Transformational Leadership Theory Gerhard von Scharnhorst and William E Depuy

In such a case, they can best be explained using leadership theories. The paper will dwell on transformational leadership theory in describing the leadership styles employed by Gerhard von Scharnhorst and William E. Depuy. Gerhard von Scharnhorst was a leader in the Prussian Army at the beginning of the 19tth century that introduced major reforms that transformed the Prussian Army. On the other hand, William E. His main source of income was writings on combat and artillery, and the invitations for skills transfer from armies and allied forces. 2 However, his actual impact of leadership was felt after he was ennobled by Frederick the Great, the King of Prussia. He is renowned for successful utilization of transformational leadership theory in bringing about significant change in the German army at the beginning of the 19th century.

When he settled in Berlin, he wanted to instil change in the Prussian army that would not only make the military institution professional but also able to concur emerging threats. Despite the success, he faced challenges such as the King rejecting some of his proposals mainly because of threats from Napoleon after signing of the 1806 peace treaty of Tilsit. ”4 While working as a director for Institute for Young Infantry and Cavalry Officers, he introduced a system where promotion in the military ranks was based on merit rather than reliance on a general’s wishes. 5 The consequence of this was improved motivation among the junior officers as they were recognized for their abilities which help them climb up in the ranks of the military.

Those were already service were honoured and respected as Gerhard von Scharnhorst believed that the non-commissioned officers were more superior in terms of service that newcomers who were joining the service. With this strategy, the junior officers strongly supported his vision of elevating the facility into a centre of power above the ‘Ecole Militaire’ and Military ‘Academy of the Artillery’ military academies. 6 The leadership style inspired junior military officer to strive towards making the Prussian army stronger. He also advocated for increased budgetary allocation for the military to provide the funding necessary for the training of officers and equipping them to handle emerging threats. Taking the example of the French army which was enjoying a period of victory against enemies due to continuous training its officers with new skills, Gerhard von Scharnhorst believed that funding could unlock the stabling blocks to making the Prussian army great.

Under Frederick, the Great selection to the army only comprised of peasants and individuals from lower classes and had to serve for life. 9 The style of administration demotivated the officers since they perceived themselves as weapons of war. Furthermore, abilities were not recognized as leadership remained with the elite generals. Those who exhibited competence in the selection including other qualifications got promotions to higher ranks. 12 After signing of the treaty, the King wanted Prussia to continue having a stronger army but any move to rebuild it could have been in violation of the treaty. For this reason, Gerhard von Scharnhorst’s strategy provided strength and inspiration to the Prussian army senior officers who had lost hope about their capabilities are a result of cutting down their number of their peacetime men Gerhard von Scharnhorst advocated for the abolition of corporal punishment and introduction of lighter punishments for minor offences and the use of civilian courts in passing imprisonment judgements.

13 It was later followed by the abolition of immunity to civilian courts for military personnel signifying that military officers could be prosecuted in the civilian courts if they committed a crime. The purpose of the amendments was to instil a sense of patriotism among the officers who were motivated by fear to join the army. S. army into a profession but also the elevation of the US in becoming a county with the most powerful military after the defeat in Vietnam. His major leadership qualities are pegged on the successes he achieved during his service in the army as a general and a trainer. He also had a solid military background where he further served in the First World War as a lieutenant while his great-grandfather was killed during the Civil War.

At first, he joined the army motivated by money during the Great Depression but the experience after joining changed his motivation as he continued to serve for more than three decades. During the Vietnam War, William DePuy noted that lack of tactical skills and sense of professionalism was the greatest causal factor for the defeat and therefore initiated reformed to modernise the US military through education and training programmes. 18 His emphasis on centring the programs on tactics results for the experienced he went through during his reign as a junior leader that saw American troop defeated in instances that exemplified lack of tact. For this reason, he aimed to instil a sense of professionalism and tactics that could enable them to overcome demanding situations.

It is justifiable to assertive that advocating for education and retraining of the military personnel is an instance of transformational leadership since the programmes empowered junior officers by providing them with the right skills necessary to executive leadership roles. Furthermore, through these programs, it facilitated the power transition from retiring senior officers to junior hence eliminating the leadership vacuum that previously existed when a senior officer hanged his boots or died while in service. William DePuy placed significant emphasis on merit and competence among the army personnel where they were required to exhibit their levels of competence in actual combat. He was strict on this that during the Vietnam War, he fired seven battalion commanders for the incompetence that resulted in the death of many American soldiers.

For instance, in the 90th division, he fired some soldiers due to their incompetence that cost 100% and 150% of its soldiers and officers respectively “The consequences of all this leadership failure could be predicted. ”22 Compounded with accountability, those soldiers who exhibited professionalism during combat received medals and promoted to high ranks within the Army. According to incompetence among leaders demoralised the followers and thus it could be more detrimental to the war if the seven commanders continued to serve. Impact of the Transformational Leadership Strategy a) Gerhard von Scharnhorst Gerhard von Scharnhorst made substantial efforts to revive the Prussian army including the banning of corporal punishment. 24 He also stopped the forceful recruitment of personnel from peasant families and ended automatic commissions for those individuals who came from Prussian noble families.

The immediate impact of this is that it changed the motivation of new and potential recruits to the Prussian army from fear to patriotism. Furthermore, it helped in restoring the dignity of the Prussian army from it being perceived a job for people belonging to the lower classes who could pass through severe punishments for the mistakes committed. The assertion is because it united them towards achieving the common vision of elevating the status of the army to enable to protect the country against its shown enemies at that time, which were the French under Napoleon. The immediate impact of the efforts is that they enabled him to navigate around Napoleon Bonaparte’s limit and build a large army within a short time.

The move also shaped Prussian future war especially during the Second World War when Germany was forced to reduce its army after signing the Versailles Treaty that limited not only the size but also the weapons it possessed. 26 That is, his transformational leadership style shaped the future of German military strategies during periods of sanctions. Even though the attack on the French in 1813 was not successfully, he was successful in inspiring the Prussian army and citizens to fight to protect their patriotism and sense of nationhood. b) William E. 29 That is, during the 1960s through to 1970, the US army was experiencing negative public support and the highest level of demoralization among the officers. Vietnam was had brought devastations to the US army in terms of loss of personnel and a clear evidence of the lack of competence among the senior military officers.

Negative publicity had negatively influenced the operations of the army especially with respect to funding as the US politicians feared a public backlash. The highest level of public support came after the army’s success during the Gulf War of 1991, which consequently shaped the US citizens support for overseas military interventions. Conclusions Gerhard von Scharnhorst and William Eugene DePuy are two figures who have brought about significant impacts in the respective armies they served. Aei. Org. http://www. aei. org/feature/timeline-us-involvement-with-iraq-and-the-broader-middle-east/. Gole, Henry. General William E. DePuy: Preparing the Army for Modern War. University Press of Kentucky, 2008. Gray, Wilbur E. Hofschröer, Peter. Prussian Staff & Specialist Troops 1791–1815. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2012. Huse, Thomas D. Transformational leadership in the era of change. Leggiere, Michael V.