Leadership in Doctrine

Abstract

Doctrine comprises the shared beliefs and principles associated with the tasks of a profession. Military doctrine describes the environment within which the armed forces of a state must operate, advising methods of force employment. The purpose of military doctrine is to foster likemindedness, thereby enhancing military effectiveness. Doctrinal provisions are generalizations gleaned from past experiences about what functions well. The military requires leadership doctrine on how to lead as well as combat doctrine on how to fight. This doctrine, like all military doctrine, should not be prescriptive. Leadership doctrine is a baseline from which individual leaders depart as they build their own leadership style. Leadership, in turn, is instrumental to carrying out a vision of how to fight. "A leader," Napoleon Bonaparte said, "is a dealer in hope."