their 2023 study, along with Aguilar's (2019) research,
emphasize how crucial it is for the military to take care of mental health and understand
emotions well. Germain's team looks at how technology can help leaders deal with stress and
tiredness, which is critically important for making good decisions when things are tough.
Aguilar's work shows that being smart about emotions makes leaders more effective, which
helps everyone in the team get along better and feel more positive.
Therapy and Psychological Support in Leadership
Skopp et al., (2023) talk about how teaching soldiers to deal with their thoughts and
feelings, known as cognitive processing therapy, is important in the military. They show it is key
Literature Review: The Effects of Behavioral Leadership Approach on Military Personnel 4
for helping both the leaders and their teams feel better mentally. This method gives leaders tools
to handle the stress of their jobs better, which makes them even stronger leaders. This is an area
that is greatly underserved in the military, but it is also an area that is growing in popularity and
understanding.
Organizational and Social Dynamics
Özdemir and Yalçın (2023) looked at problems within organizations and how school
leaders handle them, showing how it relates with the dynamics and with what happens in the
military. Jansen and Delahaij (2020) talked about how a leader's social group affects their
success and approval in military missions, using the idea of social identity. In the military your
team is everything.
Strategic and Paradigmatic Shifts in Leadership
Frăţilă (2022) talks about how military leaders need to always be ready to change their
plans because of unexpected situations. A common military motto is to adapt and overcome. This
research shows it's important for these leaders to adjust quickly and handle new challenges well.
Leadership in Crisis and Change Management
Jetly and team (2020) investigate how military tactics can help manage world problems,
showing us how those in the military lead during health crises. André (2020) talks about learning
to lead with the climate in mind, emphasizing that being eco-friendly is a key part of learning
and practicing how to lead strategically.
Longitudinal Perspectives and Career Pathways
Reitan and Stenberg (2024) share a detailed look into how military leaders grow in their
careers, what helps them succeed, and the roles they fill over time. They explore what makes
these leaders move up and become effective in their positions through the years.
Literature Review: The Effects of Behavioral Leadership Approach on Military Personnel 5
Conclusion
This review attempts to examine different ideas and perspectives about leading in the
military, including how to act, understand feelings, keep things running smoothly, and handle
emergencies. All culminating in how these leadership dynamics have direct effects on the
subordinates within the chain. It mixes theories with real-world uses to give a full picture of what
makes a good leader in the unique situations the military faces daily.
Literature Review: The Effects of Behavioral Leadership Approach on Military Personnel 6
References
Aguilar, S. (2019). A review of the linkages between emotional intelligence and leadership in the
military forces. Business Ethics and Leadership, 3(2), 29–38.
https://doi.org/10.21272/bel.3(2).29-38.2019
André, R. (2020). Teaching climate leadership: Promoting integrative learning in courses on
strong sustainability. Journal of Management Education, 44(6), 766–793.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562920941547
Frăţilă, C.-B. (2022). On Types and Paradigms of Military Leadership. Conference Proceedings.,
28(2), 166–170. https://doi.org/10.2478/kbo-2022-0066
Germain, A., Wolfson, M., Pulantara, I. W., Wallace, M. L., Nugent, K., Mesias, G., Clarke-
Walper, K., Quartana, P. J., & Wilk, J. (2023). Prototyping apps for the management of
sleep, fatigue, and behavioral health in austere far-forward environments: Development
study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25, e40640. https://doi.org/10.2196/40640
Jansen, M. M., & Delahaij, R. (2020). Leadership acceptance through the lens of social identity
theory: A case study of military leadership in Afghanistan. Armed Forces & Society,
46(4), 657-676. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095327X19845027
Jetly, R., Vermetten, E., Easterbrook, B., Lanius, R., & McKinnon, M. (2020). Going to “War”:
Military approach as the antidote to defeating COVID-19. Military Behavioral Health,
8(3), 243–247. https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2020.1765911
Meerits, A., & Kivipõld, K. (2022). Leadership competencies of first-level military leaders.
Leadership & Organization Development Journal. ISSN: 0143-7739.
Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and Practice (9th ed.). Sage Publications.
Literature Review: The Effects of Behavioral Leadership Approach on Military Personnel 7
Özdemir, T. Y., & Yalçın, A. Y. (2023). Organizational pathologies in educational organizations
and administrator responses to pathologies. Egitim Bilimleri Fakultesi Dergisi, 56(3),
1067-1103. https://doi.org/10.30964/auebfd.1100945
Reitan, T., & Stenberg, S.-Å. (2024). We (All) Want You? Perceived military leadership
potential and actual leadership role occupancy in working life: A longitudinal study of a
Swedish cohort. Armed Forces and Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095327x241228845
Skopp, N. A., Kaplan, D. A., Todd, B. L., Drell, M. B., & Pratt, K. M. (2023). Pilot outcomes of
cognitive processing therapy implementation in military health system outpatient
behavioral health clinics. Psychological Services, 20(3), 496–505.
https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000611
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
