Examination of ROTC cadets potentially relevant across military and other rigorous professions

Military officials thrive and achieve by being resolute, insightful, and inspiring. Additionally, these qualities are often combined with a significant amount of perseverance.

However, the capability to envision themselves in a different time, whether past or future, and assess current obstacles from a more expansive viewpoint is a relatively unexplored and undervalued characteristic—an important indicator of effective leadership in military contexts and beyond, as highlighted by a new research co-authored by a scholar from the University of Michigan.

This concept is referred to as “temporal self-distancing,” and this specific form of cognition emerged as the sole significant influencer of leadership effectiveness among various self-regulatory characteristics in a study conducted on cadets during the U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Cadet Summer Training, which serves as the ultimate leadership evaluation for upcoming military officers.

“What truly emerged from this study is that leadership encompasses more than simply persevering through challenges; it’s fundamentally about one’s thought processes regarding those challenges,” stated Walter Sowden, a lecturer in management and organizations at the Ross School of Business at U-M and the study’s corresponding author.

“Cadets who instinctively perceive challenges from a long-term viewpoint demonstrated superior performance under pressure. This is a skill that can be nurtured, and it is something that leaders across various fields can cultivate to enhance decision-making and resilience.”

The research encompasses feedback from 234 cadets who filled out a survey assessing five self-regulatory habits: self-control, cognitive reappraisal, emotional suppression, grit, and temporal self-distancing.

In contrast to the researchers’ initial expectations, traits like self-control and grit did not emerge as key predictors of effective leadership. However, they emphasized that these traits remain beneficial, and their findings do not lessen their potential significance.

“Our findings do not contradict conventional leadership theories which largely highlight attributes such as decisiveness, intelligence, and charisma, but rather expand the discussion by proposing the inclusion of specific self-regulatory mechanisms within those frameworks,” the authors noted.

Sowden, who dedicated 28 years to the U.S. Army, remarked that his military background significantly influenced his research interests. He also refers to his doctoral studies at U-M, where he was part of the Emotion and Self-Control Lab, examining how psychological processes like emotional regulation and self-reflection influence behavior.

“Upon obtaining my Ph.D., I recognized a chance to apply that knowledge to investigate leadership effectiveness within military settings—specifically, how psychological self-regulation aids performance in high-pressure environments,” he explained. “The U.S. Army ROTC Advanced Camp offered an exceptional backdrop for this exploration, being both a crucible of leadership and a pivotal career-defining moment for future military leaders.”

Sowden claims that the ability to detach and “zoom out” from the immediate stressors would prove advantageous in any high-stakes corporate climate, whether managing a crisis response, steering a corporate turnaround, or resolving workplace disputes.

The research has been accepted for publication in Military Psychology, with Sowden’s co-authors including Neil Lewis Jr., a behavioral scientist at Cornell University, and U.S. Army Maj. Rachell Jones, who is affiliated with the 1st Armored Division.