Unit Level Leader Development - Are We Getting it Right?

I recently came across a 2008 RAND report on unit level leader development programs. I will summarize the main points here as the report is lengthy and very detailed. The report does not recommend any real changes to our unit level leader development programs - the report essentially states what the Army wanted to hear - we are doing things right. Not surprising, since RAND is the Army's "Survey and Research Monkey". I recommend that you take a look at the Report and make your own conclusions; I am merely providing mine here for discussion:
My Personal Conclusions (at the Brigade and below)
1. RAND says we are alright at the Unit Level. I believe we need some reform – at a minimum we need some formal guidelines at the unit level, which leads me to number two.

2. RAND says leave it up to Commander’s to decide with little or no formal guidelines. That’s great if the Army can guarantee that all Commanders are strong leaders; the Army cannot. Paradigm Time: 1. The Army can make anyone a leader and 2. The Army owes it’s soldiers the best leadership possible; thereby, the best leader development available. If you subscribe to these paradigms as I do, the way things are now, some commanders do a lot of leader development, and some do none – it essentially varies from “Hero to Zero” and that cannot continue – in order to meet the accepted paradigms I feel there must be some concrete set of standards applied to leader development programs within units. If nothing else, the Army MUST REQUIRE something occur at the unit level within a determined period of time. (at least a leader development event of some type (from a menu) once a quarter?) Standardize the program but retain flexibility.

3. Basically RAND says standardization and formal requirements it’s just too hard to do, and that is absolutely unacceptable – We owe it to our soldiers to figure out how to ensure they are prepared to lead our Army into the future. The RAND report states that our OPTEMPO makes it too hard to do (My observation) – What? Nothing more to say about that?!?!?!

4. RAND’s research model has some false assumptions; therefore, their research model is slightly flawed. They state that leader development resources are available on the internet from CAL and other online resources. And that these sources serve both the individual (Self) and the commander (Unit) with leader development. In order to make their case, they unfortunately make a false critical assumption: They assume that just because it is posted and available on the internet, that people are using it. Ask yourself when was the last time you went to CAL and looked for self or Unit level leadership development resources??? Me – only recently researching my Thesis – aside from that NEVER!

RAND says we are good to go…..I say we are not…..From those of you out in our units….. What are your thoughts????? Are our commanders doing their job? Is there true leader development occurring in our units? Is it time for some standards, guidelines, requirements, or the like??? Or is leader development merely a bi-product of experience?

The RAND Survey can be accessed at the following link: http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG648/