Lt. Col. Todd Henshaw, director of leadership studies at the United State Military Academy at West Point, recently spent two months in Afghanistan helping to create the National Military Academy of Afghanistan (NMAA). In the second of two posts, Henshaw explains the challenge of finding and developing leaders in Afghanistan. His comments are in quotation.

Leadership rests on the notion of authority.”Expectations for leadership in the Afghan military necessarily flow from Afghan culture, and what it means to be “in charge.”

Leaders do not shirk from challenges. Leaders whom Henshaw observed are “faced with a very difficult task involving “getting people on board,” obtaining resources in the most constrained conditions I have ever seen, and in the thick of things, amongst the violence, uncertainty, and difficulty, maintaining optimism and the necessary determination to get the job done.”

Leaders embrace challenges and shrug off the recognition. “I’ve often asked myself, ‘why are leaders so common in Afghanistan?' I think that this requires several answers. Each of these leaders [Henshaw knew] was attracted to Afghanistan by the very conditions that would make most people run from this situation. Each had an incredible passion for their purpose and their role, and each was actively developing other leaders who would eventually stand in their place. Finally, I would make the case that we have many leaders among us that, until called upon, resemble the rest of us… [T]hese leaders say that they are just doing their jobs.”

Western-style leadership has limitations. “Young Afghans also understand that western theories and concepts cannot be applied in Kabul in the same way as in Abilene. In fact, many of the questions asked by cadets in the leadership classes involve this translation of concepts within local culture.”

Leadership development must be localized. Until the Afghan professorate is ready to develop their own publications to inform the Afghan society about “Afghan Leadership,” young Afghans will rely on western thinking, albeit with a local twist. My hope would be that at least one of the cadets in the leadership major at NMAA will pursue further study, and will build the Afghan leadership press.”

Afghanistan has suffered decades’ worth of destruction at the hands of the Soviets and the Taliban. One key to helping Afghanistan join the 21st century is education. Investment in that educational process says Col. Henshaw is critical. “The young people of Afghanistan are the ones who will carry the country forward over the next century, and they also happen to be the generation whose development has been most impeded by the lack of stability in the country. It makes sense to invest in opportunities to develop the next generation of Afghan leaders by funding leadership development programs.”

Most of us will never face conditions as daunting as those in Afghanistan, but anyone who aspires to leadership can learn from young Afghanis who want to lead and the advisers who teach them. And the biggest lesson is this: leadership counts! How you demonstrate it can make the difference between success and failure.

Read Part 1: Next-generation Leadership for Afghanistan