Leadership’s obligation to their warriors’ spirit

March 22, 2022 - MWO Laurie Joseph Bradshaw

The term Warrior Spirit conjures images of women and men in uniform ready for combat.

But this character, this ethos, is not the monopoly of armies.

In order to survive physically, psychologically and emotionally, soldiers and first responders need a warrior’s spirit. In order to grow and sustain health for ourselves and our personnel, leaders need to understand the Warrior Spirit; what it is: why it is important, how to instill it and how to uphold it.

So, what is it?

Seiser’s article, The Psychology of a Warrior’s Spirit (2011), tells us, “A warrior’s body may be the weapon, but how that weapon is used depends on the heart and mind of the warrior – their spirit.”

Indigenous Principles (2020) states, “…the warrior spirit in the Indigenous sense, is largely regarded as a person, man or woman, who has vowed their life to the betterment of their family, community, nation—collectively their people—and that they will act and make decisions for the greater good regardless of how hard it may be, or the consequences as they pertain to him or herself.”

While there are numerous descriptions, what we are sure of is Warrior Spirit is a centuries‑old philosophy and mindset. It is what motivates those who possess it to move toward the sound of gunfire, or cries for help, to bring about resolution, rather than run or hide. Warrior Spirit precludes us from compromising our integrity despite personal cost.

The importance of the Warrior Spirit cannot be overstated. It saves lives, contributes to success and enhances resilience. Warriors believe in saving lives; throughout history there are examples supporting this.

Alexander the Great forbade plunder and revenge on conquered territories; he knew it would cause needless bloodshed.

In present time, soldiers have been known to throw themselves on grenades to save those nearby. Saving lives is why the true warrior will use every means available to reduce harm, such as The Rules of Engagement and Laws of Armed Conflict.

The true warrior always chooses to do what is right, even when personal values and professional ethics are in conflict. In 1998’s The Warrior’s Honour, Michael Ignatieff writes, “A warrior’s honour is a slender hope, but it may be all there is to separate war from savagery. And a corollary hope is that men can be trained to fight with honour. Armies train people to kill, but they also teach restraint and discipline.”

Not only does the Warrior Spirit save lives, but it is a critical factor in mission success. Dr Morris Janowitz, a founder of military sociology, studied Warrior Spirit in combat and noted, “…under combat conditions there is an explicit commitment to one’s fellow soldiers. A main motivation to fight is for others, and sometimes this commitment can be ascribed to a squad, platoon, company, larger unit, the Army as a whole, or ultimately one’s Nation.” (1960)

While this is true during active combat, what about individual healing, after? The Oxford English Dictionary defines resilience as, “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.” It affords us the ability to remain positive, to find happiness, and to move past traumatic events. Warrior ethos and training cultivate resilience. Instilling resilience in our soldiers produces individuals with fewer tendencies toward long‑lasting pre‑ and post‑trauma psychological disorders following exposure to life threatening situations.

Some people exude Warrior Spirit, and these are people we gravitate towards – they are the leaders we follow into battle without question. Some possess Warrior Spirit, but do not recognize what it is and cannot exploit its full potential. Still others lack Warrior Spirit. In spite of these latter two conditions, anything can be learned, unlearned or relearned. Therefore it is possible to instill, refresh and maximize Warrior Spirit. Something we as leaders can do to encourage Warrior Spirit is to educate troops about Ethos, the tenets of The Soldier’s Creed, and our military history.

In relation to ethos, two key characteristics for any warrior are courage and discipline.

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” (Mark Twain, 1893) A warrior keeps their emotional arousal in check and chooses to respond in a calm, rational or, when necessary, deadly manner. They know fear comes from negative visions about future outcomes so they stay focused on their immediate task.

“Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.” (George Washington, 1759) Warriors are physically and mentally disciplined. They maintain their weapons, their equipment and every aspect of themselves. Warriors know there are no short cuts. They practise a disciplined life. They neither make, nor accept, excuses. They do the right thing in the face of opposition, despite risks to self, reputation or image.

Warriors follow the tenets of their creed without hesitation:

• I am a warrior, I live by an unwavering code of honour.
• I am a warrior, I am not arrogant, for this is an exploitable weakness.
• I am a warrior, I serve the people and guard our freedoms and our way of life.
• I am a warrior, I feel compassion for those I protect and respect my enemies.
• I am a warrior, I will never accept defeat but accept that death may be inevitable.

Once sure the Warrior Spirit is taking root, leaders need to take active steps to maintain it. This is easy during times of conflict. Currently, the Canadian Armed Forces have been in conflict zones, in varying capacities, since 1990. However, now that we are no longer in active combat, we must collectively ensure the maintenance of Warrior Spirit in our troops. If we do not, we risk losing soldiers to boredom, disappointment, and consequently other organizations.

As leaders, it is essential we maintain our own Warrior Spirit in order to remain active examples for our troops. One significant method of maintaining Warrior Spirit among our troops is by weeding out poor leaders. While an unpopular idea, removing ineffective leadership allows the Warrior Spirit to remain part of the organizational culture. As Philip of Macedonia said, “An army of deer led by a lion is more to be feared than an army of lions led by a deer.”

Key elements to maintaining Warrior Spirit are training, competition, study, and history.

“If you’re not training, someone else is, and when you meet, they will decide the outcome.” (unknown source) A warrior must be trained and proficient in their abilities. In order to stand ready, a warrior must be confident in their skills and understand every threat is an opportunity to expose areas needing improvement. It is critical that leaders ensure their warriors receive the necessary training and support to maintain their skills. Greek poet and warrior Archilochus wrote, “We do not rise to the level of our expectations. We fall to the level of our training.” Note the fact he was both a warrior and a poet.

Competition is an opportunity for leaders and their warriors. Warriors have the spirit to win and competition is about testing one’s mettle by pitting our skills against those of another. Still, this is never just about the win. It is a non‑battlefield opportunity to observe warriors, the qualities they possess, and to study how they react to challenges. A warrior does not make excuses for loss or attempt to justify their actions. Instead, they seek to learn from loss and improve. A warrior possesses genuine humility; in victory a warrior allows their opponent to maintain dignity. Leadership can observe all of this, then assess, encourage and guide warriors based on these observations. Of additional benefit to competition in a training environment is that it assists in overcoming low self‑esteem and builds coping skills and resilience for dealing with adversity.

We study to understand the organization in which we operate, to understand the society and culture we serve, as well as our role in and obligation to each. On a personal level, study encourages perfection of one’s craft, achievement of competence, and movement to higher levels of professionalism. Study is key to understanding the complex geopolitical factors that precipitate conflict. It prepares soldiers to deal with fringe elements of conflict, like displaced persons, famine and erosion of morality. Leaders should encourage warriors to examine and discuss excellent resources like a study out of the Netherlands, entitled Warrior and Peacekeeper Role Identities: Associations with Self‑Esteem, Organizational Commitment and Organizational Citizenship Behavior.

History is vital; it is difficult to be proud of who we are if we do not know where we have come from and as Warriors we have a lot of history.

In closing, the Warrior Spirit is a multifaceted concept that guides our way of life, a philosophy of holding the right mindset, a belief that we can push harder, move faster and go farther than the rest of society. Persons possessing the Warrior Spirit live by unyielding values and any organization they are associated with will benefit as a result. Leaders develop and maintain Warrior Spirit by setting the examples, but also by implementing the training and education programs that nurture the Warrior Spirit and ensure it takes root in the organization.

Whether they are a soldier, the first responder or a citizen, warriors are committed to peace and the well‑being of others. They will, in order to fulfill this commitment, train, study, fight and, if necessary, sacrifice their lives. Accordingly, warriors deserve disciplined, knowledgeable and committed leadership.