General Creighton Abrams: Ethical Leadership at the Strategic Level

Abstract

Abstract : Ethical leadership is the foundation upon which the United States Army is built. The Army has faced many ethical challenges in its history. Present challenges are indeed much like the ones that General Creighton Abrams' faced when he was the Army Chief of Staff. This study describes General Abrams' ethical strategic leadership style during his Army career and examines the extent that his ethical principles and examples affected his soldiers and the Army. This paper also explores the impact that General Abrams' ethical strategic leadership still makes upon the Army today. General Abrams's ethical leadership impacted all levels of the Army. His leadership positively influenced soldiers and leaders at the battalion through the Corps level in Germany. His ethical strategic leadership was instrumental in the Army's handling of the racial issues during the civil rights movement in 1962-1963. General Abrams' leadership in Vietnam enabled the military to conduct an orderly withdrawal from the war. His most lasting contribution came when the Army rebuilt after Vietnam. His ethical strategic leadership is still evident today in the organization and the Army's current leadership.