The teaching of leadership

Silva, Miguel Nuno Machado da

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/60471

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Authors

Silva, Miguel Nuno Machado da

Abstract(s)

A Naval Academy’s mission is to train naval officers in the specialties and fields needed for them to perform the assigned duties, and to provide them with the adequate skills to conduct the specific missions of the Navy and the Armed Forces. This implies the individual development for conducting command, directorship and leadership. The purpose of this paper is to show how the Portuguese Naval Academy teaches its leadership model, aimed at delivering highly skilled staff, through the following training components: (i) a robust scientific and technological dimension, aimed at satisfying the professional qualifications essential for carrying out technical functions; (ii) a behavioural training dimension, embodied in solid military, moral and civic education, with a view to developing students in what concerns command, direction and leadership qualities; and (iii) the physical preparation and military training, aimed at giving students the physical fitness and trainings essential for the fulfilment of their missions. The methods used assume the need to address distinct domains of leadership. The team leadership development model followed by the Portuguese Naval Academy, include the development of personal and cognitive behavioural skills including analytical abilities, critical thinking, the ability to conceptualize complex relationships, intuition and reasoning, and interpersonal behavioural skills, which further include knowledge on human behaviour and group processes. Moreover, the ability to understand attitudes, feelings and motivations, teamwork and communication skills, is also part of such model. The education and development of functional leadership skills at the naval academy embodies both theoretical and practical classes. The theoretical side is addressed by the courses on Organizational Behaviour, and Leadership and Teamwork. The practical part is addressed both by field exercises and practical exercises, conducted with the help of a navigation simulator which prompts students to develop decision making capabilities under stress. The results concern multiple years of leadership teaching experience and the most significant lessons learned are shared. The effectiveness of leaders is measured through the productivity of the led teams, which assess if the teams reach the final goal set for each task. As a rule, functional teams’ leadership skills (clarifying the situation, clarifying the strategy, coordinating and facilitating learning) are assessed using behavioural observation grids, suggesting practical implications for organizations.