Prospects for Strategic Thinking and Innovation: A Survey of War College Students

摘要

A major goal of senior service education is the development of leaders able to think critically and innovatively at the strategic level. Each year the various Senior Service War Colleges in the United States graduate hundreds of senior leaders who are encouraged to bring their newly refined intellectual skills back to their individual areas of government service. But, will War College graduates return to find their enhanced thinking styles welcomed, or will they become frustrated by intellectual contributions that are devalued or ignored. This research project explores the positive and negative expectations of U.S. Army War College students enrolled in the Class of 2006 through a web-based survey. It explores the reasons for their expectations, and suggests how the Army can achieve competitive advantage by fostering a culture and climate supportive of critical, innovative, and strategic thinking.