SF0002 MILITARY LEADERSHIP TERM ASSIGNMENT
Task 1
Insight 1: The effectiveness of motivation
1. Motivation is a very simple concept that can be easily understood by many. As such, it got to me as an epiphany on what is the most effective way to motivate, and how should I go about doing so.
2. Motivation is the root of behaviour as it triggers and excites one to behave in a certain way (Petri, 2004). Narrowing towards the perspective of Singapore Military, motivation is certainly even more essential where the 90% of the force consists of conscript (Staff, 2014). These conscripts are bound by law to fight irregardless of their desire to contribute yet their presence are still very ...view middle of the document...
In addition, he points out that needs at lower level have to be satisfied before the next higher set of needs become relevant (Kim-Yin Chan, 2011). A military leader should identify different stages of motivational needs of his/her subordinate and to apply appropriate motivational strategies in accordance. To summarize Maslow application, an example would show that a military leader could take more notice in those who are financially onerous (Biological and Physiological needs) and provide avenues of help such as applying an SAF loan for the servicemen. While for those who are financially stable, other needs such as home sick, esteem needs, and lacking of personal growth could be many of the possible needs to curb. When the needs of the soldiers are met, they will be motivated, focused; a good relationship with the military leader will also result in a more cohesion fighting team. Overall, a motivation is a “force-multilplier” in the battle field (Kim-Yin Chan, 2011) and is of paramount importance to SAF and to any other military organisation.
Insight 2: The importance of trust in leadership
3. Trust is what makes the world revolves around. We require trust to function even at the most fundamental level. We take the bus with the trust that the bus driver has his competency of driving a bus full of passengers safely to their destinations. Its goes the same when a soldier obeys the instruction of his/her leader because of the trust in the competency of the leader.
4. Leadership is defined as “the process of influencing others in order to gain their willing consent in the ethical pursuit of missions” (Australian Defence Headquarter, 2007) While Rousseau and many other defined trust as a” psychological state comprising the intention to accept vulnerability based upon positive expectations of the intention or behavior of another (C. Shawn Burke, 2007). Trust comes before leadership. Without trust, the process of influencing would not even be able to occur. And without influencing, a leader is as good as a handicapped soldier, one who lost his/her fundamental purpose. The benefit of trust can go from reducing the need to defensively monitor others who might not behave according to our expectations and the need for formal control measures to guide behavior (Kim-Yin Chan, 2011), to trust in combat where the morale of the soldiers comes directly from the leader per se. There are two types of trust as proposed by Adam and Webb are “person-based trust” and “category-based trust” (Adam, 2000). “person-based trust” is developed as a result of directly interacting with others, simply trusting that person (Kim-Yin Chan, 2011). It is important as a military leader to have such traits to allow his/her surbordinate to trust in his capability to lead. Trust in leadership was significantly related to attitudinal outcomes of job satisfaction, organizational commitment and turnover, behavioral and performance outcomes of altruism, civic virtue,...
