Predicting Leadership Performance and Potential in the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School (OCS)

The purpose of this article was to determine proximal and distal antecedents of leadership in the U.S. Army’s Officer Candidate School (OCS). A model composed of motivation to lead, leadership self-efficacy, implicit leadership, organizational commitment, general cognitive ability, and personality was proposed. Results from a longitudinal examination of 1,232 officer candidates suggest partial support for the model, and limited evidence for enlisted experience as a moderator. Candidate personality (partially mediated by interest in leadership and leadership self-efficacy) best predicted leadership performance during OCS and peer ratings of leadership potential. Implications for OCS selection and models of leadership performance are discussed.