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The Four Fundamentals of Leadership in Combat

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Four Fundamentals of Leadership in Combat
MSG Jose A. Rosario
United States Army Sergeants Major Academy
Class 63
SGM Merritt, Darrick / Mr. Lemire Mike
30 August 2012

Abstract
The United States Army has transformed itself into a professional entity that demands its leaders to be effective while maintaining certain skills and attributes. Though these leadership skills and attributes vary from one leader to the next, ultimately there is one common goal, accomplish the mission at hand. The Four Fundamentals of Leadership provides Army leaders the foundation needed to be successful. If applied properly, the four fundamentals can be an essential tool for any leader in garrison and in combat.

Four Fundamentals of Leadership in Combat
Leadership
Army Leadership Defined Field Manual 6-22 (2003) defines Military Leadership as, “Influencing people by providing purpose, motivation, and direction while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization.” This definition is the foundation of any good leader. The task of influencing others to execute a successful and effective mission can be infinitely more complicated than one would imagine. The act of war alone is complicated and often can be confusing to the young and inexperienced Soldier. With this knowledge, it is the responsibility of military leaders to provide Soldiers with those key factors mentioned above; purpose, motivation, and direction connect directly to the four fundamentals of leadership. Young Soldiers often find it difficult to understand the reasons or purpose for a given task, especially in a hostile environment.
By providing Soldiers with the purpose of a task, he or she can begin the process of accepting the inherited risk associated with the given mission. Mission success depends greatly on the motivation of individual Soldiers; however, an effective leader

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