Current Commander: Understanding and Effecting Change in Civilian Organizations

摘要

As the strategic environment is changing at an exponential rate, so must strategic military leaders of the 21st century. These leaders will be thrust into situations requiring interaction with members of the interagency and other civilian-led organizations and therefore must be prepared to deal with cultures and thought processes that differ from the military's. This pentathlete,' as Army Chief of Staff GEN Peter J. Schoomaker calls him, must develop new skills in order to thrive and affect change in organizations manned with predominately civilian employees. Military strategic leaders can no longer rely on rote or uniform approaches for building support and guiding and managing change. To remain effective, military leaders must gain a better understanding of the complexity and nuances of managing diverse civilian organizations including developing competencies on a wide range of concepts and skills that have traditionally been anathema to the military - consensus building,' negotiation,' and broad-based empowerment.' As the future strategic environment calls for increased collaboration and consensus building between and within military and civilian organizations, the Department of Defense must adapt its training, leader development and educational programs to prepare future leaders to more effectively lead increasingly diverse organizations and successfully manage change.