From Representation To Inclusion Diversity Leadership For The 21st Century Military Executive Summary

Although leadership theories have evolved to reflect changing social contexts, many remain silent on issues of equity, diversity, and social justice. Diversity and Leadership, by Jean Lau Chin and Joseph E. Trimble, offers a new paradigm for examining leadership by bringing together two domains—research on leadership and research on diversity—to challenge existing notions of leadership and move toward a diverse and global view of society and its institutions. This compelling book delivers an approach to leadership that is inclusive, promotes access for diverse leaders, and addresses barriers that narrowly confine our perceptions and expectations of leaders. Redefining leadership as global and diverse, the authors impart new understanding of who our leaders are, the process of communication, exchange between leaders and their members, criteria for selecting, training, and evaluating leaders in the 21st century, and the organizational and societal contexts in which leadership is exercised.

Two recent policy documents lay out a new vision for diversity in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD): the Military Leadership Diversity Commission's From Representation to Inclusion: Diversity Leadership for the 21st-Century Military and the Department of Defense Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, 2012-2017. These documents define the mission, set goals for diversity, and provide a general strategic framework for achieving these goals. The purpose of this report is to provide a framework to support DoD in the implementation of its strategic plan and to ensure that the resources devoted to these efforts are targeted for long-term success. The framework emphasizes the creation of an enduring accountability system; categorizes the strategic initiatives specified in DoD's strategic plan along three key dimensions -- compliance, communication, and coordination ("the three Cs"); and prioritizes them across time -- short, medium, and long term. The framework can help all DoD components work toward the vision described in the strategic plan in a deliberate, synchronized effort by complying with current laws, regulations, and directives; communicating effectively to internal as well as external stakeholders; and coordinating efforts to ensure continuing change.

This edited book examines the management of diversity and inclusion in the military. Owing to the rise of asymmetric warfare, a shift in demographics and labor shortfalls, the US Department of Defense (DoD) has prioritized diversity and inclusion in its workforce management philosophy. In pursuing this objective, it must ensure the attractiveness of a military career by providing an inclusive environment for all personnel (active and reserve military, civilian, and contractors) to reach their potential and maximize their contributions to the organization. Research and practice alike provide substantial evidence of the benefits associated with diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Diversity and inclusion programs are more strategic in focus than equal opportunity programs and strive to capitalize on the strengths of the workforce, while minimizing the weaknesses that inhibit optimal organizational performance. This new book provides vital clarification on these distinct concepts, in addition to offering concrete best practices for the successful management of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Written by scholars and practitioners, each chapter addresses major areas, raises crucial issues, and comments on future trends concerning diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The book will be of great interest to students of military studies, war and conflict studies, business management/HRM, psychology and politics in general, as well as to military professionals and leaders.

The topic of civil-military relations has high significance for academics, for policy makers, for military commanders, and for serious students of public policy in democratic and other societies. The post-Cold War and post-9-11 worlds have thrown up traditional as well as new challenges to the effective management of armed forces and defense establishments. Further, the present century has seen a rising arc in the use of armed violence on the part of non-state actors, including terrorists, to considerable political effect. Civil-military relations in the United States, and their implications for US and allied security policies, is the focus of most discussions in this volume, but other contributions emphasize the comparative and cross-national dimensions of the relationship between the use or threat of force and public policy. Authors contributing to this study examine a wide range of issues, including: the contrast between theory and practice in civil-military relations; the role perceptions of military professionals across generations; the character of civil-military relations in authoritarian or other democratically-challenged political systems; the usefulness of business models in military management; the attributes of civil-military relations during unconventional conflicts; the experience of the all-volunteer force and its meaning for US civil-military relations; and other topics. Contributors include civilian academic and policy analysts as well as military officers with considerable academic expertise and experience with the subject matter at hand.