Challenges for military leaders of future due to changing socioeconomic norms

INTRODUCTION 1. Military leadership has been the epitome of all that a leader aspires for. There have been many changes through which military leadership has evolved but one cannot debate the fact that a military leader is the only commander who can govern the life or death of the soldier under his command. The military is a doctrined force and all the training imparted to a new recruit convinces him that the only way to grow is the doctrinal concept. It is only when he sees the light of the real world that he is forced to think. The onset of the thinking process is the seed for the change. This is the metamorphosis which a leader needs to identify. 2. The 'change' or optimistically speaking, the growth does not spare anyone .The soldiers in today's world understand the implications of the changes at all the strata of the society and the way the change touches them governs their behavior. As a leader, the essence is to be alive to the governing factors, of the behaviour of the men whom you command. The challenge of the military leader is to channelise this behavior in the ever changing scenario.It is not leadership that has changed, but our perception of leadership. Gravity did not begin the day Newton got hit on the head. The planets did not suddenly reorient themselves around the sun when Copernicus gained his insight. The kind of leadership that we most value and prize today is not new. Collegial, team-based leadership is evidenced time after time throughout history. So many current 'leadership gurus' have no historical perspective on our current situation. We are not facing something new and different. We are merely seeing through a different set of lenses. The error comes from attempting to define leadership as though it were one simple principle. There has never been one kind of leadership, but a multiplicity of 'leaderships'. 3. The world has changed and continues to change in a very profound and disturbing way. The future is already here in the present, and for most leaders, and nations it comes as a surprise or shock as Alvin Toffler anticipated in 'The Third Wave'. How each nation benefits from these changes depends on the kind of observer that their leaders are and the kinds of skills or competencies that those leaders have. In this new reality of chaos, uncertainty, interdependency, and opportunities, the challenges for leaders are greater and the need for a new type of leadership becomes more urgent.

4. The challenges being presented to the military leaders of the present and the future can be distinctly divided into three components :Challenges to Military Leadership. Changing Social Structure. Changing Economic dynamics. 5. The only constant factor in all the three components is 'Change' and that is what is to be addressed by the leaders of today and tomorrow. As, the leaders of today what all can we effect? Can the changing social norms be addressed? The answer is an overwhelming 'No'. Can the changing dynamics of the economy be addressed? The answer again is a resounding 'No'. 6. The socio economic wave has swept the world over, so how can the military remain impervious? Thus only the challenges, which these two factors pose at the military leadership, can be managed as the stakes on the leaders, are the highest. 7. There are basic tenets on which a military stands and these are ingrained into all the soldiers and the military leaders. Competent military leaders develop trust, focus effort, clarify objectives, inspire confidence, build teams, set the example, keep hope alive, and rationalise sacrifice. For this century or the next, there is little mystery about requisite leader competencies or behaviors. Desirable qualities and skills may vary a bit, but the basic formula for leader success has changed little in 2000 years. 8. The socio economic change has prompted a wave of freedom to the generation which has neither the patience nor the inclination to weigh the pros and cons of this change. The result is that the change has to be managed at a micro level by the leaders. The very fact that in the past, the royal and elite class of the society was proud to be enrolled in the armed forces and the motivation was to serve the nation and not money has transformed, into armed forces being considered as a career by today's generation. This fact puts the onus of maintaining the motivation in the same very careerist people, on the leader. 9. The development of the leaders for the future, who can lead with the same legacy as the leaders of yesteryears, is the key to manage the change set in through the unprecedented wave of social and economic dynamics. These leaders should be trained and equipped to meet the expanding challenges of the world undergoing unprecedented and accelerating changes,. Doctrinal based leadership will continue to provide a holistic base for the military as new ideas;

technologies and organisation designs are incorporated. Today's leader must be flexible, open to the needs of the constituents, a willing communicator and be able to voice the concerns of his or her followers. An officer of the future is required to be an intelligent warrior, who is a manager, a bureaucrat, a specialist technician and a well informed citizen, an officer who obeys and yet thinks before he acts, who is young yet mature, and who is both an idealist and a realist. AIM 10. This paper seeks to identify the challenges faced by military leadership in future due to the changing socio-economic norms. CORE OF LEADERSHIP 11. The revolution in military affairs does not mean that military leaders will update the core values of honour, patriotism, honesty, integrity, loyalty, competence, unity, physical and moral courage. The basic leadership traits are not going to change. This is because these values and traits do not change with time. It is precisely for this reason that just as it was wrong 1000 years ago for a soldier to lie, cheat or steal, it is still wrong today and it will be wrong 1000 years from now. For decades, leadership has centered on selected traits of leadership which has been reinforced since time immemorial but the change occurring in the present and envisaged in the future, adds more traits for an effective leader and the onus of incorporating these in the leadership styles totally and squarely rests on the military leaders of today and the future. Knowledge and Character. Knowledge equips a leader in knowing what to do and his character gives him the strength to get things done. Mere knowledge without character makes a man indecisive. Character, unsupported by knowledge, seriously limits the innate potential of a leader. Knowledge of the Profession. It is indeed true that 'A group of people can often be dominated by one person who sees most clearly'. Napoleon said "Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from other people's experience." This is most relevant today as the time for committing an error, and then be fortunate to get a second chance to learn from that error is shrinking and thus the relevance for the military leader to be continually updated on the circumstances and the happenings. Knowledge of Handling People. The knowledge of handling people is by far the most important skill a good leader has to possess. Human beings execute all plans in peace or in a war. The men who are followers of a military leader perceive themselves to be leaders in their own rights and the ever changing social, economic, cultural, political and

domestic scenarios support their deduction. This poses a very critical challenge to the military leader, as to lead a group of self motivated perceived leaders, is walking a tight rope for a military leader. The starting point of the ability to handle followers /soldiers is to know them. Knowledge of Self. The knowledge of the self has been reiterated, to be able to focus on the inherent strengths and the lacunae in one's own personality. This assumes importance for the military leader of today as there is no leeway for any display of weakness to his soldiers as the awareness of the men the leader commands would precipitate into opinions. Leadership is an interaction between the leader and the led. An effective military leader who understands his own personality is rarely affected by self-created problems. Character and Integrity. Character has been defined as the sum total of an individual's personality. Integrity is the projection of the military leader to the men he commands. It is imperative for the military leader to influence and extract allegiance form his soldiers and these two traits are the cornerstones which would provide him with the maximum mileage in his leadership. The changing scenario puts strain on these traits but once these are established the military leader ? follower relationship graduates to a higher level. Courage. Courage is the most admired of human virtues. The most important aspect of courage for a leader is to be decisive and to act. The moral and the physical courage of a military leader are being put to test with the changing socioeconomic norms. The military leader has to decide and be accountable for success or failure of his decision At the same time he should not portray the strain on his personality so as to gain the allegiance of the soldiers. Will Power. Will power to persist is the second essential trait of character, which portrays an effective leader. Will power to manage the change, absorb the setbacks and to pursue the goal relentlessly is the hallmark of a military leader. Initiative. Initiative involves intelligent anticipation of events by thinking ahead and finding an alternative way to achieve, if the chosen course of action gets blocked. The military leader has to think on his toes and out of the box to resolve /handle a situation posed instantaneously and the solution has to be provided real time lest he should ponder over the issue and burden himself. 12. Leadership therefore, is a function of leader's ability and style, group member's needs and values, and demands of the situation. The leader perforce has to understand the situation and group correctly, before adapting a particular approach for mission accomplishment.

CONCERN, AWARENESS AND ASPIRATIONS "Ignoring or denying social change has enormous cost and operational implications for the armed forces, for whom the 'ostrich position' is not a credible long term choice" 13. The rapid change in the socio economic environment have brought about, in its wake soaring materialistic aspirations, erosion of values, moral degradation and self centred approaches. Higher education, greater social awareness and availability of better economic opportunities have given rise to greater individuality at domestic level. The standard of living and life expectancy have both risen in recent years. The socio economic transformation in the present times has altered many postulates of the military life and these have posed challenges for the present day military leaders. The prime cause for attention is that, these challenges are here to stay and would only compound in future. 14. In ever changing socio-economic environmental paradigms, military leadership must retain its dynamism. It is important to understand the impact of society's changing social, political and economic environment on a soldier's psyche. There have been significant changes in society, in social and cultural terms, in the economic dimension and political environment at domestic, regional and global level. Military leadership must therefore re-appreciate traditional motivation tools and leadership philosophy in relation to modern environment. The socio economic norms have penetrated deep into the psyche of the military and most of the military domains have been influenced. Attitude and Values. There has been a significant change in the understanding of the ethics and morals in the society. Changes of these kind affect behaviour in military. Therefore, the role of the military leader includes beliefs and expectations about the changing military environment in one's life, and opinions concerning the rights and obligations of the soldiers. Future military leaders will require, more than ever before, a commitment to those moral values that are the source of enduring strength in the free society. The leaders have to believe and make the men they lead believe that morals cannot be updated as technology or doctrine; rather moral values by their very nature are immune to updating. Moral values unlike technology are nurtured by history that is why leadership manuals, invoke images of the moral heroes of the past. Indeed moral values tie the military to ideas deep rooted in the past. Social Environment. Social change can mean a number of things, each reflecting a different aspect of the complex process which occurs as human society evolves. The institutions that make the human society include the family, the community, the work organisation, education institutions, religious institutions, pressure groups, institutions in the field of leisure and indeed all organised and enduring forms of human interaction. These changes have been very rapid and profound.

Especially, there has been a revolution in the role and structure of a family. The concept of equality between the sexes and generations is firmly settling into the domestic scene. The joint family system is heading towards obsolescence, as a result of social/cultural changes in society. It is the single most important factor that has completely reversed a certain part of the soldier's thinking process. He now has an added responsibility, an additional concern, that of the security of his family, which was by and large ensured in the joint family system of the past. These thoughts dominate his way of thinking and the manner in which he reacts to the situations, as they present themselves to him. Military life had taken most of these changes in its stride in the past and absolved itself of any conspicuous evolution standing by its traditional ethos and principles. The enormity of the changes has been so overwhelming that today it is impossible to remain impervious and hence the responsibility of managing this evolution falls on the military leaders. Economic Environment. The changing economic environment in the country has influenced modern military leadership. Human life is all the more precious now, and a military commander has to consider this factor, while planning his strategy. The young man, who adorns the uniform today, is psychologically better prepared to analyse situations beyond face value and take independent decisions. This has by far, been the most significant challenge that the military leader of the present is confronted with. The decision making and the power to analyse the situation do pose a strain on the leader-follower relationship but the management of such a conflict has been the issue most of the military leaders are grappling with. The rich economic boom in the country is something that precludes the soldier. He is aware of the materialistic privileges available and craves for them. The social awareness through media, TV and 'information explosion' adds to the awareness but not the affordability. The winds of economic and social change in a developing country like India, have been blowing since the advent of liberalisation have thrown open the doors of opportunity for skilled individuals. Career Option. At the other end of the bridge, the military is also failing to attract men of required calibre due to its relative inability to satisfy the latter's economic and personal aspirations. This ha resulted in a slow dilution of military talent within armed forces at all levels, which may become more acute in times to come. The military leadership will thus have to adapt skills to the changed psychological model of modern soldier. Political Environment. An examination of the changing political environment at domestic, regional and global levels would assist in appreciating the soldier's new psychological motivations. While the political framework at times indulges into a power struggle, resorting to various improprieties, these are covered up as part of an upcoming

democracy. A soldier's perception of democracy remains short of an ideal and complete understanding of the concept of democracy. This precludes him from appreciating the real meaning of democracy in its right perspective. This coupled with his thinking process, injects in him, an attitude to question all orders, reluctance to adhere to instructions and a general hesitation to function within any specified set of rules. Advancements in Technology. The world has entered a different era. There has been a revolution in advancement of technology. Sheer momentum of technological progress, especially the rapid speed of computer based information systems has sparked a revolution in military affairs. With society becoming more aware and involved in the process of war, and its consequences, there will be greater pressure from purely military society. Press and TV play a major role in examining the actions and efficacy of military and disseminating information to civil populace, further posing a challenge for the military leaders. 15. Future leadership demands would be marked by the 'unprecedented stress' 'isolated battles,' and 'dispersion' of the battlefield. The quality of the force cannot be allowed to suffer as people are more important than hardware. Army Chief of Staff, US Army, General Gordon R. Sullivan noted thoughtfully and persuasively that "The times we live in are times of profound change political, ideological, and technical. We must adapt to that change and we must grow." Such 'growth', of course would have to entail new perspectives, new learning, and new behaviours on the part of many senior military leaders. Since they initiate and exemplify organisational change, their performance as part of any change strategy is crucial." The task of building and sustaining climate that undergird any 'learning organisation' is the immediate recourse staring in the face of many armed forces. 16. There is something different in the warrior community and the warrior profession. It is the responsibility of everyone who has served, is serving or will serve to protect those values that make the profession of arms different from any other profession. The very nature of warfare demands that the individual soldier subordinate his own personal welfare to that of the welfare of the many; security of the nation ,even at the risk of his own life, and the very specific trust given to him by the citizens. The achievement of the world's militaries have been realised through the hard work of ordinary men and women who have risen from amongst the same people who were concerned about the risk free employment which begets satisfaction of individual aspirations. MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE 17. There is inherent ethos in the armed forces which govern the leadership development. The organisational climate breeds the leaders of the forces and grooming is undertaken from the induction. Though there are checks and balances in the way, but the effect of the external influences cannot be ignored and it is becoming imperative that these are to be factored in the development of

the leaders of tomorrow. In many respects the armed forces attention to factors for human development is unmatched . Building on sincere traditional concerns for compassion as well as for operational competence, the armed forces are well led today even as they remain overcommitted. Additionally, the armed forces have at their disposal a vast but scattered knowledge base that covers the full spectrum of the behavioral, cognitive, social, and biological sciences. 18. Early opportunities for varied responsibilities can support leader development. No institution other than the armed forces does it better. Most military leaders are exposed to command and staff relationships and resource management early on and have opportunities to lead groups of significant size in performing challenging tasks. This is an essential parameter to gauge the potential of the perspective leaders early on to take on the challenges posed by the ever changing environment. 19. Produce and articulate precepts for leader behavior. Armed forces doctrinal materials, the traditional warrior ethic, and pre-commissioning and professional education reinforce leadership concepts in ways unequaled in any sector of our society. There presently are no highly visible, heavily resourced efforts to define, inculcate, and monitor the creation and sustainment of organisational climates that challenge, inspire, and motivate all ranks. This is the challenge that has to be addressed in order to evolve with the changing times. Doctrinal ambiguity does not apply to armed forces values, which have been traditionally clear in their essence. The value set is consistent with the past: Duty, Loyalty, Selfless Service, Honour, Courage, Respect, and Integrity represent the core of a noble tradition. Announcing them is necessary as they form the core of any armed forces but have to be augmented with a systemic progress, for shaping leader behavior in the changing scenario. 20. Use developmental feedback and mentoring. If in fact leadership is important, more effective ways need to be developed to measure it. The specifics of 'mentoring' should be broadly defined, with the professional education system once again responsible for teaching the selection and roles of mentors along with techniques for receiving and providing behavioural feedback. A program of formal mentoring can assist in the developmental process and in assignment and selection. Mentoring and coaching have long been in the armed forces lexicon, but their routine use is a localised phenomenon, highly dependent on the interests and skills of leaders. While there are potential downsides to a formal mentoring program, including perceptions of favoritism or cronyism and some diversions of energy from the immediate task, the consensus is that mentoring programs pay their way in equipping the leaders with the experience, to handle any situation arising due to the fluid scenario. 21. Measure organisational climate. Progressive organisations routinely use climate surveys to articulate organisational values, sense strong and weak aspects of the environment, coach managers. Morale, mission focus, clarity of priorities, effectiveness of communication, trust in leaders, confidence to perform

mission-essential tasks, perceived level of discipline, support for initiative and innovation, and fair treatment of all personnel need to be systematically recorded to focus on the approach for progress. The survey results, form the start point from where the armed forces can systematically eradicate the ills plaguing it and move forward towards evolving itself. This would provide a mild sense of liberation and empowerment to military commanders, and a step in the direction of cultural change to strengthen mutual trust within the chain of command. 22. Educate leaders in techniques for assessing the effectiveness of individuals and groups. Armed forces doctrine need to cover methods of personal or unit evaluation. Unit readiness and its reporting should be redefined to include assessments of cohesion, morale, and discipline in addition to the traditional measurements of equipment status and personnel fill. 'Transformational' leaders have been identified in both military and commercial as more effective than are leaders who rely heavily on transactional or management-by-exception leadership styles. Some of the critical characteristics and behaviours of the transformational leader are often undisclosed to the superiors but are glaringly evident to subordinates and frequently clear to peers. Transformational behaviors, such as articulating a motivational vision, providing intellectual challenge, inspiring teamwork, considering subordinates as individuals, being open to ideas, demonstrating moral courage, and setting the example of subordinating self to mission, are unreliably observed by superiors even though they require just that information for their evaluation of subordinates. Only the led know for certain the leader's moral courage, consideration for others, and commitment to service above self. This is indisputably crucial element in leader assessment and development systems and can be a single most decisive factor in managing the change. 23. Provide systemic support for continuous learning. In many respects the armed forces attention to human factors is unmatched. Building on sincere traditional concerns for compassion as well as for operational competence, many units are notably well led today even as they remain overcommitted. The armed forces leads the way in broad education of its leaders. This is another area where conceptual thinking in the armed forces is advanced but application of the knowledge has to be hastened. The pace of application is dramatically different from the aggressive exploitation of digital information technologies. The armed forces provide reliable support for the kind of learning or the kind of creativity and innovation essential in a rapidly changing and stressful environment. The question, then, is how to marshal the intellectual and operational resources to facilitate learning from individual and collective experience? The challenge is to implant methods for raising awareness about the cognitive and emotional processes that result in decisions. While there is a need to deal with the rapid obsolescence of technical subject matter, that is not the central challenge. The pragmatic pedagogical issue is not 'what to learn,' but 'how to learn.' The first adjustment, the shift from what to learn to how to learn has been identified or at

least rediscovered with more focus on 'thinking skills'. The education for the military leaders should be based on individualised and competence-based mode rather than selection and attendance mode of education. 24. There is a concern in the military about how to sustain the warrior spirit while enhancing those aspects of the leader personality that will embrace change, agility, creativity, and self-awareness when the need for those attributes is paramount in the present times. Because obedience is correctly entwined with sacrifice and loyal commitment, and because warfare demands discipline, the need for a hierarchical organisation persists even in the shadow of technological change. The impediment to optimal organisational functioning arises from failure to recognise that the efficacy and de facto legitimacy of the authoritarian mode differ dramatically depending on the situation. 25. There really are only two 'different situations' the leader must confront. The 'building' or 'improving' situation requires contemplation before action, patience with ambiguity, and an appreciation for broad participation in the decision making process. Its focus is on sustaining or improving the strategic situation, on protecting institutional values, on reconfiguring organisational systems, on investing in basic research and education and on taking time to coach and mentor. Skilled, self-aware leaders are able to recognise and discriminate between the behaviors suitable for these two situations. 26. The situation where immediate action and centralised control are the guiding parameters, is the 'operating' situation, requiring standard procedures and crew 'drills' with expectations for prompt, discernible, measurable results. The linkage between cause and effect is clear. Hard data are usually available for decision making. Reflection or contemplation is out of place. The warrior ethic, essential as the distinctive characteristic of the profession of arms, can rationalise leader behaviors that are inappropriate in accordance with the situation. Fortunately, many aggressive, mission-oriented leaders are also self-restrained, sensitive to the situation, respectful of others, tolerant of ambiguity, open to ideas, and generally comfortable with themselves. As military operations become ever more complex, and their environments more exacting, the boundaries of acceptable and productive leader behavior in different situations will become more restrictive. CONCLUSION 27. The essential task is not how to define requisite leadership, but how to develop and sustain it in the face of changing socio economic norms. The basics of leadership that derive from timeless human needs and aspirations have changed little in all of recorded history. The challenge is to move into the future with a good record of practice, not just a solid platform of theory. Bold initiatives now can ensure the future. 'Good leadership' is essential not only as the ultimate battlefield force-multiplier but also as the primary guardian of the institution.

28. The studies listing the essential competencies for future leaders have typically included an ability to deal with cognitive complexity, tolerance of ambiguity, intellectual flexibility, a meaningful level of self-awareness, and an enhanced understanding of the relationships among organisational sub-systems that collectively construct the prevailing 'climate.' These would supplement timeless leader qualities: integrity, high energy, courage, and commitment to military values. This was the distinction between a leader's need to 'operate' or achieve well-defined short-term goals, and the need to 'improve' the workings of the system to amalgamate the occurring change and thereby sustain the institution over the long term. 29. The three key dimensions of the future leader are the personal dimension, concerned with personal mastery, self-knowledge, emotional intelligence, survival skills, understanding of human nature, and the ontology of language; the organisational transformation dimension, concerned with creating a culture that brings out the best intelligence and creativity in men, creating organisational learning, innovation, adapting to future challenges, tapping into the collective wisdom of the organisation to solve its adaptive challenges and the global awareness dimension concerned with observing and reading the world, understanding the forces shaping the world, anticipating emerging worlds and futures, and concerned with creating a sustainable global civilisation. These dimensions when added to the military core values would equip the future military leader to tide over the changing scenario effectively and establish a template which would be able to revise itself with the requirements posed by the management of the change.