Field Manual FM 6-22 Leader Development June 2015

Book excerpt: This publication, Field Manual FM 6-22 Leader Development June 2015, provides a doctrinal framework covering methods for leaders to develop other leaders, improve their organizations, build teams, and develop themselves.The principal audience for FM 6-22 is all leaders, military and civilian, with an application focus at the operational and tactical levels. Trainers and educators throughout the Army will also use this manual.Army leaders are the competitive advantage the Army possesses that technology cannot replace nor be substituted by advanced weaponry and platforms. Today's Army demands trained and ready units with agile, proficient leaders. Developing our leaders is integral to our institutional success today and tomorrow. It is an important investment to make for the future of the Army because it builds trust in relationships and units, prepares leaders for future uncertainty, and is critical to readiness and our Army's success. Leader development programs must recognize, produce, and reward leaders who are inquisitive, creative, adaptable, and capable of exercising mission command. Leaders exhibit commitment to developing subordinates through execution of their professional responsibility to teach, counsel, coach, and mentor subordinates. Successful, robust leader development programs incorporate accountability, engagement, and commitment; create agile and competent leaders; produce stronger organizations and teams; and increase expertise by reducing gaps between knowledge and resources.Leader development involves multiple practices that ensure people have the opportunities to fulfill their goals and that the Army has capable leaders in position and ready for the future. The practices include recruiting, accessions, training, education, assigning, promoting, broadening, and retaining the best leaders, while challenging them over time with greater responsibility, authority, and accountability. Army leaders assume progressively broader responsibilities across direct, organizational, and strategic levels of leadership.FM 6-22 integrates doctrine, experience, and best practices by drawing upon applicable Army doctrine and regulations, input of successful Army commanders and noncommissioned officers, recent Army leadership studies, and research on effective practices from the private and public sectors.FM 6-22 provides Army leaders with information on effective leader development methods by:* Translating Army leader feedback into quick applications.* Prioritizing leader development activities under conditions of limited resources.* Integrating unit leader development into already occurring day-to-day activities.* Integrating ADRP 6-22 leader attributes and competencies consistently across Army leader development doctrine.FM 6-22 contains seven chapters that describe the Army's view on identifying and executing collective and individual leader development needs:* Chapter 1 discusses the tenets of Army leader development, the purpose of developing leaders to practice the mission command philosophy, building teams, and development transitions across organizational levels.* Chapter 2 discusses the creation of unit leader development programs.* Chapter 3 addresses the fundamentals for developing leaders in units by setting conditions, providing feedback, and enhancing learning while creating opportunities.* Chapter 4 provides information on the self-development process including strengths and developmental needs determination and goal setting.* Chapter 5 discusses character, judgment and problem solving, and adaptability as situational leader demands.* Chapter 6 provides information on leader performance indicators to enable observations and feedback.* Chapter 7 provides recommended learning and developmental activities.