Military Leadership - Ch4

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As a leader, you are responsible for under-standing and directly transmitting the Armys

values to your soldiers. These values are thefoundation for service to the nation. Since theArmys purpose is to protect the nation and itsvalues, the Armys ethic must be consistent withnational will and values. The oath you tookpledged you to support and defend the Consti-tution of the United States. Taken withoutreservation and regardless of personal sacrifice,this oath is formal and public recognition ofyour commitment to a professional ethic.

This chapter describes what a leader must BEby discussing beliefs, values, and norms;

character; and the professional Army ethic. ltalso discusses ethical responsibilitiesethical decision-making process.

and an

BELIEFS, VALUES,

AND NORMSBeliefs

Beliefs are assumptions or convictions youhold as true about some thing, concept, orperson. They can range from the very deep-

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seated beliefs you hold concerning such thingsas religion and the fundamentals upon whichthis country was established to recent ex-periences which have affected your perceptionof a particular person, concept, or thing. Onesoldier may believe that duty simply means

putting in time from 8 to 5. Another maybelieve that duty is selflessly serving yourcountry, your unit, and the soldiers of your unit.

You have beliefs about human naturewhatmakes people tick. We usually cannot prove ourbeliefs, but we think and feel that they are true.For example, some people believe that a car issimply a means of transportation. Othersbelieve a car is a status symbol. There areleaders who believe that rewards and punish-ment are the only way to motivate soldiers. Incontrast, other leaders believe that rewards andpunishment should be used only in exceptional

cases.The important point to recognize is that

people generally behave in accord with theirbeliefs. The beliefs of a leader impact directly onthe leadership climate, cohesion, discipline,training, and combat effectiveness of a unit.

ValuesValues are attitudes about the worth or

importance of people, concepts, or things.Values influence your behavior because you usethem to decide between alternatives. For

example, you may place value on such things astruth, money, friendships, justice, humanrights, or selflessness.

Your values will influence your priorities.Strong values are what you put first, defendmost, and want least to give up. Individualvalues can and will conflict at times, If you in-correctly reported a patrol checkpoint, do youhave the moral courage to correct the reporteven if you know your leader will never discoveryou sent the incorrect report? In this situation,your values on truth and self-interest willcollide. What you value the most will guide youractions. In this example, the proper course ofaction is obvious. There are times, however,when the right course of action is not so clear.

The four individual values that all soldiers(leaders and led) are expected to possess arecourage, candor, competence, and commitment.These four values are considered essential forbuilding the trust which must exist for a unit tooperate at peak efficiency.

Courage comes in two forms. Physicalcourage is overcoming fears of bodily harm anddoing your duty. Moral courage is overcomingfears of other than bodily harm while doingwhat ought to be done.

Moral courage is as important as physical

courage. It is the courage to stand firm on yourvalues, your moral principles, and your con-victions. You show moral courage when you dosomething based on one of your values or moralprinciples, knowing that the action may not bein your best interest. It takes special courage tosupport unpopular decisions and to make itdifficult for others to do the wrong thing. Othersmay encourage you to embrace a slightlyunethical solution as the easiest or mostconvenient method. Do not ease the way forothers to do wrong; stand up for your beliefs andwhat you know is right. Do not compromise your

professional ethic or your individual values andmoral principles. If you believe you are rightafter sober and considered judgment, hold yourposition.

Candor is being frank, open, honest, andsincere with your soldiers, seniors, and peers. Itis an expression of personal integrity. If handledproperly, disagreeing with others andpresenting your point of view are not wrong.Remember these three important points:(1) select the right time and place to offer yourcriticism or advice; (2) do not criticize a plan

without giving a constructive alternative;(3) recognize that when your leader has made thefinal decision, you must end your discussion andsupport legal and proper orders even if you donot personally agree with them. There is oftenno time in combat to verify reports or to questionthe accuracy of information. Consequences aretoo important, and time is too short tocommunicate anything but the truth. Candor isequally important in peacetime. Demand it fromyour subordinates and expect it from your peersand superiors. Candor expresses personalintegrity.

The beliefs of a leader impactdirectly on the leadership climate,cohesion, discipline, training, andcomabt effectiveness of a unit.

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Competence is proficiency in requiredprofessional knowledge, judgment, and skills.Each leader must have it to train and to developa cohesive, disciplined unit with all the requiredindividual and collective skills to win on thebattlefield. Competence builds confidence inones self and ones unit; both are crucialelements of morale, courage, and, ultimately,success on the battlefield.

Commitment means the dedication to carryout all unit missions and to serve the values ofthe country, the Army, and the unit. This isshown by doing your best to contribute to theArmy, to train and develop your unit, and tohelp your soldiers develop professionally andpersonally.

NormsNorms are the rules or laws normally based

on agreed-upon beliefs and values that membersof a group follow to live in harmony. Norms canfall into one of two categories.

Formal norms are official standards or lawsthat govern behavior. Traffic signals, theUniform Code of Military Justice, and theGeneva Conventions are formal norms thatdirect the behavior of American soldiers. Theydictate what actions are required or forbidden.Uniform regulations, safety codes, and unitSOPs are also formal norms.

Informal norms are unwritten rules orstandards that govern the behavior of groupmembers, In the Korean Combat Patrol account,Lieutenant Chandler stressed the informal

norm that casualties were never left by the restof the patrol. At the root of this norm was ashared value about the importance of caring foreach other. The soldiers found comfort inknowing they would be cared for if they becamecasualties.

Importance ofBeliefs, Values, and Norms

Beliefs, values, and norms guide the actions ofindividuals and groups. They are like a trafficcontrol system; they are signals givingdirection, meaning, and purpose to our lives.

Examples abound of soldiers throughouthistory who sacrificed their lives to save friendsor help their unit accomplish a mission. Thesebrave, selfless actions include blocking ex-ploding grenades, personally taking out enemyfighting positions, and manning key positions

to protect a withdrawal. Beliefs and valuesmotivate this kind of heroic self-sacrifice. Themotivating force may be the soldiers belief inthe importance of retaining his personal honor,of saving a buddy, of helping the unit, of servinga cause, or a combination of these.

Your soldiers will fight for you if they believethat the best chance for survival for themselvesand their buddies is to do their job as part of a

team. They will be more effective if they believein themselves, in the unit, in you, and in thecause they are fighting for.

Individual values, beliefs, and attitudes areshaped by past experiences involving suchthings as family, school, work, and socialrelationships. Leaders must understand theimportance of nurturing and shaping beliefsand values in their subordinates because theyare fundamental motivating factors.

Influencing

Beliefs, Values, and NormsAs a leader, you have the power to influence

the beliefs and values of your soldiers by settingthe example; by recognizing behavior thatsupports professional beliefs, values, andnorms; and by planning, executing, andassessing tough, realistic individual andcollective training.

Tough training does not mean training inwhich leaders haze or yell at troops in an effortto cause artificial stress, This merely creates anantagonistic atmosphere of us against them.

This kind of leadership does not succeed incombat, so why practice bad habits. Toughtraining occurs when leaders and soldiersmutualIy experience realistic, exhaustingconditions that prepare both, as a team, for thestress of combat,

Captain Herren, B Company commander,was concerned about the operation in the IaDrang Valley because his men had gone withoutsleep the night before while performing anothermission. He could only trust that the traininghis unit had received would enable them to over-come the lack of rest and that their fatigue

would have little effect on their fighting ability.Training that simulates such conditions istough.

During a field exercise, you could plan for anall night road march, a few hours rest, then asimulated battle that is demanding on leaders

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and soldiers. This kind of training buildscohesionpositive respect and trust amongsoldiers and between leaders and soldiers. Itbuilds a feeling of shared hardships andteamwork. It contributes to the respect andcomradeship that help you influence beliefs andvalues of soldiers.

Tough training conducted to standards willteach your soldiers to do things as individualsand as a team that they did not believe possible.It will give your soldiers confidence in them-selves, in each other, and in you. If properlyexplained, it will help each soldier understandthe linkage and the importance of his ability toperform individual tasks properly in support ofthe units collective mission.

As a leader, you must respect your soldiersand must earn their respect if you are to in-fluence their beliefs and values. Subordinateswill always respect your rank, but they will basetheir genuine respect on your demonstratedcharacter, knowledge, and professional skills.

Once your soldiers respect you and want yourapproval, you can guide them to demonstrateunselfish concern for the unit and for othersoldiers. They will become concerned withexcellence in everything that relates to combatreadiness if this is the value you demonstrate. Ifyour soldiers respect and admire you, they wantto be like you, and they naturally tend to adoptyour professional beliefs and values as theirown. You can reinforce this behavior withpositive feedback and by praising them forthings they do that support duty, cohesiveness,discipline, good training, and good mainte-nance. Praise, however, can be cheapened,either by overuse or when it is not sincere.

CHARACTERCharacter describes a persons inner strength

and is the link between values and behaviors. Asoldier of character does what he believes right,

regardless of the danger or circumstances. Asoldiers behavior shows his character. In toughsituations, leadership takes self-discipline,determination, initiative, compassion, andcourage.

There is no simple formula for success in allthe situations you may face. The key is toremain flexible and attempt to gather as manyfacts as the circumstances will allow before you

must make a decision. When dealing withothers, every situation has two sides; listen toboth. The way you handle problems depends onthe interaction of the factors of leadership (theled, the leader, the situation, andcommunications).

Character can be strong or weak. A personwith strong character recognizes what he wantsand has the drive, energy, self-discipline,willpower, and courage to get it. A person withweak character does not know what is neededand lacks purpose, willpower, self-discipline,and courage.

A person who can admit when he is wrong isexhibiting strong character. Some believe thatapologizing is a sign of weakness and causes aleader to lose power. Quite the contrary,admitting when you have made a mistake takes

humility and moral courage. We are all humanand make mistakes. Although placing blame onsomeone or something else when a mistake ismade may be tempting, it indicates weakcharacter, which your soldiers will readilyrecognize.

We need leaders of strong and honorablecharacter who support the values of loyalty tothe nation, the Army, and the unit; duty; selflessservice; and integrity. In this manual a soldierof character means a person with strong andhonorable character.

Importance of CharacterYour soldiers assess your character as they

watch your day-to-day actions. They know ifyou are open and honest with them. They seewhether you are indecisive, lazy, or selfish.They will quickly determine whether you knowand enforce the Army standards. Your soldiersperceptions of your actions combine to form acontinuing assessment of your character.

Soldiers want to be led by leaders who providestrength, inspiration, and guidance and willhelp them become winners. Whether or not they

are willing to trust their lives to a leader dependson their assessment of that leaders courage,competence, and commitment.

Future wars will be won by leaders withstrong and honorable character. When mentallypreparing for the stress of combat, it is good toknow that ordinary people in past wars haveshown that kind of character. An inspiringexample of such a soldier follows.

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If we go to war again, many of our soldiers andunits may find themselves in situations similarto Yorks. How will they behave? Will they riseto the occasion as York did? Will they have thenecessary character and skills? The answers tothese questions will depend on whether leadershave developed in their soldiers the requiredbeliefs, values, character, knowledge, and skills.

Todays soldiers have as much potential as

Sergeant York did. They too can servecourageously under stressful circumstances ifthey are trained and led properly. Base yourtraining program on building the motivation,confidence, and competence your subordinateswill need on the battlefield.

Character BuildingBuilding character demands the honesty to

determine your own character weaknesses.Have you demonstrated the self-discipline andwill on which strong and honorable character isbased? How have you handled the toughsituations? Sometimes you are the best judge ofyour strengths and weaknesses. Other timesyou may have blind spots that keep you fromseeing your own weaknesses.

You must be open to feedback and advice.However, you must take the responsibility forcontinually building and strengthening yourcharacter. Others can help, but they cannot do itfor you. To build strong and honorablecharacter, you should

Assess the present strength of your valuesand character.

Determine what values you want to promote.Seek out missions and situations that supportdeveloping such character.Select a role model who demonstrates thevalues and character you are trying to develop.

You build strong and honorable character byhard work, study, and challenging experiences.You must develop habits that force you tocontinually develop your mind and character.The better you understand yourself, the easier itis to exercise your will and self-discipline, andthe more you strengthen your character.

The character you want to instill in yoursoldiers, and should attempt to exhibit in thedaily example you set, should be consistent withthe values of courage, candor, competence, andcommitment. For this reason, leading andtraining soldiers well must begin with their

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induction into the service. When they begintheir Army training, individuals are preparedfor change, and since most want to do well, theyare willing to adopt the stressed Army values.All leaders need a good program for integratingnew soldiers into their unit. As a leader, youmust teach and demonstrate the right valuesand norms of working, training, and living.

Changing Characterof Problem Soldiers

How much can you change the character of aproblem soldier? What if a soldier comes froman environment where the parents themselvesset a bad example or the soldier received littleeducation? What about a soldier from aneighborhood where accepted conduct is lyingand stealing. These norms became instilled asvalues while he was growing up. Lying toauthority, getting over, shamming, andtaking advantage of the system are normalbehavior to this soldier. He is undependable andirresponsible; he lacks self-discipline. Can thissoldier change? What is your responsibility tothis soldier?

You must understand human nature. There isgood and bad in everyone. A leader must bringout the good in each soldier. You may be able toeliminate counterproductive beliefs, values, andbehaviors and help a soldier develop characterif he wants to change. Many soldiers want toimprove, but they need discipline, organization,a good role model, and a positive set of beliefs,values, and habits to pattern themselves after.

You, as a leader, must both demonstrate byexample and assist in establishing theconditions for that individual which willencourage the change.

You will not be able to influence the beliefs,values, and character of all your soldiers, butyou can influence most soldiers. Your job is tomake good soldiers out of all the people in yourunit, even the problem soldiers.

Gaining the respect of soldiers is important. Arespected leader influences soldiers by teaching,coaching, counseling, training, disciplining,and setting a good example. If a soldier does notadopt soldierly values and behavior after youand the rest of the chain of command have doneyour best, eliminate him from the Army so thathe cannot disrupt discipline and cohesion inyour unit. Respected and successful leaderscreate a leadership climate that causes most


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soldiers to develop the right professional valuesand character. Leaders can often changesoldiers motivation from self-interest to selflessservice to their unit and nation.

You have another major responsibility indeveloping character. You must give yoursoldiers confidence that they can develop theircharacter. Convince your soldiers that you areon their side, helping them. Their belief that yousincerely care about them and want them todevelop the correct values and behavior(because that is right for them) helps give themconfidence to become able soldiers with strongand honorable character.

THE PROFESSIONALARMY ETHIC

The doctrinal statement of the professionalArmy ethic is in FM 100-1. The ethic sets the

moral context for service to the nation andinspires the sense of purpose necessary topreserve the nation, even by using military force.From the ideals of the Constitution to the harshrealities of the battlefield, the four elements ofthe professional Army ethic contain the valuesthat guide the way you must lead.

Loyalty to the Nation,the Army, and the Unit

The oath every soldier takes requires loyaltyto the nation and involves an obligation tosupport and defend the Constitution. Loyalty to

the Army means supporting the military andcivilian chain of command. Loyalty to unitexpresses both the obligation between thosewho lead and the led and the sharedcommitment among soldiers for one another.

American military professionals do not fightto force our political system on others or to gainpower or wealth. Professional soldiers areprotectors of the ideals of America, willing tofight for these ideals so that others can live in afree and just society. To do this, they must beexperts at leading soldiers in battle. The militaryleader who deeply values loyalty to the nation

sees himself as a person who will always do hisbest to defend American ideals.

Your unit is your piece of the Armys action,your day-to-day part of the Army. By con-tributing to your units mission and combatreadiness, you contribute to the defense of thenation. The unit is your family, your team.Loyalty to the unit means that you place theunits needs and goals ahead of your own.

Lieutenant Herrick demonstrated his totaldedication and loyalty to his nation, Army, andunit as he continued to direct his perimeterdefense in the Ia Drang Valley until he died ofhis wounds. Similarly, Staff Sergeant Savage,in this same engagement, continued to place his

soldiers needs ahead of his personal safety ashe called in supporting fires and directed theperimeter defense until friendly relief was ableto link up.

DutyA duty is a legal or moral obligation to do

what should be done without being told to do it.Duty means accomplishing all assigned tasksto the fullest of your ability.

Duty requires willingness to accept fullresponsibility for your actions and for yoursoldiers performance. It also requires a leaderto take the initiative and anticipaterequirements based on the situation. CaptainFincher superbly demonstrated these qualitieswhen he alerted his platoons in anticipation of anew mission and provided timely guidance onactions to be taken. As a professional, yourresponsibility is to do your duty to the best ofyour ability.

If you lie or tell a half-truth to make your unitlook good, you may think you are doing yourduty and being loyal to your leader and unit. Infact, you are being dishonorable and unethical,

neglecting your duty to the Army and the nation.A leader cannot truly do his duty without beinghonorable.

Selfless ServiceYou may have to put the nations welfare and

mission accomplishment ahead of the personalsafety of you and your troops. You must resistthe temptation to put self-gain, personaladvantage, and self-interests ahead of what is

F O U R E L E M E N T S O FTHE PROFESSIONAL ARMY ETHICS

L o y a l t y . D u t y . Selfless service. I n t e g r i t y .

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best for the nation, the Army, or your unit.Selfless service is necessary to developteamwork, and military service demands thewillingness to sacrifice.

As a leader, you must be the greatest servantin your unit. Your rank and position are notpersonal rewards, You earn them so that youcan serve your subordinates, your unit, and your

nation.Lieutenant Chandler and the men selected forthe combat patrol in Korea recognized theinherent dangers in the mission they were aboutto undertake. His soldiers were ready to be ledinto combat by him because he had earned theirconfidence in earlier actions. He prepared adetailed plan, ensured the tasks were understood,and personally supervised preparation.Throughout the conduct of the patrol, he put themission and welfare of his soldiers ahead of hispersonal safety.

IntegrityIntegrity is woven through the fabric of the

professional Army ethic. It means being honestand upright, avoiding deception, and living thevalues you suggest for your subordinates.Integrity demands that you act according to theother values of the Army ethic. You must beabsolutely sincere, honest, and candid andavoid deceptive behavior. Integrity is the basisfor the trust and confidence that must existamong members of the Army. Further, you mustdemonstrate integrity in your personal life. Ifyou compromise your personal integrity, you

break the bonds of trust between you, yoursoldiers, and your leaders.

ETHICALRESPONSIBILITIES

Ethics are principles or standards that guideprofessionals to do the moral or right thingwhat ought to be done.

As a leader, you have three general ethicalresponsibilities. First, you must be a good rolemodel. Second, you must develop yoursubordinates ethically. Finally, you must lead

in such a way that you avoid putting yoursubordinates into ethical dilemmas.

Be A Role ModelWhether you like it or not, you are on display

at all times. Your actions say much more thanyour words, Subordinates will watch you

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carefully and imitate your behavior. You mustaccept the obligation to be a worthy role modeland you cannot ignore the effect your behaviorhas on others, You must be willing to do whatyou require of your soldiers and share thedangers and hardships.

Colonel Chamberlain was a respected rolemodel who inspired his soldiers. His selflessness,

kindness, compassion, and respect for otherswere evident in the way he led.

Develop Your SubordinatesEthically

You must shape the values and beliefs of yoursoldiers to support the values of the nation, theArmy, and the unit. You develop yoursubordinates by personal contact and byteaching them how to reason clearly aboutethical matters, You need to be honest withthem and talk through possible solutions todifficult problems. When you make a decision

that has an ethical component, share yourthought process with your subordinates whentime permits, They will respect you for caringenough to discuss your personal thoughts withthem, and they will learn from you. Beingsensitive to the ethical elements of soldiering isa big part of developing your soldiers.

Your goal is to develop a shared ethicalperspective so that your soldiers will actproperly in the confusion and uncertainty ofcombat. Unless they have learned how to thinkclearly through ethical situations, they may nothave the moral strength to do what is right.

Avoid Creating Ethical Dilemmasfor Your Subordinates

Since your soldiers will want to please you, donot ask them to do things that will cause them tobehave unethically to please you. Here are someexamples that can get you in trouble:

I dont care how you get it donejust do it!There is no excuse for failure!Can do!Zero Defects.Covering up errors to look good.

Telling superiors what they want to hear.Making reports say what your leader wants tosee,Setting goals that are impossible to reach(missions without resources),Loyalty upnot down.


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These examples may seem as though they

would never be a problem for you. Do not

assume this is true for others. Learn to giveorders and lead without creating these kinds of

dilemmas for your soldiers.

AN ETHICAL DECISION-MAKINGPROCESS

Regardless of the source of pressure to actunethically, you usually know in your heart theright thing to do. The real question is whether

you have the character to live by soundprofessional values when under pressure. If youhave the right beliefs and values, the thing to doin most situations will be clear and you will do it.Sometimes you will find yourself in complexsituations where the right ethical choice isunclear. True ethical dilemmas exist when two

or more deeply held values collide. In suchsituations, using a decision-making process canhelp you identify the course of action that will

result in the greatest moral good.

Following are the steps of an ethical decision-

making process to help you think throughethical dilemmas:

Step 1. Interpret the situation. What is theethical dilemma?

Step 2. Analyze all the factors and forces that

relate to the dilemma.

Step 3. Choose the course of action you believewill best serve the nation.

Step 4. Implement the course of action you havechosen.


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The ethical decision-making process starts

when you confront a problem and continues

until you develop and implement a solution. The

process helps you analyze the problem, identify

influencing forces, develop possible courses of

action, assess them, and decide on a course of

action.

Forces that InfluenceDecision Making

A var ie ty of fo rces in f luence the e th ica l

decision-making process. The factors and forces

y o u s h o u l d c o n s i d e r w i l l d e p e n d o n t h e

dilemma. Here are some probable ones:

L a w s , o r d e r s , a n d r e g u l a t i o n s f o r m a ls t a n d a r d s c o n t a i n e d i n l a w s , p o l i c i e s ,regulations, and legal and proper orders that

guide behavior and decision making.

Basic national valuesvalues established indocuments , such as the Cons t i tu t ion and

D e c l a r a t i o n o f I n d e p e n d e n c e , a n d i ntradit ions that provide the foundation for

required behavior of all Americans.

Traditional Army valuesvalues the Armyestablishes as standards of required behaviorfor all soldiers, They are loyalty to the nation,

the Army, and the unit; duty; selfless service;

integrity; courage; competence; candor; andcommitment.

U n i t o p e r a t i n g v a l u e s v a l u e s a c t u a l l yfunctioning in your unit that produce the

s t anda rds gove rn ing day - to -day behav io r .Unit operating values are often the same astradit ional Army values, There are t imes,

however, w h e n t h e y a r e n o t . C o n s i d e r

s i t u a t i o n s i n v o l v i n g c a r e e r i s m , a l t e r e d

t r a i n i n g a n d m a i n t e n a n c e r e c o r d s ,

equipment borrowed from another unit for aninspection, or eyewash instead of truth.

Your va luesyour ideas and be l ie f s tha t

influence your behavior.Insti tutional pressureselements of Armypol ic ies , p rocedures , and opera t ions , and

other aspects which influence your behavior.

T h e s e s i x f o r c e s m a y n o t b e t h e o n l y

Important forces that you should identify and

consider. Since ethics is a part of leadership,

your dec i s ion-making process shouLd aLso

consider the four factors of leadership (the led,

the leader, the situation, and communications).

The ethical decision-making process can helpyou th ink th rough an e th ica l d i lemma and

arrive at a course of action. Once you have

analyzed all the factors and forces involved,

look at the values in conflict and determine the

course of action that seems best for the nation.

Complex Ethical Dilemmas

It may seem that the ethical decision-making

process is too mechanical. You may think you do

not need it if you have strong will and moralcourage. Normally, the right alternative is

clear. The ethical decision-making process is for

the complex dilemmas that haunt leaders when

no clear best choice is evident. Here is an

example of one leaders ethical dilemma in

combat.

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This situation was a true ethical dilemma forthis leader. He felt bound to be loyal to both hisleaders and his followers. There is no rightanswer or school solution to this situation.Different leaders would come to differentconclusions after analyzing all the factors andforces that relate to the situation, The importantpoint is that using the ethical decision-makingprocess can help you identify all the options and

then eliminate ones that will not serve thenation well. If you ever find yourself in anethical dilemma, think through the ethicaldecision-making process and the concept of thehighest moral good.

Tough leadership decisions do not alwayshave happy endings. Some may praise yourdecision while others find fault with your logic.You may not always be rewarded for integrityand candor. The point is that you have to livewith yourself. Before you can gain the respect ofothers, you must respect yourself. You gainhonor and keep it by doing your duty in anethical way, having the character to act by theprofessional Army ethic.

SUMMARYYour ability to lead flows from your individual

beliefs, values, and character. Your ability toinspire soldiers to do the brave and right thingthings they may not think they are capable of

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performingis influenced by the example youset.

Beliefs, values, and norms have greatmotivating power. Respected leaders of strongand honorable character are able to influencethe beliefs, values, and norms of their soldiers.As a professional, you are sworn to use yourpower for the good of the country, the Army, andthose you lead.

The professional Army ethic contains thevalues that guide the way leaders should carryout their professional responsibilities. Theelements of the professional Army ethic areloyalty to the nation, the Army, and the unit;duty; selfless service; and integrity.

As a leader, you have ethical responsibilities.You must be a worthy role model, developsubordinates ethically, and avoid creatingethical dilemmas for subordinates.

When faced with a situation where the rightethical choice is unclear, consider all the forcesand factors that relate to the situation and thenselect a course of action that best serves theideals of the nation. The ethical decision-making process is a way to resolve thosedilemmas.

Fundamental to what leaders must BE are themoral strength and courage necessary to makehard decisions and to give soldiers the will tofight and the ability to win.

Military Leadership - Ch4

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