A Leader in the Military: Challenge Assumptions and Perceptions - Essay Example

The war in Iraq has called for all leadership to be adaptive because there was no manual to describe what they needed to do in situations like Iraq. As an example, the Army had no information about a "counterinsurgency campaign" and there was nothing by which to measure it. This meant that the leadership had to adapt quickly to creating something that would be done and how it would be measured. The war in Iraq has called for all leadership to be adaptive because there was no manual to describe what they needed to do in situations like Iraq.

As an example, the Army had no information about a "counterinsurgency campaign" and there was nothing by which to measure it. This meant that the leadership had to adapt quickly to creating something that would be done and how it would be measured. In order to be adaptive, a leader must also be able to challenge assumptions and perceptions. They must look past the obvious to see the greater picture within their environment, especially when they are in combat. They must be able to perceive what is going on and then be able to see which elements are critical to the change; this is not always easy for a military officer to do (Whiffen 3).

The officer must also be able to balance "force and restraint" (Wiffen 5) as he or she goes about the operations.  This aspect calls on the officer to know his strengths and weaknesses and then the strengths and weaknesses of his company. In order to learn how to adapt officers must put themselves in situations that are uncomfortable and unfamiliar so they can "adapt by adapting".