CHAPTER III: LEADERSHIP “Some day you may have to lead men into battle and ask them to do their duty, and you will do it through Love. You must always put them first. If you arrive somewhere half destroyed, half exhausted at the end of a hard march, do you worry about your food, your bed, and your rest? No you do not. You must make sure they are fed, rested and have somewhere to sleep. You must make sure arrangements are made for their safety and guards placed, runners sent, whatever is necessary, and it will be a lot. But, if you do this you’ll find that you never have to worry about yourself, because as you look after them, so they will look after you. As they come to know that you love and care for them, so they will love you, and through love for you and for one another they will be the best soldiers the world has seen.” -General Sir Patrick Howard-Dobson

Leadership 3.1

Leadership, as a subject, has been discussed in philosophy, sociology, literature,

management, and about several other disciplines, where it is a matter of serious study. Leadership is a continuum, stretching from family, community to nation. Leadership is the combination of persuasion, compulsion and example that makes other people do what you want them to do72. Persuasion is a very broad spectrum word with its range extending from inspiring and motivating at one end and ruthlessly compelling at the other. It implies that the leader has to change his method of persuasion from democratic to autocratic, depending upon the intensity of the mission, time available, situation and the composition of his team. Indian Army defines leadership as the art of influencing and directing men towards as assigned goal in such a way so as to obtain their obedience, confidence, respect and loyalty. A leader is a person who influences a group of people towards a specific result. It is not dependent on title or formal authority. An effective leader is an individual with the capacity to consistently succeed in a given 72. Donovan Campbell. The Leadership Code: Mission, Character, Service and Gettting the Job Done. Random House. 09 Apr 2013. Pages 256.

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condition and be viewed as meeting the expectations of an organization or society. Leaders are recognized by their capacity for caring for others, clear communication, and a commitment to persist. Every organization needs leaders at every level.

Evolution of Military Leadership in the Indian Context 3.2

Since the Aryan Period, military leadership in our land had been associated with

varna or caste system. The kshatriyas or the warrior classes were the natural inheritors of the mantle of military leadership. The Moghuls and other contemporary dynasties also perpetuated the tradition of inheritance-based leadership. Hence military leadership in India was largely acquired by inheritance. With the advent of the British rule, we were first exposed to the classical model of military organization. By mid 19th Century, the British had a more or less standing army in place. In India, the current model of regimental organization was fortified after the post-Anglo Boer War reforms of 1905, which had far reaching consequences across the British Empire. This also heralded the era when military leaders in India were inducted and appointed on the basis of qualification in a holistic selection process. The Indian Navy and the Indian Air force have also largely retained the basic leadership structure handed over to them by their British predecessors. Therefore, it can be concluded that the selection and institution of leadership in the Indian military has been carried out in a democratic, logical and fair manner for a long time. This triumph of merit over inheritance is a very important consideration when we talk of future military leadership in optimistic terms.

Leadership Styles 3.3

There are two most important issues of concern to a leader in any organization –

the accomplishment of the mission and the consideration of the group or welfare of the men. Styles of leadership emerge as a continuum ranging from authoritarian on one hand to democratic on the other. A leadership style is a leader's style of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people73. It is the result of the philosophy, 73. Col Donald E. Waddell III, “A situational leadership model for military leaders”, Aerospace Power Journal, Fall 1994. Pages 23-31.

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personality, and experience of the leader. •

Engaging Style

The leader endeavours to understand the existing conditions

and how the leader in conjunction and cooperation with his team members can collectively assist in addressing them. He reaches out to his subordinates during difficult times to better understand their concerns and interests by open communication. Engagement as the key to Collaborative Leadership is also emphasized in several original research papers and programs. •

Autocratic or Authoritarian Style

All

decision-making

powers

are

centralized in the leader. Leaders do not entertain any suggestions or initiatives from subordinates. It permits quick decision-making, as only one person decides for the whole group and keeps each decision to him/herself until he/she feels it needs to be shared with the rest of the group. Researches have revealed that most human beings have a ‘dependency syndrome’ and like to associate themselves with an authority figure. It has also been found that more confidently and fully a leader assumes his mantle, the more willingly the subordinates accept the roles assigned to them. •

Participative or Democratic Style

The

democratic

leadership

style

consists of the leader sharing the decision-making abilities with group members by promoting the interests of the group members and by practicing social equality. This type of leader is group minded and listens to the suggestions of the subordinates. Emphasis is on a ‘committee system’ or ‘group decision making’. This style too finds expression in the form of board of directors in the corporate world. The military culture and ethos pins the responsibility of decision making on the leader. Hence, this style of leadership is applied selectively in the armed forces. •

Laissez-faire or Free-rein Style

A person may be in a leadership position

without providing leadership, leaving the group to fend for itself. Subordinates are given a free hand in deciding their own policies and methods. The subordinates are motivated to be creative and innovative. While this style of leadership may

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find applicability in corporate culture, it is deemed unsuitable for a military environment. •

Nurturant

A nurturant leader cares for his subordinates, shows compassion,

takes personal interest in their well being and above all, is committed to their growth. The nurturant style is reflective of our social Hindu Undivided Family system with the leader as the Karta and is quite close to the paternal style of leadership still followed in our Armed Forces.

Leadership Traits 3.4

The ultimate effectiveness of any organization is determined by the effectiveness

of the leader, as the character and skills that they bring determine the way problems are solved and tasks are accomplished. Therefore, it is essential for a leader to display a good sense of character composed of beliefs, values, skills, and traits. Beliefs are what we hold dear to us and are rooted deeply within us. Values are attitudes about the worth of people, concepts, or things. Values are important as they influence a person's behavior to weigh the importance of alternatives. Skills are the knowledge and abilities that a person gains throughout life. Traits are distinguishing qualities or characteristics of a person, while character is the sum total of these traits. The search for the characteristics or traits of leaders has been ongoing for centuries. This idea that leadership is based on individual attributes is known as the "trait theory of leadership". The US Army lists out the following 23 character traits as essential for a leader which includes, bearing, confidence, courage, integrity, decisiveness, justice,

endurance,

tact, initiative, coolness, maturity, improvement, will, assertiveness, candour, sense of humour, competence, commitment, creativity, self-discipline, humility, flexibility and empathy or Compassion. In the context of Indian Armed Forces, an aspiring officer candidate who joins any of the pre-commission training academies is expected to be a gentleman first and is expected to display/ foster the following character qualities :•

Trustworthiness; display harmony in thought, words and deed.

•

Discipline.

•

Honesty.

•

Holistic : the tendency in nature to form wholes that are more than the sum of the parts, by ordered grouping. 61

•

Integrity.

•

Loyalty.

•

Purity : no duplicity, insincerity or hypocrisy in thought, word and deed.

•

Selflessness.

•

Capacity to withstand adversity.

Universal Inner Structure of Good Leaders 3.5

A study of the great leaders would reveal a balanced structure of character and

knowledge. Mere knowledge, without strength of character, makes a person indecisive. Mere character, not supported by knowledge, puts a ceiling on a leader’s potential. On the strength and balance of this structure depends the effectiveness of a leader. The strength and balance of the above structure is the TO BE component of a leader. The quality and level of this balance enables him to intuitively vary his style, from autocratic to democratic74. The Universal Inner Structure of Good Leader is shown at figure 3.1.

Will Power to Persist Courage to Decide

Initiative Selflessness Based on an Ideal Vision

Knowledge of the Job.

Knowledge of Self Ability to Deal with People

Figure 3.1: Universal inner structure of a good leader

74. Strategic Management and Leadership. CMA Smrutiranjan Sahoo Kintu publishers, 2010.

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Peculiarity of Leadership in the Armed Forces 3.6

In the armed forces, leadership qualities are formed in a progressive and

sequential series of carefully planned training, educational, and experiential events. Military leaders, especially officers, are required to shoulder responsibility for the safety and security of the men they command from the day of their commissioning. Most importantly, military leadership is based on a concept of duty, service, and self-sacrifice. Military leadership extends to caring for the families of soldiers, sailors and airmen. When serving in combat conditions where leadership influences the physical well being or survival of both the leader and the led, transactional sources of motivation like pay, rewards, or threat of punishment become insufficient. Soldiers in such circumstances must be led in ways that inspire, rather than require, trust and confidence. When followers have trust and confidence in their leader, they are transformed into willing, rather than merely compliant, agents. Such influence is termed transformational leadership, and it is the dominant style of military leaders. In order to guide a military leader in the exercise of his leadership responsibilities, certain principles have been identified. Although originally articulated as part of US Army Doctrine on Leadership, these principles have a universal appeal and hence universally accepted not only by Armed Forces across the world but by industry and corporate houses as well. These principles are meant to guide the actions of a leader in the context of one’s organization and provide direction throughout one’s career. These principles are also an important tool for self-evaluation. These are as follows :•

Know Yourself and Seek Self-Improvement.

•

Be Technically and Tactically Proficient.

•

Know Your Subordinates and Look Out for their Welfare.

•

Keep Your Subordinates Informed.

•

Set the example.

•

Ensure the task is understood, supervised and accomplished

•

Train your unit as a team.

•

Make sound and timely decisions

•

Develop a sense of responsibility among your subordinates.

•

Employ your team or organization in accordance with its capabilities 63

•

Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.

Leadership in the Indian Armed Forces 3.7

The sacrificial content of the leadership ethos built up over decades has served

the country well. But far more important, the ranks know for certain that there will be no directive commands by electronics or remote control. A common indicator of the type of leadership extant in the Army is the casualty ratio. In all our wars, officer casualties have been high. Officers of the Indian Armed Forces lead from the front and do not manage from the rear75. In the military, the levels of leadership are threefold. It is essential to delve into the realms in which these leadership levels operate in order to comprehend the leadership challenges at each level.

Functional Level 3.7.1

Functional leadership is face-to-face, first-line leadership. It takes place in

those organizations where subordinates are used to seeing their leaders all the time: sections and platoons, and companies. Functional leaders develop their subordinates one-on-one; however, they also influence their organization through their subordinates. For functional leaders there is more certainty and less complexity than for directional and conceptual leaders.

Directional Level 3.7.2

Directional leaders influence several hundred to several thousand people.

They do this indirectly, generally through more levels of subordinates than do functional leaders. The additional levels of subordinates can make it more difficult for them to see results. Directional leader have staffs to help them lead their people and manage their organizations’ resources. They establish policies and the organization climate that supports their subordinate leader. Directional leadership skills differ from functional leadership skills in degree, but not in kind. That is, the skill domains are the same, but

75. Maj Gen V K Singh. Leadership in Indian Armed Forces. Sage Publication Inc. 2005, pages 417.

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directional leaders must deal with more complexity, more people, greater uncertainty, and a greater number of unintended consequences. They find themselves influencing people more through policymaking and systems integration.

Conceptual level 3.7.3 Conceptual leaders include military leaders at the Command and Service Headquarters levels. They are responsible for large organizations and influence several thousand to hundreds of thousands of people. They establish Force structure, allocate resources, communicate strategic vision, and prepare their commands and the Army as a whole for their future roles. Conceptual leaders work in an uncertain environment on highly complex problems that affect and are affected by events and organizations outside the Armed Forces. Although civilian leaders make national policy, the decisions a conceptual leader makes while carrying out that policy may affect whether or not a national objective is achieved. Conceptual leaders apply many of the same leadership skills and actions they mastered as functional and directional leaders; however, conceptual leadership requires others that are more complex and indirectly applied. Conceptual leaders’ decisions affect more people, commit more resources, and have wider-ranging consequences in both space and time than do decisions of functional and directional leaders. It is relevant to emphasise here that while the mode of leadership and level of technical and conceptual skills may change, the basic requirements of character, values and ethics are an unchanging constant. Indian Military leadership has often been value-based and it has been transformed from a sheer autocratic system to a participative one, and more recently, towards a directive-style of leadership, entailing centralization of control and delegation of authority. In all its forms, professionalism, camaraderie, esprit de corps, bravery, courage, discipline and faith have been the common denominators. From these values, the military ethos of integrity, loyalty, duty, respect and honour have emerged.

The basic essence of leadership is well covered in military literatures and documents. A good leadership is a key to success in the face of adversity and it is based on the sound ethos and principles of military values. However, the famous lines of James L. 65

Stokesbury76 summarises leadership in the best befitting manner and truly fits into the context of Indian Armed Forces where the leaders and the led share strong bond based on cohesive regimentation. Leadership remains the most baffling of arts . . . as long as we do not know exactly what makes men get up out of a hole in the ground and go forward in the face of death at a word from another man, then leadership will remain one of the highest and most elusive of qualities. It will remain an art. --James L. Stokesbury

76.

Veritas News Letter. Issue No-007/2005, available online at http://www.rmcclub.ca/eVerita

/2005/200507.htm, accessed on 03 Feb 2015.

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