Major General Leonard Wood: A Study of Leadership in an Army in Transition

Abstract

Abstract : Leonard Wood rose from obscure civilian contract doctor in the American southwest of 1885 to Chief of Staff of the United States Army as the Army itself changed from frontier constabulary to global fighting force. Besides his service as Chief of Staff, Wood was a Medal of Honor winner in the campaign to capture Geronimo; commander of the Rough Riders in Spanish American War; Governor of Cuba and later the Philippines; a prolific writer; and candidate for President of the United States. He was the Prophet of Preparedness and dedicated his career to initiating training and readiness improvements in the Army in the years of transition before World War I. But Leonard Wood was foremost a political general, shrewd, ruthless, and often insubordinate. Capable and ambitious, he used friends and position to further his power, prestige, and his singular vision of America. Eventually his conflict with influential political leaders, fellow generals, and presidents led to his banishment to Kansas while the Army he had spent years in promoting marched to World War I without him. Even now, he remains an enigma to the Army's officer corps. This study reviews Leonard Wood's service as the Army's foremost strategic leader in a period of unprecedented transition to examine his leader competencies and the political military relationship lessons learned that may be apropos to today's Army leaders.