ABSTRACT
The modern military leader performs in an environment of such rapid technological progress that it has been described as "explosive." The technology explosion, the information explosion, and the education explosion are terms frequently used in the mass media in recent years. The basic traits of a military leader have not changed. A leader organizes a group, acts as its spokesman, directs it, and, in so doing, accomplishes things. But functioning as a leader does not imply leadership. Leadership is something more; it connotes success and effectiveness. In this view, then, leadership becomes whatever makes a leader effective, and this varies with the situation. The sword was the major personal weapon of the military commander, but it is an anachronism, carried very occasionally in parades. Technology has not changed the tasks and intent of military leadership, but it has brought changes in the environment—the weapons, people, military system, and interactions with other organizations.
