IMPLICATIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERS AND UNIT COMMANDERS

 To be effective team builders, organizational leaders and commanders must be able to identify and
interact with both formal and informal teams, including—

• The traditional chain of command.
• Chains of coordination directing joint, interagency, and multinational organizations.
• Chains of functional support combining commanders and staff officers.

Although leading through other leaders is a decentralized process, it does not imply a commander or
supervisor cannot step in and temporarily take active control if the need arises. However, bypassing the
habitual chain of command should be by exception and focused on solving an urgent problem or guiding
an organization back on track with the leader’s original guidance

Character Development from the US Army Leadership Manual

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
People join the Army as Soldiers and Army civilians with their character, pre-shaped by their
background, beliefs, education, and experience. An Army leader’s job would be simpler if merely checking
the team member’s personal values against the Army Values and developing a simple plan to align them
sufficed. Reality is much different. Becoming a person of character and a leader of character is a careerlong
process involving day-to-day experience, education, self-development, developmental counseling,
coaching, and mentoring. While individuals are responsible for their own character development, leaders
are responsible for encouraging, supporting, and assessing the efforts of their people. Leaders of character
can develop only through continual study, reflection, experience, and feedback. Leaders hold themselves
and subordinates to the highest standards. The standards and values then spread throughout the team, unit,
or organization and ultimately throughout the Army.
Doing the right thing is good. Doing the right thing for the right reason and with the right goal is
better. People of character must possess the desire to act ethically in all situations. One of the Army
leader’s primary responsibilities is to maintain an ethical climate that supports development of such
character. When an organization’s ethical climate nurtures ethical behavior, people will, over time, think,
feel, and act ethically. They will internalize the aspects of sound character.

Army Leadership

The foundations of Army leadership are firmly grounded in history, loyalty to our country’s laws, acountability to authority, and evolving Army doctrine. By applying this knowledge with confidence and

dedication, leaders develop into mature, competent, and multiskilled members of the Nation’s Army. While

Army leaders are responsible for being personally and professionally competent, they are also charged with

the responsibility of developing their subordinates.

To assist leaders to become competent at all levels of leadership, the Army identifies three categories of core leader competencies: lead, develop, and achieve. These competencies and their subsets represent the roles and functions of leaders.

THE FOUNDING DOCUMENTS OF OUR NATIONWhen we assumed the Soldier, we did not lay aside the Citizen.General George Washington

Seech to the New York Legislature, 1775

 

The Army and its leadership requirements are based on the Nation’s democratic foundations, defined

values, and standards of excellence. The Army recognizes the importance of preserving the time-proven

standards of competence that have distinguished leaders throughout history. Leadership doctrine

acknowledges that societal change, evolving security threats, and technological advances require an everincreasing degree of adaptability.

 

Although America’s history and cultural traditions derive from many parts of the civilized world,

common values, goals, and beliefs are solidly established in the Declaration of Independence and the

Constitution. These documents explain the purpose of our nationhood and detail our specific freedoms and

responsibilities. Every Army Soldier and leader should be familiar with these documents.

 

On 4 July 1776, the Declaration of Independence formally sealed America’s separation from British

rule and asserted her right as an equal participant in dealings with other sovereign nations. Adopted by

Congress in March of 1787, the U.S. Constitution formally established the basic functions of our

democratic government. It clearly explains the functions, as well as the checks and balances between the

three branches of government: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. The Constitution sets the

parameters for the creation of our national defense establishment, including the legal basis for our Army.

 

Amended to the Constitution in December 1791, the Federal Bill of Rights officially recognized specific

rights for every American citizen, including freedom of religion, of speech, and of the press. At the time of

publication of FM 6-22, there have been 27 amendments to the Constitution. The amendments illustrate the

adaptability of our form of government to societal changes.