Printable version (PDF) of this article.

Female Leader Development in the Military: An Interview Response to Reichard (2006) with COL Heidi Brown

By Rachel Rosenfeld, Claremont McKenna College '08

This interview was conducted April 16, 2006

In a recent edition of the Leadership Review, Reichard (2006) presented the findings of a pilot study investigating the process of female leader development in the military. After conducting multiple in-depth interviews with two female officers, Reichard found that relationships were a key foundation for the women's leader development. These included relationships with parents, mentors, and other key life figures. Additionally, she found that engaged experiences, such as difficult assignments and educational challenges, and incorporating feedback were important parts of these women's developmental experiences. Although backed by prior research, Reichard's study was limited to the experiences of these two women who, it is important to note, lacked significant combat experience. In an attempt to extend this pilot study and gain an experienced combat leader's perspective, an interview was conducted with COL Heidi Brown.

COL Brown expressed general agreement with Reichard's (2006) grounded theory of female leader development in the military. Her initial reaction was that,

"All of the aspects in the model were valid - the importance of relationships, family, and mentors. These things were important to me. I felt that it was obvious that all people, not only women, develop with these aspects."

However, COL Brown reiterated the above limitations of the findings being based on two, non-combat oriented officers. She said the following:

"My difficulty in agreeing with the article came from my difficulty in identifying with the women interviewed because I am a combat officer and they are not - we are in two very different branches of the military, and therefore have lived different experiences. The way in which the women interviewed for Ms. Reichard's paper think is fundamentally different than the way I think."

According to COL Brown, the non-combat leaders have had very different experiences with mobility and the extent to which they are a minority in their branches. COL Brown elaborated,

"I have commanded units but I have not yet been selected as a general officer. I am one of three women in my branch who commanded at the Colonel level but the only one of the three who commanded in Iraq under combat conditions. My branch still has yet to promote a female to general officer."

Taken together, COL Brown's initial reactions echo not only the general validity of the study but also the importance of gleaning a combat perspective. This leads one to think that if combat officers had participated in Reichard's (2006) study, the basic conclusion may have remained the same, however the progressiveness in the military regarding the promotion and acceptance of women as implied by the two women interviewed may not have been expressed by combat officers, such as COL Brown.

RELATIONSHIPS AND LEADER DEVELOPMENT
As stated, "relationships" was seen as the foundation of the female leader development process in the Reichard (2006) article. One of the core aspects of relationships was the influence of parents in terms of instilling values. Perhaps non-coincidentally, COL Brown's father was a retired Army officer. When asked about specific values that her parents/family instilled which later impacted her leadership, COL Brown discussed a couple of key values they encouraged. She said,

"First, never quit. Always do the right thing, even when it isn't popular. They taught me about going against the grain when it was the right thing to do. I have been pressured to manipulate a report to read a certain way, rather than the way it should. But, part of being a good leader is doing what you know is right."

Therefore, consistent with Reichard's article, the sub-theme of 'values instilled in formative years through parental interaction' was viewed by COL Brown as having an important impact on her development as a leader.

According to Reichard (2006), the concept of relationships also involves the observation of others and the role of key persons in one's life, such as mentors. In the interview with COL Brown, she agreed that mentors played a role in her development:

"Normally, people I worked for became my mentors. I would ask for advice whenever there was a critical decision to make and stay in touch with them afterwards. I would say, 'This is what I'm thinking, can you help me out?' It is the same with individuals who seek me out as a mentor."

Traditionally, people are likely to seek others who resemble themselves as mentors or role models (Ensher & Murphy, 2005). This was not the case with COL Brown. In fact, she asserted:

"My mentors and role models have always been male. While there are a handful of female officers, I'm not particularly close with any of them…Even though they are senior I do not look at them as mentors. It's always men…In general for women who are in combat service support, women have been their role models."

Perhaps, COL Brown's use of men as mentors may be a function of the time when she entered the military. Given the timing of COL Brown's entry into West Point, there were few if any women in leadership positions. When asked whether or not young women entering West Point today have an advantage because they have female role models to look up to and gain confidence from, COL Brown confirmed:

"I absolutely think that women today have an advantage. When I was [at West Point], there were a few female instructors. I looked up to my civilian swim coach. We had a female Physical Education instructor who was as tough as any male, yet she definitely was not a role model. I looked at her and said to myself - 'I don't want to be like her'…Women now have an advantage; there are many regular female tactical officers who understand what the cadets are going through, and they are part of the regular military, not the Women's Auxiliary Corps."

In summary, COL Brown reiterated Reichard's (2006) findings of the importance of maintaining close relationships as a route to successful development as a leader. COL Brown further advised women to seek mentoring relationships in order to develop their leadership. She explained, "I am part of the ADA mentor program where men and women can utilize me as a mentor. Men come for specific advice towards the next assignment or a reference. Women look more for a long-term mentorship." Undoubtedly, establishing key relations is a primary means to effective leader development in the military, regardless of branch.

ENGAGED EXPERIENCES AND INCORPORATING FEEDBACK
Reichard's (2006) model also discussed the concepts of engaged experiences (e.g., combat, education) and incorporating feedback (e.g., learning from mistakes) as being important to female leader development in the military. Like many other Army officers of her rank, COL Brown has grown from her many educational experiences. Her military education included Airborne School, Air Assault School, the Air Defense Artillery Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Combined Arms Services Staff School, the Army Command and General Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College, and the Army War College. When asked about the importance of her military education for developing her leadership, COL Brown stated the following:

"Military schooling seems to fall in line. It was not too challenging, this isn't rocket science. After being a cadet at West Point everyone seemed to be going to airborne school, so I did too. You go to many schools - it's just the progression."

Although the basic schooling was not truly challenging for her, the upper-level schools proved to be. She added,

"It's harder to get accepted to the War College. If you are continuing on with your career pattern you will be selected to attend...The most challenging school was Air Assault School and I wanted to go. I went as a Captain, and I went injured. It was by far the most physically demanding school. There were only two women and a handful of officers. The 120 people that showed up the first day shrank to 90 people the second day."

COL Brown's leadership was developed by her determination and strength through this challenging experience. She clarified,

"I was really determined not to get kicked out. The physical aspect of training seems to be the most challenging aspect, especially as a woman competing with men. However, the determination and will to push oneself past what one believes one can physically do is important for strong leadership."

The mental will implied by the physical endurance needed to accomplish this task pushed COL Brown to find her potential and succeed.

In terms of combat experience, it is clear that COL Brown's experience in the military and related activities is rather impressive. Her awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Overseas Service Ribbon. These achievements are based on her personal philosophy that,

"The best way to respond to challenge is to try one's hardest and just do the best job one can do - no one can ask for more than that."

Taken together and confirming the propositions in Reichard (2006), challenging experiences and incorporating feedback were stated by COL Brown as important to her leader development.

LEADERSHIP AND GENDER ISSUES
While not the main focus of the article, Reichard (2006) briefly discussed the issue of gender advantage in leadership; this issue was expounded upon in the interview with COL Brown. In a world where the genders are drifting further and further from traditional roles, one might conclude that women across the board are gaining a foothold in what has been previously a man's world. Today we see female heads-of-state, female combatants, and stay-at-home fathers. However, progress may not be consistent across all fields. COL Brown pointed out that within the combat branches, males currently occupy many of the leadership positions.

Two factors hinder women's ability to form relationships and, therefore, progress as leaders. First, women may at times be excluded from important interactions with men. To illustrate this COL Brown stated,

"There is a joke in the Pentagon that the men have their discussions in the latrines and so all the women are excluded from that."

Because of being a minority in combat branches, various missed opportunities for building relationships with superiors may hinder the women's chances for success. COL Brown summarized by stating,

"Men have an easier path; they get more support from fellow military personnel."

While men are bonding with each other women tend to compete, further harming their relationships with each other. COL Brown succinctly asserted,

"Women compete and men bond."

This competition among women appears to be especially dominant in combat branches as COL Brown pointed out:

"In combat arms they have a tendency to be really critical and competitive. In my branch there are so few high positions. I want to be better friends with the other two women that are in the same positions as me, but it's hard when there are three of us vying for the same position."

However, when reminiscing about West Point, COL Brown asserted that the competitiveness among women had not always existed:

"As a cadet we formed bonds because we didn't feel the competition there."

The increased competition among women apparently stems from the slim chances for promotion. COL Brown stated,

"There's that unspoken competition now, because only one of us will be chosen to succeed."

COL Brown further illustrated the contrast of men bonding and women competing by stating that,

"Men slap each other with towels in the locker-room, while women envy each others' looks."

She implied that women put themselves at a disadvantage due to their competitive behavior, and are often marginalized. She suggested that this actually is true of women in general in all aspects of life; it is difficult to cultivate amity in a relationship with others with whom one is in competition.

Other authors have written about competition among women. Campbell (2004) stated that "The most dangerous outcome of this is self hatred; girls and women disparage themselves and dissociate from other females." Campbell then went on to discuss the ways in which women compete, and argued that because physical or outward aggression is looked upon as masculine, many women use alternative and more subtle means to compete. These subtle forms of competitition may be the cause of the difficulty for women to form relationships with each other. Taken together, exclusion from male bonding and competition with fellow females form a double-edged sword which may prevent women from forming the quality relationships necessary for enhanced development.

Finally, it has been argued that women actually have a leadership disadvantage because people judge women as less effective leaders because they do not fit the masculine, aggressive, confident mold of a traditional leader. The macho and assertive model is difficult to mirror, as Campbell (2004) noted because both men and women look down upon this behavior in women. When asked if she felt that she was a more or less successful leader based on the extent that she does or does not fit the mold of a traditional leader, COL Brown replied:

"The difference is that women in combat arms and support are still a minority. I am more of a minority in my branch than other women are in theirs. My female friend in Iraq is an ordnance officer and a General; she has a fantastic reputation in combat service support among both genders. The ordnance core has far more women than the ADA does."

Due to the disproportionate distribution of females in the different sectors of the military, it is easier to "fit" in as a female and be accepted as a legitimate leader if one is in a branch where the male to female ratio is not as lopsided as other branches.

"In combat arms it is difficult to be viewed as a confident female leader; if you are male it is not hard to be viewed as a confident leader. I allow people to see me as I am. I try to be the best I can be and let my reputation fall where it may. People may look at you in other divisions and say 'Oh, you were only promoted because you're a woman.'

For women to be successful leaders, it often requires a delicate balancing act. COL Brown advises women accordingly.

"I try to tell women that they can't get away with the same behavior as men can - they can't be aggressive and they get a bad reputation when they try to be tough. For men it's macho, for women it's looked upon badly - and that is an understatement. If you have to cry, do it in private."

Women cannot be aggressive, but they can be assertive. Women leaders must strike a balance to avoid being considered either domineering or soft.

CONCLUSION In conclusion, COL Brown generally agreed with the basic tenets of Reichard's (2006) model of female leader development in the military; relationships are important to female leader development in the military and she provided some examples of her own to back up this finding. However, an important caveat should be added that key relationships may just as likely, if not more likely, be with men rather than women especially for combat arms leaders. Furthermore, women in combat branches of the military may face additional challenges in forming these relationships due to both the exclusion from male bonding and also the fierce competition with other women. COL Brown wishes, as do many other females in the military, that women will be selected to more upper level positions, and in addition to this, find friendship and sisterhood in one another. Finally, although Reichard's (2006) model may still hold true for females in combat branches, another study specifically dealing with the development of females in the military specifically in combat positions may be warranted.

Campbell, Anne. (2004). "Female competition: causes, constraints, content, and contexts" Journal of Sex Research, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2372/is_1_41/ai_n6032939/pg_10

Ensher, E.A., & Murphy, S.E. (2005). Power mentoring: How successful mentors and protégés get the most out of their relationships. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA.

Reichard, R.J. (2006). Toward a grounded theory of female leader development in the military, Leadership Review, 6, 3-28.