Why Do Senior Officers Sometimes Fail in Character? The Leaky Character Reservoir

Abstract

This article argues senior officers may fail in character because their rate of character development throughout their careers typically decreases as environmental stressors rise. It conceptualizes character as an open system with both gains and leaks over time and integrates existing scholarship on personal it y and ethical development to create the Leaky Character Reser voi r framework, which it then appl ies to Army off icers’ careers. Military leaders will gain a new understanding of character and find specific actions leaders, units, and the US Army can undertake to strengthen the character of its senior officers.