Courage, charisma, self-reliance, self-confidence, and affection and concern for one's subordinates are the essential values for the military leader who wishes to be successful in battle, as well as in peacetime. But these values are no longer enough in a world in which complex weapons systems and support structures are wedded to traditional units and configurations. In this new environment, military virtue must be supplemented by good, basic management skills. Today's leader should possess psychological deftness in dealing with people and organizations. He or she must be able to grasp complex situations and react swiftly to challenges with judgment and balance. The true leader is capable of transforming individuals into active, responsible, and enthusiastic participants in the mission—inspiring a sense of esprit de corps.

Military leaders have always been responsible for the lives of subordinates and the fate of the nation, but never before has a text addressed the specific concerns of military leadership. The editors assembled this volume in the belief that leadership skills can be taught and, more critically, learned. The selections, culled from almost 2,000 articles, range over the vast canvas of history, tradition, management, technology, psychology, organizational theory, education, and the phenomenon of rapid technological and societal change. The articles provide examples of successful performance, but most important, they challenge the reader to think, to weigh, to compare, and to identify the full spectrum of problems and opportunities in modern leadership.