Quote:
Originally Posted by stuW
7 If, as you suggested, the politics of a country (and therefore the civilian leaders of the military) do not impact morale/motivation within the military, I would be highly interested in learning what makes the military different from other public or private organizations with respect to this issue. Leadership direction often impacts the productivity of an organization. Are there specific criteria that make Special Forces/the military more resistant to these potential impacts on motivation?
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You seem to read a lot into simple answers to complex questions. I did not suggest that the politicians had no impact on morale, as a matter of fact I did not mention morale at all. My point dealt only with motivation and the fact that motivation comes from within a person and is driven to satisfy a personal need. While extrinsic factors impact on or can even trigger that internal need to act it does not create motivation. However, the impact of extrinsic factors and their effects on motivation varies from person to person. Do not try and equate the lessons taught in business schools on leadership and productivity to the military-they are for the most part totally unrelated. Productivity in the business world deals with the bottom line which is measured by cost effectiveness and producing a profit or breaking even for non-profits. We measure our costs in blood spilled and clotted. Leadership in business is often confused with management where resources, including people, are manipulated to acheive the goals of profit production. Soldiers are not resources for consumption but cogs in the gear box of a complex, dynamic, living entity that consumes resources provided for the accomplishment of a multitude of tasks focused by an over arching strategy enabled by leaders who do not separate men from mission but enmesh themselves in seamless web of actions to enable their troops to succeed 24/7.