Leadership and the Changing Character of War

In this book, we distinguish between the nature of war, the enduring quality of war that is rooted in human, political, and social dynamics and the character of war, which evolves in response to technological, organizational, and societal change. Today’s strategic environment represents a particularly acute inflection point in that evolution. The convergence of artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, global information networks, and persistent competition below the threshold of armed conflict has altered not only how militaries fight, but how they organize, learn, and lead. Hence, our focus is largely on the changing character of war and the leadership required at the operational and strategic levels.