Discussion

Leadership Approach to Managing Diverse Work Groups in the Army

Student’s Name

Institution

Leadership Approach to Managing Diverse Work Groups in the Army

Leadership is a concept that is widely discussed in different contexts and applied in numerous scenarios. In this respect, the military environment is not an exception when it comes to the subject. Leadership in the military environment and, especially within the army is a vital subject that warranties for the need for research. However, a general approach on the topic may not give a specific understanding on the issues that are associated with army leadership. This in part explains the reason why I have selected to research the leadership approach to managing diverse work groups in the United States Army. I have gained much insights throughout the course and by reading numerous materials on army leadership and I believe that a research on the leadership approaches applied in managing diverse work groups will bring to light pertinent issues that inform the leadership styles in the army.

Based on my knowledge on the topic, I have learnt that leadership styles in the army are contingent on a number of factors that include the type of task in question, the goal and objectives of any army mission, the levels of motivation among the army staff, the levels of experience or age differences among the staff, and the relationship between the leaders and the subjects. These are key elements that determine a leadership style in a military setting. My views on the subject are also supported by Wisecarver et al. (2011) who identify the type of tasks and staff experience as some of the factors that influence the leadership approach used in any army unit. These elements question whether an army leader should apply participative style, transformational approach, delegating style, and direct style. For instance, if an army general is working with new army recruits whose experience is a bit low, then the participative approach will give the best results as leader will encourage the recruits through task orientation. However, in circumstances where the leader prefers giving direct instructions especially during combat, then directing approach of leadership is appropriate. A transformative style leadership can help the army leader overcome the challenges that emanate from diverse views and opinion. This approach recognizes the equality of all organizational members and gives them the opportunity to air their views on issues affecting an entity.

Another importance of this research is that it will bring to light the challenges that army leaders face when they lead in diverse work settings. Challenges such as generation rivalry among workers of different age groups make it difficult to achieve a consensus during team meetings. Additionally, cultural and background differences also affect how members approach various tasks and job responsibilities. The research will embrace the existence of such challenges and will therefore explore different theories that are linked to leadership diversity. For example; cultural orientation perspective highlights a how leader interacts with people of diverse cultures and beliefs, perceptions and expectations perspective looks at how a leader perceives the staffs of different backgrounds and the expectations from the followers. On my part, as a researcher the challenges that I am likely to encounter include difficulties in data collection since I intend to use a bigger proportion of primary data. This is because getting access to army barracks is a difficult task.

In light of all the issues that will be covered in the research, I feel that this research will be very important not only to me, but also leaders in the military setting. The research will act as a contribution to the existing knowledge and information in military leadership.

References

Wisecarver, M., Schneider, R., Foldes, H., Cullen, M., & Zbylut, M. R. (2011).Knowledge, skills, and abilities for military leader influence. PERSONNEL DECISIONS RESEARCH INST INC ARLINGTON VA.