How do you mold and choose better senior leaders in the uniformed military? A very interesting problem.
The unrestricted line communities do a pretty good job teaching new members how to be good at their particular warfare area/platform. But good (heck any) training on leadership skills is sorely lacking. Three decades ago, they tried to turn Deming’s TQM into TQL (leadership) but it was an abysmal failure. They pulled the plug and gave up. I did get a very good two-week command leadership course on my way to O-5 command but that was it. The Navy needs a leadership continuum that is required from O-3 to O-6. Some online is OK but classroom is still the best place.
As far as creating better operational and strategic leaders, the Navy’s problem is with their war college. The Navy only requires one (O-4/O-5 course or senior O-5/O-6 course) and they only do that grudgingly because Goldwater Nichols requires it. The Navy still believes that “Sailors belong on ships and ships belong at sea,” that everything else is a waste of time, unless you’re surface warfare.
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