Character in English-Language Military Leadership Doctrine

Background: Character is widely recognized as a critical aspect of individual and group performance, and character’s applicability to the military is no exception. Character serves as an explicit entry requirement, a desired outcome within training institutions, and a focal point of emphasis across various military organizations.Objective: This article examines how character is discussed within military leadership doctrine and how it is framed. More specifically, how has “good character” been understood and measured?Methods: This study examined the leadership doctrine of six English-speaking militaries using the Leader Character Framework (LCF), a framework developed in recent leadership scholarship, to identify the dimensions of character that are emphasized. This examination is carried out using a simple quantitative analysis technique, using the keywords in the LCF as specific recording units.Results: The findings revealed that while the six militaries identified similar character dimensions, they also displayed a lack of emphasis on several important dimensions, which could lead to character imbalances. Research on the LCF suggests that such imbalances can manifest in vices of deficiency or excess, rather than the intended virtuous state.Results: The findings revealed that while the six militaries identified similar character dimensions, they also displayed a lack of emphasis on several important dimensions, which could lead to character imbalances. Research on the LCF suggests that such imbalances can manifest in vices of deficiency or excess, rather than the intended virtuous state.Conclusions: This study offers several avenues for further research and highlights specific aspects of character that should be reinforced and emphasized to enhance military leadership.