Leadership and talent management, the Army's driving force in its future challenges

The 5th edition of the conference "The Army and Future Challenges", which was held at the Army War School on 1 and 2 April, was attended by the Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, and the Army Chief of Staff, Army General Francisco J. Varela, during its inauguration.

The motto "Leadership and talent management" was the focus of the speakers' speeches, as well as the look towards the future, which now represents the force 35. In this sense, the Minister of Defence highlighted the "desire to modernise and adapt to the new times of the Army".

And with a view towards this future, she pointed out that leadership and talent are fundamental in an environment in which reality changes at great speed. "Charismatic leadership is not the same as that which the Army wants to represent, from a strategic, operational and tactical point of view," she said. The minister also defended that this leadership had to be reflected in the defence of values and of Spain.

A leadership in values

Likewise, the JEME stressed that the Army promotes a  leadership style based on values. With that message he insisted on the idea of anticipating the search for "the leaders of the future", in a changing scenario, and providing the best service to Spain.

After the opening, Miguel Ángel Ariño, expert and ordinary professor of the Department of Decision Analysis of IESE Business School of the University of Navarra, gave the first day’s main lecture.

The speaker stressed the need for companies to invest in learning so as to gain in efficiency. In addition, he explained that work should be attractive to the workers who do it. But together with this concept he stressed that unity is fundamental, the feeling of identifying with the work and the company’s values.

To finish, civilian and military speakers analyzed the organization of command and management, within their respective areas. Moderated by the former head of the Training and Doctrine Command, Lieutenant General Carrasco, the head of the "San Marcial" Division, General Ruiz Olmos, the president of Indra, Fernando Abril-Martorell, and the CEO of Kairos Digital Solutions, Carlos Moure, intervened. The three speakers gave different visions of command and direction in the military, business and technological fields.