Crucibles, Not Comfort, Shape Future Military Leaders
A few years ago, a young U.S. military officer asked me a pointed question: “Do you think we’re getting too soft?” I paused, not because I didn’t have an answer, but because I knew the weight behind his words. My answer was yes. The U.S. military has overcorrected. Across talent management systems, performance evaluations, and even professional military education, it has embraced a well-intentioned shift toward empathetic leadership and psychological safety — seen in trends like inflated evaluations, universal academic passing standards, structured self-examination, and 360-degree feedback models that prioritize harmony over critique. Professional military education, in particular, has long The post Crucibles, Not Comfort, Shape Future Military Leaders appeared first on War on the Rocks.
A few years ago, a young U.S. military officer asked me a pointed question: “Do you think we’re getting too soft?” I paused, not because I didn’t have an answer, but because I knew the weight behind his words. My answer was yes. The U.S. military has overcorrected. Across talent management systems, performance evaluations, and even professional military education, it has embraced a well-intentioned shift toward empathetic leadership and psychological safety — seen in trends like inflated evaluations, universal academic passing standards, structured self-examination, and 360-degree feedback models that prioritize harmony over critique. Professional military education, in particular, has long
The post Crucibles, Not Comfort, Shape Future Military Leaders appeared first on War on the Rocks.
