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Professional Self-Development

by Colonel F.G. Auld Commandant - October 23, 2024

Reading Time: 2 min

 

It is widely-accepted across our allies, partners, and within Canadian thinking that the foundation of fighting power derives from physical, moral, and intellectual components. Hence, to maximize fighting power, commanders at all levels must exploit the development and use of these components using the resources available. 

While the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF’s) and CA’s developmental period and professional military education models are second-to-none, alone they will not produce the intellectual firepower needed to compete, confront, contest, and fight successfully in the future. Professional warfighters must embrace continuous learning and self-development. This fact demands a steady commitment of personal attention and time; not an easy request given the pace of life today. However, continuous learning is a fundamental requirement for the leaders of the least forgiving profession—the profession of arms. As highlighted by former Chief of the Defence Staff General J.A. Dextraze,

“…military leadership without knowledge never has been and never will be truly successful. History is full of examples of how battles and wars can be lost through lack of knowledge. Look how often large, well-equipped armies have been trashed by smaller forces. Sound, knowledgeable leadership makes the difference, and the necessary knowledge can only come through hard work. Do not be under the impression that, as your career progresses, the piece of grey matter in your head will grow in size proportionate to the loftiness of your rank. This just doesn’t happen. You may be given more authority by promotion, but you are not by the same act given additional knowledge or ability. These you must acquire yourself through study, application and experience.”

And, as very bluntly outlined by General (retired) Jim Mattis of the United States Marine Corps, 

“If you haven’t read hundreds of books, you are functionally illiterate, and you will be incompetent, because your personal experiences alone aren’t broad enough to sustain you … Any commander who claims he is ‘too busy to read’ is going to fill body bags with his troops as he learns the hard way.”

As members of the profession of arms, we must embrace our chosen craft and accept the responsibility for our own continuous self-development—it is critical to our fighting power and mission success. And, more than being our responsibility, it is our duty to do so. We owe it to our soldiers, to our allies and partners, and to Canadians. 

For professionally curated reading recommendations, see the CA’s Line of Sight website or the Canadian Forces’ College Profession of Arms Reading Lists found at: 

 


photo of Colonel F.G. Auld, Commandant

Colonel F.G. Auld
Commandant

Image of College Entrance used for a section break.

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