Leadership Essay

Poor Assessment of Leadership in the United States Army
Name
Date

The United States army is perhaps one of the most revered institutions in the world. Its apex leadership is just as respected and highly regarded. However, just like every cloud, this too has a silver lining. The assessment of leadership in the United States army is nothing short of wanting.
The information obtained from assessment of leadership is of great essence, especially when establishing an individual’s merit to hold a position of authority. There are various methods set forth to aid in the practical assessment of leadership. These include; the examining of leadership qualities, examining the personality and traits of the leaders, inquiry from subordinate staff and even examining the results of a leader’s methodology (Roberts 11). These often result in positive outcomes of an assessment.
However, this is not the case in the army. Leadership positions are often awarded loosely based on merit. The yardstick for a leader’s suitability in the military is more often than not restricted to machismo, results and tangible outcomes of one’s endeavours. From my experience with an arrogant and bullish lieutenant, officers holding leadership positions in the army tend to exhibit unsavoury characteristics because this is hardly part of the criteria for their assessment. Scholars and commentators have also made this observation on the matter, and such officers have been labelled ‘toxic leaders’.
…