Innovative Leader Development: Evaluation of the U.S. Army Asymmetric Warfare Adaptive Leader Program.

摘要

The type of operations the U.S. Army has confronted in the post September 11, 2001, security environment has mandated increased adaptability in the service. Operational success requires leaders and organizations that can rapidly recognize changes in the environment, identify critical elements in unfamiliar situations with less-than-perfect information, and facilitate timely action to meet new requirements all while under considerable stress. The need to develop adaptable leaders is articulated in key policy documents, including the U.S. Army Learning Concept for 2015 and the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) strategic plan for 2013 2020, and it is an underlying principle in the Army's shift from a doctrine of command and control to mission command (TRADOC, 2011; TRADOC, undated). Joint Chief of Staff Chair GEN Martin Dempsey, in his former role as Commanding General, TRADOC, stressed the need for leaders who value a bottom-up over a top-down approach and emphasized the importance of developing teams that can anticipate and manage transitions. As part of the Army s response to the need for an adaptive force, the Army's (AWG) implemented the Asymmetric Warfare Adaptive Leader Program (AWALP), a course designed to enhance adaptability in leaders and to promote innovative solutions in the training for and conduct of unified land operations. The primary goals of the course are to enhance adaptability in leaders, increase understanding of the need for adaptable soldiers and enablers of adaptive behavior, and develop leader ability to design training that fosters adaptability and its enablers. This research documented here evaluated the effectiveness of AWALP and had three main objectives. The first was to provide a systematic evaluation of AWALP, addressing multiple individual and team outcomes and identifying potential areas for improvement in AWALP curriculum or delivery.