Military leadership potential predicts later managerial position

Therese Reitan and Sten-Åke Stenberg have published a study in Armed Forces & Society on whether perceptions of leadership potential extends across contexts. The findings are based on data from the Stockholm Birth Cohort Multigenerational Study.

About the study

This study aimed to examine the correlation between leadership capacity, based on assessments of officer suitability at the time of military conscription, and actual leadership role occupancy later in life.

Highlights

The likelihood of becoming a manager in late adulthood was positively associated with the assessment of military officer suitability.

There remained a notable impact of cognitive capacity, body height, and socioeconomic background on the probability of holding a managerial position in late adulthood.

Publication details

Reitan, T., & Stenberg, S.-Å. (2024). We (All) Want You? Perceived Military Leadership Potential and Actual Leadership Role Occupancy in Working Life: A Longitudinal Study of a Swedish Cohort. Armed Forces & Society, 0(0).

Read more: https://doi.org/10.1177/0095327X241228845

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