JOURNAL OF APPLIED SPORT PSYCHOLOGY, 27: 235–248, 2015 Copyright C  Association for Applied Sport Psychology ISSN: 1041-3200 print / 1533-1571 online DOI: 10.1080/10413200.2014.982306 Post-LDAC Reflections of ROTC Cadets: Relationship to Leadership and Performance TODD A. GILSON AND MORGAN LATIMER Northern Illinois University MARC LOCHBAUM Texas Tech University In the United States Reserve Officer Training Program, cadets attend a month-long camp, where they are evaluated on leadership ability. The purpose of this study was to assess the experiences of cadets upon their return. Through semistructured interviews, with 25 cadets, 3 distinct higher order themes emerged: (a) perceived difficulty of the Leadership Development and Assessment Course, (b) psychological skills required for success, and (c) social climate experienced. Furthermore, upon completion of general inductive analysis, cadets’ responses were compared to their leadership score, thereby highlighting how salient aspects of leadership manifest themselves through cadets’ behaviors and performances. To be a successful military leader in the United States Army, individuals must possess both key attributes (i.e., who a leader is) and competencies (i.e., what a leader does). The leader- ship requirement model (Department of the Army, 2006) breaks down these two necessary components. Attributes include the three subdimensions of character, presence, and intellec- tual capability, whereas competencies incorporate the more action-oriented items of leads, develops, and achieves. It is from this model and the specific subdimensions listed that U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets are assessed. In scholarly work, various leadership approaches have emerged, but only a few mirror the components valued by the U.S. Army and Army Reserve. The universal behavior approach, as explained by Cox (2012), became popular after World War II when focus shifted from traits of effective leaders to behaviors that could be learned and cultivated. In particular, key behaviors that were displayed by successful leaders were taught to prospective leaders, thus, reducing the importance placed upon identifying leaders based solely on personality characteristics (Cox, 2012). Utilizing this approach, two characteristics were found to be most salient to increase group effectiveness: consideration and initiating structure (Murray, Mann, & Mead, 2010). Consideration includes developing trust and respect for others Received 30 April 2014; accepted 27 October 2014. Address correspondence to Todd A. Gilson, Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Northern Illinois University, Anderson Hall 230, DeKalb, IL 60115. E-mail: tgilson@niu.edu Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/uasp. 235 Downloaded by [Northern Illinois University] at 06:46 30 March 2015