Improving Mentorship and Leader Development in the US Army.

摘要

Mentorship is a critical component of the greater function of developing leadership in the U.S. Army. Even though mentorship finds its origins in classical Greece, it has proven to have great utility in shaping the Army leadership of today. Even so, many senior Army leaders have stated that Army mentorship needs improvement. As the U.S. Army returns from 10 years of persistent conflict, the time for revitalizing leader development is now. There is a renewed vigor to catch up on those years when leader development played second fiddle to the generation and deployment of combat forces to Iraq and Afghanistan. This research paper defines mentorship, examines the historical roots of mentorship, describes a number of successful mentor-protege relationships and the phases of the mentorship process, and identifies the functions mentorship serves as a component of leader development in the Army. The paper provides a blueprint for action as the Army seeks to improve mentorship across the force.