Dinner with Al Qaeda without precondition

[Schmedlap]

How do you train junior leaders to lead in an environment where they do not have direct authority/responsibility?

SF and FAO's train their leaders to negoitiate, coerce, exploit, etc in order to successfully navigate their way through mission sets. Many of us pick it up intuitively, but I think it must be instituted for greater success.
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We have to learn how to teach our junior leaders a different form of leadership that is more collaborative and "people skills" focused.

The best education that I received in this area, outside of OJT in Iraq, were four courses that I recently took: Business & Public Policy, Business Ethics, Contract Law, and Property Law.

In Business & Public Policy, we did nothing but stakeholder analysis and we discussed everything in terms of INTERESTS and sought solutions that we knew would be imperfect, but would meet some interests and minimize other conflicts. It was not neat and tidy. It was perfect.

In Business Ethics, we had to think through issues from the most basic of human values, rights, and interests, starting from right to life, and then working up the hierarchy of needs, identifying those moral gray areas (as seen by us and the other stakeholders), and seeking a less undesirable outcome. Like the other course, it was perfect because it was imperfect.

Contract Law and Property Law simply force you to think about the most basic of human concepts of "mine" and agreements, promises, and obligations. An American will view those things significantly differently than an Iraqi or even a European. Starting from the basics and reevaluating has been enormously valuable.

GEN Petraeus encouraged the officer corps to broaden its education at civilian institutions. I have serious doubts about pursuing a career in business or law (I'm working on an MBA and JD); but the thought of just using these years as education for a return to the Army seems very worthwhile. With every passing day that I live amongst civilians and grow more and more disillusioned and disgusted with them, the prospect of returning to the Army soon after graduation seems more likely.

On a slightly related note - I am financing my own education. Had I used the Army's retention incentives, I would not have had nearly as much flexibility as I enjoy now to tailor my education as I see fit. It is also worth noting that I will likely return to the Army after my education, even though the Army is not paying for one dime of it. Perhaps it is time to reevaluate whether that incentive is even necessary and, if it is necessary, whether the means by which it is applied make any sense. I regarded it as too restrictive and too burdensome to be acceptable and opted to leave the Army and spend my own money instead.

[JHR]

In the 1970's the British listed Stephen Potter's Gamesmanship as one of the PME books for COIN or whatever we called it that day. Probably still applies but don't read it in public, people will stare when you start laughing.

JHR