Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover the leadership experiences soldiers encountered while being deployed for a year to a United Nations Peacekeeping Mission. Participants were members of the Ecuadorian army. Data from officer interviews was organized into four main themes: (1) Upholding standards of training, (2) Multiple, diverse command and control practices, (3) A mission is a cultural exchange, and (4) Journey from conflict to peace. This article covers the fourth theme on leadership during the journey from conflict to peace. This describes the officers’ leadership experiences on a United Nations peacekeeping mission as they evaluated the reality that they experienced against the ideal of creating peace around the world. The officers from Ecuador, working with military personnel from around the world, on seven United Nations Missions, offered a multitude of insights into the leadership required in complex international contexts. The troop-contributing countries for peacekeeping missions have shifted from the global north to those in the global south. This demographic has not been well researched, and this study helps to amplify the voices of military personnel currently working in this sector. As one of the largest global organizations, the UN, its peacekeeping missions and the militaries they work with, can benefit from the organizational leadership information offered by this study. In turn, soldiers’ observations and reflections will help the international community to better serve the needs of this group of officers and their families as well as their countries’ militaries.