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Ethos and Values: The Foundation on which an Army is Built
11 September 2007
By Colonel Al McCone
ACGS, Human Resources
This month marks the launch of the NZ Army Ethos and Values publication, The Way of the New Zealand Warrior.
Why a book on ethos and values? Because having all the skills and equipment means nothing if people can’t trust each other with their lives. The building and maintenance of that trust is the heart and soul of a fighting force, and we call it ethos and values.
What is Ethos?
The word ethos comes from the Greek language, and describes the characteristic spirit and beliefs of a community, people, system or person. Usually, ethos is demonstrated by the natural tendencies, customs or characteristic spirit as shown in the behaviour of individuals.
What are Values?
The ethos of the Army is embodied in the values system. Values are a set of standards of behaviour for soldiers. These behaviours are important because they have been proven over time to contribute to successful operational performance. Different Services, both in NZ and abroad, have differing descriptions of values. The main difference is that each country or Service has grouped a very similar set of behaviours in different ways.
Is History Important?
What is very important for an Army is not to repeat mistakes made in the past. This is important because often the lessons of the past have been paid for with the lives of New Zealand soldiers. In almost all of the examples we use to illustrate our ethos and values, New Zealanders serving their country have lost their lives, protecting their country, and their mates.
So history is important. We should not ignore the sacrifice and effort of those who went before us, because their lessons will help save the lives of New Zealand soldiers on future battlefields.
We truly do stand on the shoulders of giants.
Our Values
Our values guide us in every aspect of our individual and collective responsibilities. In NZ, an Army study has shown that the behaviours regarded by soldiers as demonstrating good soldierly qualities group into four main areas: Courage, Commitment, Comradeship and Integrity (known as C3I).
‘Courage’ is both moral and physical. Those with moral courage make difficult decisions and possess the conviction to stand by them. Those with physical courage overcome their fear in the face of danger.
‘Commitment’ is putting others before self and acting selflessly for the greater good of the team.
‘Comradeship’ is the basis of all Army teams. Those who demonstrate comradeship look after their mates and realise that more can be achieved as a team than as individuals.
‘Integrity’ requires honesty, sincerity, reliability, unselfishness and consistency of approach.
Applying Ethos and Values
Ethos and values are the Army’s ‘line in the sand’ because they describe the principles and beliefs which shape the behaviour and success of our organisation. A ‘line in the sand’ is a line that should not be crossed – the ethos and values line describes those points where behaviour becomes unacceptable.
To put it bluntly, Army expects much higher standards of personal and professional responsibility and greater respect for both authority and other people than in general society because these things mean we have a greater chance of surviving in the battlefield.
The line in the sand
No-one is perfect. Certainly no one expects soldiers to be goody-goodies – that just doesn't fit with what we do. However, every time a soldier places a foot over the line of appropriate behaviour, they chip away at our operational effectiveness. Steal something from a comrade, you create suspicion and reduce the effectiveness of your team. Drive drunk, you show you have no self control and reduce the trust others can show in you. Misuse your rank or show disrespect to others, you degrade the chain of command.
The New Zealand Army ethos and values are about showing good judgment and standing up for what is right, looking after the team and respecting the people in it, being loyal to those around us, and being honest in all our dealings.
The behaviours that are shown are expected behaviours. They are the ‘line in the sand’ that we as soldiers should not step over. Study them and learn them. They are as much part of being a soldier as all the other skills we learn.
Ethos and values are the foundation stone of serving as a soldier. When we display the correct behaviour, we will be the people that others look to in times of uncertainty. And that is what being a soldier and a leader in the NZ Army is all about.
This page was last reviewed on 14 September 2007 and is current.
