Military Leadership: A Comparative Analysis

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"Real leadership is being the person others will gladly and confidently follow," according to John C. Maxwell, leading author and speaker on leadership and self-improvement. In its simplest definition, leadership means having the ability or capacity to lead other people however upon closer observation, the meaning can be entirely subjective especially according to different industries or sectors where different values are highlighted accordingly. As such, leadership styles can vastly differ. This essay seeks to make a comparative analysis to conclude if there is a difference between military and non-military leadership by highlighting major distinctions on three variables namely in ethics, discipline and rigidness.
Whilst ethics, discipline …show more content…

In a militaristic stance, highlighting ethics also means following a code of conduct and a set of beliefs that are aligned to the military values. Aiyengar asserts that “the armed forces must be always ethically led to uphold the defence of the nation and its national interests ” which suggests that ethics in military leadership is closely tied to the primary duty of protecting the nation and its people first and foremost much like the Ministry of Defence’s Mission: ‘To Defend Our Sovereignty, Territorial Integrity And Uphold The Constitution and The Malay Islamic Monarchy Philosophy To Implement’. He went on to add that ethics in military leadership had a significant meaning because it requires “unreserved supreme sacrifice of life at the bidding of a superior in the hierarchy” remarking the well-defined call of duty and distinct roles in the chain of command. This also brings to light the importance of leadership in this regard where a superior of integrity, conviction and honor would likely command the utmost respect and loyalty of their …show more content…

Non-military leadership on the other hand does not have such a strict point of view instead it is largely motivated by more human convictions like transformation, goals and purpose that can be altered according to circumstances. Moreover, discipline calls to mind routine, self-control and also punishment.
In the military, discipline plays a central role in shaping army personnel from obeying rules, following orders, increasing efficiency, adopting habits to developing a keen awareness for consequences and punishment. Firing et al’s study on ‘Social Influence in Military Leadership Training’ concluded that most soldiers would choose ‘physical inconvenience over social inconvenience’ to avoid social exclusion when they were asked to jump into icy waters . It went on to add that they were highly influenced by their military social environment. On the other hand though, this could indicate the level of discipline that they have when it comes to obedience and that being in rough conditions were part and parcel to

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