Articulating the Competencies for Scout Platoon Leaders

Multiple sources detail the leadership characteristics and behaviors expected of Army Leaders. However, these sources provide disparate descriptions of how an Army Leader achieves proficiency as it relates to his or her job role. Thus, the goal of this report was to find synergy between two sets of descriptors used to qualify reconnaissance leadership in the Army. Specifically, authoritative texts on Army and Scout Leaders were qualitatively compared with prior research to determine where relationships appeared to emerge among key concepts. Within each relationship, one or more themes were identified that exemplified the existing similarities. This resulted in the development of a framework showing 13 relationships that produced a total of 21 themes. More than half of these themes were supported by Army doctrine as having direct connections to behaviors exhibited according to the leadership role. In describing these outcomes, this report reveals how the Army can capitalize on opportunities to assess Scout Platoon Leaders competence to lead in their unique capacities while simultaneously establishing benchmarks from which leadership development can be tracked over time.