Mcchrystal Leadership Analysis
In this essay i will examine General Stanley McChrystal leadership of the United States Joint Special Operation Command (JSOC) from 2003 to 2008 when they were engaged in the fight against Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). This period marked a sea change in how American Special Operations Forces conducted operations and it was McChrystals leadership that changed
Transformational Leadership
When examining McChrystal’s leadership style and characteristics ,a worthy period for inclusion is his appointment as Commanding General of Joint Special Operations Command. His leadership of this organisation from 2003 to 2008 was marked by a complete change in the way in which it achieved its mission. Bass and Reggio (2008) tells us that transformational leadership …show more content…
This principle from the theory of Transformational leadership, the movement towards creative and innovative problem solving and empowering of all levels of leadership to make a decision without fear of it being the wrong one, if applied to the Defence Forces would turn it into a fast moving and flexible force suited perfectly to address the modern security threats we face globally and elevate its profile in the eyes of society and Government in matters of National …show more content…
Naylor (2015) tells of a squadron from one of the units that McChrystal commanded under the JSOC umbrella that took a 50 percent casualty rate in a three month tour - an astronomical amount for a small unit. This surely would have given any commander pause to re-evaluate his strategy. However according to Naylor (2015) ‘McChrystal was relentless in not letting it affect anybody … He stayed on his task and pressed on.’ (p.558). This will to endure the losses is an integral part of his leadership. His faith in the importance of his mission allowed him to see JSOC’s casualty rate not in isolation but as part of the larger picture with the end product being the defeat of AQI. The fine line of balancing mission requirements with the welfare of the troops that you command is a delicate balancing act that leaders must tread especially in times of war where that welfare is in fact the lives of your men. McChrystal pushed the envelope in this regard and most certainly caused anger among some Taskforce members at operational level (Naylor,2015). However it can be argued that with JSOC’s defeat of AQI that McChrystal was right and ultimately his strategy and leadership was proved to be right for the
Transformational Leadership
When examining McChrystal’s leadership style and characteristics ,a worthy period for inclusion is his appointment as Commanding General of Joint Special Operations Command. His leadership of this organisation from 2003 to 2008 was marked by a complete change in the way in which it achieved its mission. Bass and Reggio (2008) tells us that transformational leadership …show more content…
This principle from the theory of Transformational leadership, the movement towards creative and innovative problem solving and empowering of all levels of leadership to make a decision without fear of it being the wrong one, if applied to the Defence Forces would turn it into a fast moving and flexible force suited perfectly to address the modern security threats we face globally and elevate its profile in the eyes of society and Government in matters of National …show more content…
Naylor (2015) tells of a squadron from one of the units that McChrystal commanded under the JSOC umbrella that took a 50 percent casualty rate in a three month tour - an astronomical amount for a small unit. This surely would have given any commander pause to re-evaluate his strategy. However according to Naylor (2015) ‘McChrystal was relentless in not letting it affect anybody … He stayed on his task and pressed on.’ (p.558). This will to endure the losses is an integral part of his leadership. His faith in the importance of his mission allowed him to see JSOC’s casualty rate not in isolation but as part of the larger picture with the end product being the defeat of AQI. The fine line of balancing mission requirements with the welfare of the troops that you command is a delicate balancing act that leaders must tread especially in times of war where that welfare is in fact the lives of your men. McChrystal pushed the envelope in this regard and most certainly caused anger among some Taskforce members at operational level (Naylor,2015). However it can be argued that with JSOC’s defeat of AQI that McChrystal was right and ultimately his strategy and leadership was proved to be right for the