PREPARING STRATEGIC LEADERS AT THE U.S. ARMY WAR COLLEGE. Col Joseph camel Dill Department of Command, Leadership, and Management/SSR

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1 PREPARING STRATEGIC LEADERS AT THE U.S. ARMY WAR COLLEGE Col Joseph camel Dill Department of Command, Leadership, and Management/SSR

2 USAWC MISSION UNITED STATES ARMY WAR COLLEGE The US Army War College educates and develops leaders for service at the strategic level while advancing knowledge in the global application of Landpower. Provide high quality Professional Military Education at the strategic level that further develops accomplished officers and civilians, both graduates and faculty, who depart our institution armed with the right balance of theory, history, practice, and communication skills to clearly articulate options for solutions to complex strategic problems and immediately be of value to any organization. Aggressively Conduct Research, Publish, Engage in Discourse, and Wargame with the entire faculty, staff, students and fellows; generate ideas and test concepts as the Army s intellectual broken field runner for the application of Landpower at the strategic level. Conduct Strategic Leader Development through agile, constantly-reviewed and updated courses of instruction and other products that advance strategic leadership skills and senior leader abilities in the Profession of Arms. Attract, Recruit, and Retain a high quality faculty and staff.

3 USAWC VISION UNITED STATES ARMY WAR COLLEGE An educational institution focused on its students and dedicated to Landpower s role in national security; ready to challenge assumptions and conventional wisdom; ready for any mission from fellow Soldiers; and in the war of ideas -- always looking for a fight.

4 WHY THEY COME HERE While the experiences in the fight are richly rewarding and are producing some of the most tactically proficient warfighters we ve ever had in our ranks, these experiences are also incomplete. The War College is an opportunity to pull our minds out of the tactical framework and draws us up to the strategic level of war. [For this reason,] the War College is immensely important. It alone provides us the means for developing and sharpening our ability to imagine especially disruptive challenges, and to think of ways of preparing leaders to confront these seemingly unthinkable events. ---GEN Martin E. Dempsey CJCS

5 WHO ARE THEY Total 368 Army 210 Civilians 25 Air Force 32 Marine 18 3 Defense Senior Leadership & Development Program 13 Department of the Army 2 Department of State 3 Defense Intelligence Agency 2 National Security Agency 1 Department of Homeland Security 1 Veterans Affairs Navy 15 International 67 Coast Guard 1 5

6 International Fellows Afghanistan Algeria Australia Bangladesh Bosnia Botswana Brazil Bulgaria Burundi Canada Chile Colombia Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Egypt RESIDENT CLASS OF 2012 El Salvador Ethiopia Germany Honduras India Indonesia Israel Italy Japan Jordan Kenya Korea Kuwait Lebanon Lithuania Macedonia Malawi Malaysia Mali Mexico Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Nepal Netherlands Nigeria Norway Pakistan (2) Philippines Poland Romania Rwanda Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Slovenia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Suriname Sweden Taiwan Thailand Turkey Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Yemen Zambia 6

7 The USAWC Experience Focuses on Transforming an Incoming Professional Who Has Had relatively limited and well-defined responsibilities. Worked in a structured environment of tasks, conditions & standards. Dealt primarily with problems for which there was usually one best solution. (science) Been an executor of policy. Succeeded based on capacity to apply skills. Focused primarily on the present and near term. Set a strong personal example. Had primarily a single-service and unilateral orientation. Communicated both verbally and in writing in a concise and direct manner. Been physically, intellectually and morally fit. 7

8 Into a USAWC Graduate Who Will Hold positions of broad scope and great responsibility. Work in highly complex, ambiguous environments. Deal with problems which have no clear-cut solutions. (art) Be an executive who innovates and initiates policy. Succeed based on spirit of cooperation and capacity to conceptualize. Assess the future and envision for the long term while executing the present. Set an ethical climate. Be involved in joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational organizations and issues. Communicate complex concepts effectively and persuasively, both verbally and in writing. Continue to be physically, intellectually and morally fit. 8

9 Strategic Leadership It became clear to me that at the age of 58 I would have to learn new tricks that were not taught in the military manuals or on the battlefield. In this position I am a political soldier and will have to put my training in rapping-out orders and making snap decisions on the back burner, and have to learn the arts of persuasion and guile. I must become an expert in a whole new set of skills. GEN George C. Marshall

10 So what is Strategic Leadership?

11 Strategic Leadership The process used by a leader to effect the achievement of a desirable and clearly understood vision by influencing the organizational culture, allocating resources, directing through policy and directive, and building consensus within a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous global environment which is marked by opportunities and threats.

12 Are you a Strategic Leader? The Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP ) is a 10-month in-service professional development program for emerging and mid-level leaders. These professionals work in public, non-profit, and private sector organizations, but they all share the same professional passion: education.

13 Strategic Leader Competencies Conceptual: Critical thinking skills, visioning, problem management Technical: Systems understanding, Joint and Combined relationships; political and social competence; and professional competence in area of expertise Interpersonal: Communication, consensus-building, negotiation, and cross cultural competence

14 Strategic Leader Tasks Provide vision Shape organizational culture Build relationships Represent the organization Lead and manage change Stewardship

15 Essential Characteristics Keenly aware of a complex & changing environment Competent in consensus, team building, & peer leadership Transforms the political & conceptual into the practical & concrete Leverages technology, especially information Shapes the organizational / institutional culture Builds a values-based organization Provides for the future/vision; leads and manages change

16 How is it different?

17 Strategic Leadership Environment A Changing Landscape Political Military Informational Economic Sociological Psychological Volatile Uncertain Complex Ambiguous

18 The VUCA Dinghy

19 The Three Levels of Leadership Strategic Leadership Organizational Leadership Tactical Leadership

20 Tactical Leadership Face to face Direct leadership Unit and team work Action and task oriented Execution Motivation Unit Cohesion

21 Organizational Leadership Chain of command less direct leadership Focuses Internally Sustains and maintains Plans and gives direction Interprets and influences Climate

22 Strategic Leadership Indirect Leadership Influencing culture Representing the organization Leading change Stewarding the enterprise

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24 The Army Leadership Framework Increased Uncertainty and Complexity Reduced Uncertainty and Complexity PRES & SEC DEF COMPANY Loyalty Duty Respect Selfless Service Honor Personal Courage Strategic Leadership Culture Values Purpose Organizational Leadership Climate Policies Direction Direct Leadership Cohesion Procedures Motivation Trust, Dignity and Respect for Others LEADS DEVELOPS ACHIEVES Army Values And Ethics Competencies Identity Presence Intellectual Attributes: Leads Others Extends Influence Leads by Example Communicates Global/Regional National/Societal Perspective Predominantly "Improving/ Building" in nature Actions Positive Climate Prepares Self Develops Others Gets Results Organizational/Systems and Processes Perspectives Predominantly "Operating/ Maintaining" in nature Individual/Small Group Task Oriented Perspective Predominantly "Influencing and Interpersonal" in nature FM 6-22 Army Leadership. App A

25 Operational Reality It s a Flat World, after all. Thomas Friedman 25

26 Developing Strategic Leaders How we do it Leader development roadmap is key Institutional: Schools Organizational: Assignments Self Development: Continuous Learning

27 How do we facilitate it here?

28 Guiding Philosophies Seminar-based, collaborative learning Adult learning focus Enabling Understanding Student focused, learning centric It s about thinking about how to think Inquiry driven Focus less on the what or how and more on the why? and so what? It s as much about asking the right questions, as it is knowing the right answers 28

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31 Confirmation If I could relay one point that I have witnessed, felt, and experienced, it is that too many of us (I m talking the Colonels that literally run this place) can t think strategically.it slows down the processes or effective strategic operations and it gets in the way of the operational commander. Being able to think strategically is the currency of our trade. The simple fact is that those who can think strategic are carrying the water over here. Those that can t get in the way. --A recent graduate 32

32 What are your...

33 Questions.???

34 How Leadership Really Happens 35

35 Thank you!!