First, leaders must be cognizant of their part in preserving the Army's traditional role as the guarantor of America's fundamental values. Second, they must be ethical standard-bearers to model the ideal and to forge an atmosphere of trust and confidence. And third, they must be teachers to show subordinates how to do what is required and to encourage them to do it. Communication of standards is the foundation upon which leadership is built. While official policy may be clear and specific, if leaders, by their actions, indicate ethical and moral behavior is not important, that perspective will dominate.
Good leaders make it clear that there is no excuse for poor behavior.
In this edition of Military Review , we explore the relationship between leader and led and between values and behavior. In the lead article, Army Chief of Staff General Dennis J. Reimer says that creating the right environment for leaders to develop and mature is only part of the task of growing great leaders for the 21st century. Building future leaders also requires long-term, purposeful leader and soldier development programs. Reimer emphasizes that leaders not only must steep their soldiers in Army values and traditions from the day they join up until the day they leave, they also must set the example and create a command climate where soldiers can put values into practice. Well-known writer retired Colonel Lloyd Matthews leads off the second section with an assessment of the services' values and ideals.