Do your job

What is it about?

This case study, Do Your Job, explores leadership challenges and organizational conflict within a U.S. Army brigade combat team during a critical training exercise. The narrative follows First Lieutenant Nick Rife, a newly appointed platoon leader, as he navigates escalating tensions between his company commander and a senior staff officer over competing priorities—tactical readiness versus risk mitigation. Students are invited to analyze communication breakdowns, leadership styles, the use and obfuscation of power & influence, and structural barriers within a hierarchical organization. Designed for upper-level undergraduate courses in leadership and management, the case encourages application of conflict resolution frameworks and communication models to develop strategies for maintaining authority, fostering collaboration, and improving organizational effectiveness. Keywords: leadership, conflict management, organizational behavior, power & influence, communication, military hierarchy

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Photo by Daniel on Unsplash

Photo by Daniel on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The case study “Do Your Job” is an important publication because it distills a fundamental yet often underexamined principle of effective leadership: the disciplined alignment of roles, responsibility, and accountability under pressure. By presenting a realistic, decision‑focused scenario, the case pushes readers beyond abstract leadership ideals and forces them to confront how individual actions, omissions, and assumptions about authority shape collective outcomes. Its value lies in its transferability across military, public-sector, and organizational settings, making it a powerful teaching tool for ethics, command climate, and professional responsibility. In doing so, Do Your Job helps develop leaders who understand that mission success depends not only on competence, but on the moral courage to fully own one’s role within a larger system.