12-14) Do you think leaders in military contexts exhibit

the same qualities as organizational leaders? Why or why

not?
Leaders in the military and leaders within business oriented organizations
exhibit the same traits and qualities because leaders regardless of the
situation or context share the same traits. Trait theories of leadership
considers personal qualities and characteristics that differentiate leaders
from nonleaders (Robbins 333). The trait theories of leadership basically
indicate that all leaders share the same traits or characteristics. These traits
apply to leaders in the military and private sector. Leaders typically have
traits such has self-control, decisiveness, and responsibility. Leaders who
like being around people and are able to assert themselves (extraverted),
who are disciplined and able to keep commitments they make
(conscientious), and who are creative and flexible (open) do have an
apparent advantage when it comes to leadership, suggesting good leaders
do have key traits in common (Robbins 334). Both military and
organizational leaders use these traits in everyday life.
The trait of decisiveness or assertiveness is a very important trait in both
the military and business. The ability to make informed decisions based on
available information and experience is vital in both military and business
applications. Decisions concerning logistics, planning, and operations are
important both in the military and private sector. The ability for leaders to
make decisions is essential for any objective or goal to be met.
12-15) In what ways not mentioned in the case would
military leadership lessons not apply in the private sector?
What might military leaders have to relearn to work in
business?
All leadership lessons that apply to military leaders also apply to business
leaders. The degree to which a person or persons if affected is the only

difference between leadership in the military and leadership in the private

sector. It is very unusual for a leader in a business to make a decision that
will have a life or death outcome. While this life and death scenario is
common with leaders in the military. The decision itself, for example, do we
continue what we are doing to meet the objective, is commonplace in both
military and business applications. But the potential outcome is very
different. If a leader in the business world makes a bad decision, the worst
case scenario is, people may get laid off. While if a leader in the military
makes a bad decision, the worst case scenario is someone could die. Both
decisions were made by effective leaders, but the outcomes are very
different. Lessons learned by military leaders apply to the private sector,
just the outcome differs drastically. Leaders in the military can use their
experience and lesson learned to be leaders in the private sector, but there
are some areas which must be relearned for military leaders to become
effective leaders in the business world.
The major difference between employees in the military and employees in
the private sector is the fact that military employees are volunteers and
dont have the same labor rights as private sector employees. Members of
the military volunteer to join and accept all of the risk and hardship
associated with being in the military. Leaders who leave the military to join
the private sector need to know that private sector employees have no
obligation to stay with the company and have the ability to quit or resign at
any time. This differs from military members who sign contracts and have
little to no right to leave the military before the commitment is up.
Successful leadership depends on selecting the right leadership style
contingent on the followers readiness, the extent to which they are willing
and able to accomplish a specific task (Robbins 339). An aggressive
leadership style may work in the military because of the members
obligation, but it usually doesnt work in a business setting. Another aspect
for military leaders to consider is labor rights of private sector employees.

Private sector employees have labor rights, such as, 40 hour work weeks,
union protection, and other guaranteed benefits. Leaders who have a
military background need to learn labor laws that affect their private sector
employment. In the military leaders can order members to stay late or
come in early to complete a task, with no fiscal repercussions or
compensation. This is not the case in the private sector, where if a
supervisor mandates an employee stays late they are required to
compensate that employee for their time. Knowing labor law and how it
differs from the military is vital for effective leadership in the private sector.
12-16) Are specific types of work or situations more likely
to benefit from the presence of battle-tested leaders?
List a few examples.
There is no doubt that battle-tested leaders benefit the organization they
work for. This is most evident in public service organizations, such as,
police, fire, and emergency medical departments. Battle-tested leaders
have experience in dealing with high stress, low frequency events, in which
outcomes are based on life and death. Leaders who are battle-tested can
also be categorized as transformational leaders because they can have a
dramatic effect on their followers, and are able to provide experience in
times of adversity. Transformational leaders inspire followers to transcend
their own self-interests and who are capable of having a profound and
extraordinary effect on followers (Robbins 345). Emergency management
organizations benefit from the presence of transformational leaders who
have battle-tested experiences.
During an emergency situation the ability to stay calm, cool, and collective
under tremendous stress is vital for any leader. That is why battle-tested
leaders are beneficial to emergency management organizations such as
police, fire, and emergency medical services. In the realm of police work,
the ability for a leader to have experience in active shooter incidents will be
very valuable and hopefully that experience will deescalate the situation.

Battle-tested leaders who work in the fire service have the ability to focus
on the task at hand, while also staying aware of potential safety issues and
changing conditions. During a CPR battle-tested leaders are able to
coordinate efforts and will utilize every available resource in order to
successfully resuscitate the individual in need. Battle-tested leader bring
many benefits and have the ability to ensure that their employees are
effective in their jobs.

CH 12- LEADERSHIP METTLE FORGED

IN BATTLE
April 2, 2015 by ryanpregent

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Date: 4/2/15
To: Wendy Tisland, Instructor
Fr: Ryan Pregent
Re: Assignment #12- Ch 12
CH 12 Case Incident#1: Leadership Mettle Forged in Battle
12-14. Do you think leaders in military contexts exhibit the same qualities as organizational
leaders? Why or Why not?
This is a interesting question to answer, in my opinion I believe that each all leaders are unique. In
the military realm of leadership, I believe that these types of leaders do exhibit some qualities that
can be found in the corporate world. Effective command presence over groups of individuals as
well as the ability to inspire and motivate groups of people to accomplish a goal is imperative for
all leaders. I do however believe that some military leaders do not have all the characteristics of
the corporate style leadership. I say this because some leaders within the military are promoted
through acts of valor or distinguished merit. Some of these leaders are promoted without the
proper guidance and are simply placed into the position of leadership due to higher-ranking officers
becoming killed or no longer able to participate in combat, forcing some people into leadership
roles. I feel that military leaders gain much experience as a leader more in the aspect of OTJ or
On The Job style, gaining leadership qualities through trial and error.
12-15. In what ways not mentioned in the case would military leadership lessons not apply in the
private sector? What might military leaders have to relearn to work in business?
Well for starters, there is a vast difference in leadership in the military world compared to the
corporate world. An obvious answer would have to include dealing with life or death situations,
killing human beings or being placed into harms way. Some things that military leadership does not
do so well in comparison the corporate world would have to do with the settings. Transitioning from

combat to corporate, there needs to be an understanding that this is not war and that you cannot
always discipline people the same way as if in the military. You(as the leader) need to understand
that these people working underneath you might not have the exact same experiences as you or
might not have any military experiences at all. Harsh language is another aspect that certainly
does not apply within the corporate world. Although cussing and using profanity may seem
acceptable or even tolerable in the military setting, this is not a widely acceptable practice in the
corporate world. When a leader is in the office setting, it is imperative that these individuals
remember that and be conscientious of their word choice. A great leader will be able to recognize
this issue and still be able to reformat their leadership style in order to accommodate the group
and effectively get their points across.
12-16. Are specific types of work or situations more likely to benefit from the presence of battletested leaders? List a few examples.
I would certainly agree that some situations that would fit under the battle-tested benefit the
corporate real of leadership. Take for instance, time management and the ability to handle stress
and accomplish goals in a given time. Out in the field, military leaders are expected to carry out
missions with time sensitive agendas as well as be able to handle any uncertaintys that may arise.
The ability to juggle and manage enormous amounts of stress can be very beneficial when you
take a leader off the battlefield and place them behind a desk.
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