| Leadership engagement is a key factor in changing an organization’s culture. Leaders can start the culture development process by imposing their thoughts, beliefs, and assumptions on an organization. As a strategic leader, General Eric Shinseki, former Chief of Staff of the Army, saw a need to develop and describe a common warrior ethos throughout the Army. In 2003, he stated that the Army has always embraced this ethos but the demands of transformation will require a renewed effort to ensure that all soldiers understand and embody this warrior ethos. The 35th Chief of Staff of the Army, General Peter J. Schoomaker, embraced General Shinseki’s vision and made it one of his top priorities. This strategic research project will examine how the United States Army reinvigorated the warrior ethos mindset into its institution by using embedding and reinforcing mechanisms. A model by Edgar H. Schein, the author of Organizational Culture and Leadership, will be the principal tool used to examine how the Army changed its culture by placing emphasis on and redefining the expectations of a soldier as it relates to the warrior ethos. This application demonstrates the potential value of academic models in facilitating change in organizations. |