LIMITATIONS FOR A SUCCESSFUL ARMY LEADER DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

In 2009, the U.S. Army published the Army Leader Development Strategy to address shortfalls in leader development identified during the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and the greater Global War on Terror. The effectiveness of the leader development strategy is dependent on coherent objectives communicated across the developmental domains, integrated programs that support the objectives and logical policies that enable the programs. The institutional domain has effectively integrated the objectives across the center of excellence and the schools. In the operational domain, the objectives are communicated, but are not a coherent part of guiding leader development. Within the self-development domain the guidance provided to officers is not nested with the objectives of the overall strategy. The two critical programs are the assignment system and the promotions process. Both programs hinder the execution of the current strategy. The US Code and the unwritten policies within the Army limit the flexibility of the army to accomplish both operational missions and develop officers.