Military Leadership & Ethics

In an article by Dale R. Wilson in June of 2016, he writes about leadership and ethics and our military service academies emphasis on this training. Here is an excerpt from that article that is timeless in its lessons for us today.


In military and civilian academic institutions around the world, above and beyond their core curriculum, character is taught and inspired. In each of the military academies in the United States, as well as college Reserve Officers’ Training Corps programs, the purpose and responsibility is to produce leaders of character. To accomplish this, they work to incorporate the values of integrity, respect, responsibility, compassion and gratitude into the daily life of cadets and midshipmen who aspire to become tomorrow’s leaders. 

The U.S. Naval Academy’s mission, for example, is to develop midshipmen morally, mentally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, honor and loyalty. They aim to provide graduates who are dedicated to a career of naval service and have potential for future development in mind and character to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government. The Naval Academy has a deep and abiding commitment to the moral development of its midshipmen and to instilling the naval service core values of honor, courage and commitment.

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point has a character development strategy (click here to download a copy) to promote living honorably and building trust. West Point believes their approach not only develops character, but modifies behavior over the course of the 47-month cadet experience. Ultimately, the desire is for cadets and rotating faculty members to depart West Point with the character, competence and commitment to build and lead resilient teams that thrive in complex security environments. Most importantly, everyone commits to living honorably and building trust, on and off duty.

The U.S. Air Force Academy has the Center for Character and Leadership development (click here to go to the website), where they advance the understanding, practice and integration of character and leadership development as a catalyst for achieving the academy’s highest purpose—developing leaders of character—while also preparing the cadets for service to the nation in the profession of arms. I think the Air Force Academy has it absolutely correct when they say there has never been a more critical time to increase understanding of how moral and ethical dimensions interact with the complexities of leadership—not only in the military context, but across many fields of human endeavor.

THE DEMONSTRATION OF MORAL AND ETHICAL ATTRIBUTES ARE ESSENTIAL FOR EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP AS A COMMISSIONED OFFICER IN THE U.S. MILITARY.

Those who possess leadership characteristics seek to discover the truth, decide what is right and demonstrate the courage to act accordingly—always. Officers in the military are to epitomize humility, self-effacement and selfless service. So, at the basic and academic level, before the bars are pinned on a newly commissioned officer, candidates are taught the importance of equality, dignity and respect.