Lead by example – Army Chief tells Mid-Level Commanders

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has urged mid-level commanders in the Nigerian Army to set an example for their subordinates as part of the ongoing efforts to address the security challenges facing the country.

Lagbaja delivered this message on Tuesday while presenting a lecture titled “Crafting My Command Philosophy As Chief of Army Staff, Nigerian Army Within Nigeria’s Contemporary And Emerging Security Environment” to students of Senior Course 46 at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna. This information was conveyed in a statement released by Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations.

The COAS emphasized the importance of leading by example as a dependable leadership style, where leaders exemplify the behavior they expect from their team members. Leading by example, according to him, involves not only motivating team members to strive for excellence but actively demonstrating that excellence in one’s actions.

He stated, “My command Philosophy is a commitment that I will not ask any of my commanders or Principal Staff Officers, or anyone for that matter, to do what I am unwilling or unable to do personally. I equally do not expect my commanders to ask their subordinates to do anything that they are not willing or unable to do.”

Lagbaja stressed his expectation that commanders at all levels should lead by example and promote such a positive culture throughout the Nigerian Army. He believed that exemplary leadership would have a positive impact on operational efficiency in the ongoing operations.

He also assured that no effort would be spared to ensure that the Nigerian Army, under his leadership, maintains its operational effectiveness in all endeavours.

The Commandant of the College, AVM Hassan Alhaji, expressed gratitude to the COAS for personally delivering the lecture and sharing his insights to guide the officers on the army’s direction. Alhaji encouraged the officers to embrace the leadership qualities advocated by the COAS to enhance their command abilities and effectively execute their assigned tasks.

During a visit to the troops of the 198 Special Forces Battalion at Afaka in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna state, the COAS commended the troops for their successful clearance of insurgents from the Rigasa-Afaka axis of the state. He urged them to maintain their momentum in ongoing operations to completely eliminate insurgents from their hideouts and assured them that their welfare would be a top priority under his command.