Operational Leadership: A Combatant Commander's Number One Priority

摘要

Superior operational leadership is crucial for success in military actions. Without effective operational leadership, the bridge between strategic objectives and tactical objectives will collapse. Today's technology driven military infrastructure leads some military experts to incorrectly focus less on operational leadership and more on the military hardware and software as the keys to success on the battlefield. While technology may distinguish warfare from era to era, the human element and operational leadership remain the common link. This paper will analyze the operational leadership qualities of General MacArthur during Operation Chromite, General Schwarzkopf during Operation Desert Shield/Storm, and General Clark during Operation Allied Force. It will not reconstruct the operations themselves, but rather analyze the operational leadership each commander displayed within the context of moral courage, unrelenting will, and foresight and highlight its importance on the outcome of each operation. After examining these leadership traits and examples, it will demonstrate how operational leadership can be placed at the forefront of operational warfare to better prepare combatant commanders for the challenges of tomorrow's military.