This document provides a lecture on military leadership and philosophy delivered by Barnabas C. Onyesom at the Armed-Field Academy of Nigeria in August 2017. The lecture discusses how military leadership has historically been hierarchical and authoritarian but that modern warfare requires expanded leadership skills. These include developing an egalitarian leadership style, being transformational rather than transactional, being culturally savvy, adapting quickly to new technology, understanding new rules of engagement, and working well with other agencies. The lecture then outlines six steps for effective military leadership in the modern era.

1. LECTURE ON: MILITARY LEADERSHIP AND PHILOSOPHY
DELIVERED BY : BARNABAS C. ONYESOM ( GOC) ARMED-FIELD ACADEMY OF NIGERIA
IMO STATE SOLDIERS OF CHRIST (SOC) AUGUST 2017 20TH
-26TH
NATIONAL CAMP TRAINING.
Introduction,
The science and the art of leadership are very important to the military. The military
systematically develops both enlisted soldiers and officers to lead in progressively more
responsible positions. Senior echelon leaders are in charge of thousands of soldiers, manage
large budgets, and make decisions that in times of war have dramatic impact on both the
soldiers who serve under their command and for the strategic goals of the nation.
Military leadership has historically been very hierarchical in nature and, relative to other
domains (industry, education, and so forth), relatively authoritarian. Traditionally, a centralized
authority operating in an extremely hierarchical organization tended to ensure relatively fast
and accurate transmission of orders and other communications. Moreover, the job of the
military has traditionally been to exert military force – in the form of various weapons – on a
target and to destroy that target. I am simplifying this to some extent, but in such a setting a
leader needed to know how to exert power over others and maintain focus on a fairly well
defined goal of defeating an enemy target. Traits of the “good” 20thcentury (and before)
military leader thus included technical competence, decisiveness, and strong goal-directed
behavior.
Rapid advances in information and communication technologies coupled with a change in the
nature of warfare may have expanded the skills that are prerequisite for effective military
leadership. Although military organizations maintain their traditional, hierarchical structure,

2. this structure is no longer necessary to expedite clear and fast communication within and
between units. With the click of a mouse, the most senior leader can communicate with
everyone under his or her command.
More importantly, the wars thus far in the 21st century differ from those of the past. Armed
conflict traditionally occurred between nations. There were well defined military and industrial
objectives. Famed Army general George Patton knew exactly what his mission was in World
War II, and knew the actions needed to accomplish that mission. Contemporary wars are
substantively different. The threat posed by ISIS is a case in point. It does not represent a
nation state, has a diffuse and distributed power structure, is ideologically driven, and can only
be successful through so-called “asymmetric” tactics (a fancy word for inflicting military and
political damage to the United States and its other stated enemies, without facing them in
direct military action, something that would quickly lead to their defeat). In such a climate,
leaders must come to understand not only their enemy, but also the social “geography” of
where they are fighting, how to negotiate effectively with local leaders, how to use social media
to win local support for their actions, and a myriad of other skills and capabilities
STEPS IN MILITARY LEADERSHIP
1. Develop an egalitarian instead of an authoritarian leadership style and philosophy. A
highly trained military requires smart and well educated soldiers. Simply ordering people
to do things “because I said so” may work in the short run, but in the long run this
approach will fail. This is also true because military leaders from sergeants to generals
will interact with civilians, non-government agencies, and a host of other formal and
informal groups to achieve their objectives. Egalitarian leaders genuinely see all people
as important and equal in terms of getting the job done, issue clear guidance to others,
and demonstrate high social intelligence. The “bull in the china shop” approach of an
authoritarian leader was never especially effective, and is all the less so in today’s
military.

3. 2. The modern military leader must be transformational, not transactional, in his or her
leadership philosophy. This is somewhat related to the first trait. The transformational
leader empowers subordinates to achieve the organization’s goals. They see developing
and growing others as more important than micromanaging schedules, doling out
rewards and punishments, and enforcing standards.
3. Military leaders must be culturally savvy. To win hearts and minds, and to prevent wars
instead of fighting them, they must become skillful at understanding the culture in which
they are deployed, and adept at working with people from diverse backgrounds, religions,
and cultural practices.
4. They must quickly adapt to new technology. Information technology evolves ever more
rapidly. Knowing how to harness the power of social media, for instance, enables
communication within and outside of the leader’s own organization. It can be used to
reach out to the local population in which he or she is deployed. He or she must fully
understand the technology of their command and controls systems, and of weapons
systems they may need to employ if military force is required.
5. The rules of engagement have changed. Successful military operations minimize killing or
being killed. Knowing how to leverage their military power to achieve objectives without
injuring or killing others is crucial to long term, strategic success. Images of dead civilians
from the Gaza Strip in Israel’s recent war illustrate the power such images have in
dictating success or failure.
6. Finally, the successful military leader must be adroit at working with other government
and non-government agencies to accomplish their mission. The military to this day has a
unique culture and even its own language (in the form of acronyms and buzzwords).
Fostering an environment of true cooperation, basically playing well with others, is
essential if we want to use our military to help avoid wars, and not just fight them.
It is hard to imagine Patton effectively leading a coalition force tasked with defeating an enemy
like ISIS. He might defeat ISIS militarily, but he would lose the larger war of political and

4. cultural ideals. I suspect that some or maybe even all of these recommendations translate well
to the corporate world and to other institutions and organizations. The authoritarian, culturally
myopic CEO of days gone by is probably just that – gone. The military, given its importance to
the nation, must be a forerunner in developing better ways of leading others.
Note: The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not reflect the position of the
United States Military Academy, the Department of the Army, or the Department of Defense
MILITARY LEADERSHIP 2 “Leadership is the duty of all” AAN 2017
WHAT IS MILITARY LEADERSHIP?
When new recruits enter the Army, they learn the acronym LDRSHIP. This acronym
represents the seven Army values that form the core of a philosophy that applies to
every aspect of military life. As a soldier moves up in rank and responsibility, these
values are reinforced in every class, lecture and field exercise, and the soldier grows
beyond just applying them to his own life and learns to apply them as a leader. Army
leaders are taught a simple guiding principle that should be part of every leadership
decision and action they take: It's all about taking care of soldiers.
Let's look at the LDRSHIP values.
LOYALTY
Military loyalty is to your unit, your superiors, your country and the Constitution. In
EMS your loyalty should be to your partner, your fellow crews, your supervisor and your
service. But what constitutes loyalty? Loyalty is not blind subservience, and it doesn't
mean you can't think on your own. It means you take some ownership of the people and
things around you and that you work to support them in their efforts. When they are
right, you get behind them and defend them, and when they are wrong, you still get
behind them and work to make things better.

5. Loyalty has to be built. Do you know the names of your partner's children and
spouse? Are you someone your partner can talk to if they're stressed out about a rough
call or problem in their personal life? Do you stand up for your partner when someone
accuses them of being rude when you know they're under a lot of pressure at home?
When you, as a leader, become involved in the lives of the people you lead, you identify
with them, and they become more than just names. Employees in turn begin to
understand that you value them, and they develop strong ties to you. Performance
becomes tied to a desire to do well because they want you to be proud of them, rather
than so they don't get in trouble. When problems do occur, they are easier to address
when the employee knows you aren't just there to attack them.
On the other side of the coin, leaders need to remember that a crew member who
comes to you with a legitimate question about a decision you made is not necessarily
being disloyal, and you should take the time to clear the matter up. You have to know
your crew members and what makes them tick, and they have to know that your goal as
a leader is to help them be the best they can be.
DUTY
Remember our school discussions about our "duty to act"? A leader in EMS has a
duty to uphold in the provision of patient care and to their subordinates. Do you
communicate your administration's directives clearly? Do you evaluate your
subordinates in a fair manner and give them counsel and criticism when necessary?
Leaders serve in positions where they are trusted with information, policy enforcement
and decision making. Your duty is to balance all of these and be the person in the
middle on whom both the administration and crew member can count.
RESPECT
This is a key one that is too often forgotten. The leader who fails at this is often one
who misunderstands military leadership (and helps to foster the myths about it). If you
are a leader, you have to recognize the abilities, education and experience each of your
subordinates brings to the table.
In the military, there are two distinct groups: enlisted folks and officers. It is often the
case that a new lieutenant will enter the service and be placed in charge of a group of

6. enlisted people with far more age and experience than he has. The foolish lieutenant
stands on his rank and position and tries to immediately establish total control. The wise
lieutenant recognizes the senior enlisted persons in his unit, acknowledges their training
and experience and leans on them for guidance. On both sides, people recognize skills
and understand roles and build a team that is far better than any one of them. Through
it all, there is understanding that there is another person with emotions, skills,
intelligence and ideas, and they have the same fundamental rights you do.
SELFLESS SERVICE
Leaders are never to be guilty of taking the cream off the top. Do your organization's
policies handle time off in an evenhanded manner? Do you take advantage of your
authority to make your job easier or avoid work? If there are overtime shifts available,
do you make sure your crews have the chance to sign up first? One standing tradition in
the Army is that the enlisted soldiers eat first. If your unit has had a hard day of
patrolling and you come back to the chow hall, what does it say about you as a leader if
you're in the front of the line while the new young private waits for you to fill your plate?
We don't often have the opportunity to implement this exact principle in our business,
but the point is that you're concerned for the welfare of your crews and that you sacrifice
your own interests to make sure their needs are met.
HONOR
You have to have a sense of who you are as a leader and what you're expected to
do. You have to own it, be proud of it and always keep it at the front of your mind. When
you look at how you handle your employees, are you proud of the way you treat them?
Are you willing to stand behind things you say and do on their behalf? You have to be
confident that what you say and do as a leader represents what you value as a person
and as an organization. That is achieved through constant self-evaluation.
INTEGRITY
Do you always do what you know you should do, even when you know you can get
away with doing it differently? You are faced with this choice every time you run a call.
Think of the choice you make when you're taking an elderly person back to their skilled
nursing facility. You know you should check a blood pressure every time a patient

7. enters that ambulance. You also know it would be easier to just write a BP down on
your report. The patient will never know, and it's unlikely anyone else will either.
For a leader integrity begins to impact in different areas. Maybe it's admitting to an
employee that you spoke too harshly to them, and apologizing. Do you allow one crew
to slide by and not clean the truck as thoroughly as another crew? If you have a
problem employee who is wrongly accused of something, do you still defend them, even
if you really wish they weren't still working there?
PERSEVERANCE
It's hard to be a leader. It's hard to walk those thin lines between friend, coworker
and supervisor. Seeing your employees continually make mistakes wears you out. It is
far easier to just punish them and push to have them fired. But that isn't always the right
answer. Are you able to see through an employee who may be having some problems
and see that they could really be a shining part of your crew? You have to lead with
consistency and thoroughness. Change, in people and in organizations, doesn't come
overnight, but rather as a result of a steady movement that focuses on the goal, not the
process.
NOTE:
With more than three million Americans currently serving in the active and reserve components of our armed forces
and millions more listed as veterans, chances are good there are military and ex-military folks in your organization. EMS
and the military attract similar personalities. Both appeal to people who seek adventure and autonomy and have the
desire to do something different. Both demand intelligence, the ability to make critical decisions based on limited
information, and the drive to excel. The elements of our personalities that give us the fortitude to perform a difficult job
can also make it difficult to accept leadership. So how do you, as a leader in EMS, successfully convince a group of
other leaders to become followers?
Don't confuse military leadership with militant leadership. Army leadership is value driven and focuses on people as
individuals and their ability to make the Army successful. The Army's philosophy is to keep these values paramount in a
soldier's mind from the day he first puts on the uniform. They are reinforced every step of the way to produce the kind of
leader an army or any organization needs.

8. Your organization has probably done some work along this line already, so as a leader or employee, you need to
reexamine those ideas. Are your values pertinent, and does your organization clearly articulate and reinforce them? They
should have personal meaning for you as a leader and be a driving force behind everything your service does. This is the
kind of introspection you need to give to these ideas if your organization is to stay focused and work as a unified team.
I have never served in the military, but I have discussed this question with many who have -
with officers, and other ranks. And I have studied the leadership qualities and actions of many
military leaders.
My studies of military leaders have also suggested that military leadership is built on the same
foundations as leadership in all other fields. However, one element is added - discipline.
Leaders in the military still have to earn the respect of their followers. But military discipline
involves two other features:
 Respect for the rank as distinct from the man.
 Obedience to orders.
Respect for the rank means that senior officers can expect
compliance to rules and orders, but can not expect personal respect
from their followers - unless they personally deserve it.
Obedience to orders means that when an order is given, it is obeyed
without question - for the sake of the mission, the safety of all involved
and for the sake of maintaining discipline. As we have seen in recent
years, orders are often reviewed and questioned later. Leaders are still
accountable!
I am told that good officers don't issue orders except when necessary.
They use all the leadership skills we have identified to influence

9. others to follow their lead. Indeed military academies and colleges pay
particular attention to developing outstanding leadership skills.
A while ago I was fortunate to meet an outstanding former senior
officer who had held one of the most demanding appointments in the
UK's Armed Forces. He articulated what were his “10 Rules of
Command.” These formed the core of the framework under which he
exercised command as a Commanding Officer of one of UK’s “Front-
line Units.” For those under his command it set out the values by
which he exercised his authority and, ultimately, by which he would be
judged. His “Rules” are reproduced here with his permission.
1. I am here to serve you as your Commander, Mentor, Companion and
Brother-in-Arms.
2. When we are facing the Enemy, I will be in front of you. When the
Enemy is behind us, I will be watching your backs.
3. I will remind you that each of you is responsible to and for one
another. You must ensure that I remember that I am responsible to
and for you all.
4. I will give you Loyalty, Integrity & Trust for free; I must earn yours.
5. Professionalism knows no shortcuts. There are no runners-up in our
business.
6. Your job is to soldier; my job is to empower you to do your job to the
best of your ability.
7. When I ask you to do something, know that I do so because you are
the best person I know to do it.

10. 8. Success is your crown; wear it with modesty and humility. Failure is
my burden, for it will be I who has failed you.
9. You are our most valuable asset; yours are your families. When you
are away, your family becomes my family.
10. Your job is a profession; my job is a privilege that I must re-earn
every day.
These rules and values seem to me to be entirely consistent with
those that I have promoted elsewehere.
I can tell you that this man showed levels of self-awarness, humility
and emotional intelligence that marked out why he was an outstanding
leader in one of the most demanding of circumstances.
If you have any further insights into military leadership, please do let
us know.
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“Leadership is the duty of all” AAN2017