The purpose of our discussion of leadership is to establish a standard for assessing the performance of Canadian Forces leaders in the Somalia mission.

Effective leadership is unquestionably essential in a military context. According to one Canadian Forces manual, "Leadership is the primary reason for the existence of all officers of the Canadian Forces." Without strong leadership, the concerted effort that characterizes a properly functioning armed force is unlikely to take shape, and the force's individual members are unlikely to achieve the unity of purpose that is essential to success in military operations. Strong leadership is associated with high levels of cohesion and the development of unity of purpose. Leadership is important at all levels of the Canadian Forces, applying equally to commissioned and non-commissioned officers.

However, leadership is also a complex and value-laden concept, and its definition is somewhat dependent on context. It includes not merely the authority, but also the ability to lead others. Commanders will not be leaders if they do little to influence and inspire their subordinates. The commander, in effect, becomes a leader only when the leader is accepted as such by subordinates. Leadership requires much more than management skills or legal authority. The leader is the individual who motivates others. As one American commentator on military leadership has stated:

Mere occupancy of an office or position from which leadership behavior is expected does not automatically make the occupant a true leader. Such appointments can result in headship but not necessarily in leadership. While appointive positions of high status and authority are related to leadership they are not the same thing.

A 1995 DND survey of attitudes of military and civilian employees revealed dissatisfaction with the state of leadership within DND. Survey respondents believed that leaders in the Department were too concerned about building their empires and "following their personal agenda", and that DND was too bureaucratic. The survey noted that "[e]mployees, both military and civilian, are losing or have lost confidence in the Department's leadership and management." The former Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen Jean Boyle, stated publicly in 1996 that the rank and file had justifiable concerns about the quality of high command. More recently, LGen Baril, Commander Land Force Command, declared:

The Army has a significant leadership deficiency.... Unfashionable as some of these old basic values may seem to some, it is the kind of leadership that produced the mutual trust that bonded our Army in combat. That trust between the leader and the soldier is what distinguishes outstanding units from ineffective ones.

These are the qualities we considered important in assessing leadership related to the Somalia mission.