Air Force Leadership Principles
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LESSON 3 Air Force Leadership Principles Quick Write Key Leadership Principles Leadership is a complex human behavior. People who study leadership recognize there is no single formula for creating a great leader. Read an American Biography or Americans in Action Ideas about leadership have changed a great deal over the article from an earlier past century. In the years following World Wars I and II, lesson in this textbook. many businesses adopted a “top-down” management structure. Then write a list of words It looked like a pyramid. The president or chief executive that indicate that person’s offi cer sat at the top, and the workers held up the bottom. leadership qualities. How Businesses borrowed this structure from the military model. did the person’s actions refl ect his or her leadership That approach to leadership went unquestioned for many qualities? decades. But by the mid-1980s, many businesses began to reevaluate this structure and to create new ones. The pyramid gave way to a fl atter shape. The boundaries between the top and the bottom became less distinct. Leadership became a shared responsibility. This led to an examination of the Learn About traditional defi nitions of “leader” and “follower.” • key leadership principles In its continual search for the most effective forms of • know yourself and leadership, the Air Force began to reevaluate its application your role of leadership principles. It drew on current leadership theories • set the example from business and universities to develop its own defi nition • care for your people of leadership. • communicate, educate, Part of your job as a future leader is to understand leadership equip, and motivate theories and styles. By demonstrating strong values, building • accept your responsibility trust, focusing on results, and motivating, you will infl uence • develop teamwork your team members. In so doing, you will help them adapt to the challenge of service in an ever-changing world. As you learned in Lesson 1, the Air Force defi nes leadership as the art of infl uencing and directing people to accomplish the mission.” To help its men and women understand the behaviors expected of its leaders, the Air Force has adopted a set of leadership principles. A leadership principle is a rule or guide that has been tested and proven over the years by successful leaders. 278 CHAPTER 7 A Leadership Model The following are the Air Force Leadership Principles: • Know yourself and your role. Vocabulary • Set the example. • leadership principle • Care for your people. • cohesion • Communicate, educate, equip, and motivate. • cooperation • Accept your responsibility. • Develop teamwork. Know Yourself and Your Role To be a successful leader, you must recognize your strengths or abilities, as well as your limitations. You must then build on your strengths and try to overcome your weaknesses. Former Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (CMSAF) Robert D. Gaylor put it this way: “Sure, everyone wants to be an effective leader, whether it be in the Air Force or in the community. You can and will be if you identify your strengths, capitalize on them, and consciously strive to reduce and minimize the times you apply your style inappropriately.” As a leader, you must understand your own role. You must also understand how your team contributes to the overall One expects a military leader mission of the organization. Finally, you must make sure that to demonstrate in his daily each team member understands how his or her role relates performance a thorough to the mission. knowledge of his own job During the past century, the United States Army Air Corps and further an ability to train was fortunate to have leaders such as General Henry Arnold his subordinates in their duties and General Carl Spaatz. These men knew themselves well. and thereafter to supervise They knew how they could enhance the Air Corps mission. and evaluate their work. Their knowledge—and self-knowledge—paid off when they — Army General Maxwell D. Taylor, accepted the task of building a force to fi ght and win the former chairman of the air battles of World War II. Joint Chiefs of Staff Good leaders know they can’t do it all by themselves. To help get their jobs done, leaders delegate responsibility to people they can trust. LESSON 3 Air Force Leadership Principles 279 AMERICANS in action The Right Place at the Right Time Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone, Army National Guard Specialist Alek Skarlatos, and their childhood friend Anthony Sadler were enjoying a vacation together in Europe in the summer of 2015. On 21 August, they boarded a train in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for Paris, France. Shortly after the train crossed the French boarder, a gunman, Moroccan Ayoub El-Khazzani, entered their cabin carrying an AK-47 assault rifl e and several other weapons. As the gunman passed by them, the three sprang into action. “Alek taps me on the shoulder and says ‘go get ‘em!’ and that’s when I got up and I sprinted at him,” (Left to right) Anthony Sadler, Airman Stone said. The Americans plowed Army Specialist Alek Skarlatos, and into the gunman, trying to grab away the Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone. rifl e. He tried to fi re a pistol, but it only Tech. Sgt. Ryan Crane/Courtesy US Air Force clicked. Then he brandished a box cutter and began slashing at Stone, cutting him in several places and nearly severing the Airman’s thumb. Set the Example Setting an example means giving people a strong model You manage things and you lead to imitate. As a leader, you must set the standard for your people. You do that by being up team by your actions as well as your words. People will imitate front, honest, sincere, and visible. your personal conduct and appearance. They will observe your I’ve always felt strongly that negative characteristics as well as your positive ones. If you you can’t ask somebody to do are arrogant or domineering, you will command little respect. something that either you won’t Leaders who violate ethical or moral standards harm their do, or that you haven’t done people and the mission, as well as themselves. Self-control is also essential—a leader who cannot control himself or someplace along the line before. herself cannot control others. Lack of self-discipline in a — Former Chief Master Sergeant leader destroys the team’s unity and its ability to perform. of the Air Force Gary Pfi ngston 280 CHAPTER 7 A Leadership Model A Leadership Model As the three tackled the gunman and wrestled him to the ground, British consultant Chris Norman joined the fi ght. The four beat El-Khazzani unconscious and tied him up. Then Stone, badly wounded himself, rushed to the aid of another passenger, Mark Moogalian, an American living in France. Moogalian had confronted the gunman earlier and tried to take away his rifl e, but was shot in the neck. “He was spurting blood everywhere,” Stone said. “So I yelled out ‘I’m a medic, I’m a medic!’ and took the guy and held him down. I just stuck my fi nger in his neck, found what I thought was an artery and just pressed down. I held that position until authorities came.” Stone’s actions were credited with saving Moogalian’s life. Police found that El-Khazzani was carrying multiple magazines and about 300 rounds of ammunition. French authorities labeled the incident an attempted terrorist attack and said the fi ve men had prevented a bloodbath. For their bravery, Stone, Skarlatos, Sadler, and Norman were awarded France’s highest award, the Legion of Honor by French President François Hollande. Moogalian was to receive it after his release from the hospital. Back in the United States, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter awarded Stone the Airman’s Medal and Purple Heart, Skarlatos the Soldier’s Medal, and Sadler the Secretary of Defense Medal for Valor. The Airman’s Medal, Soldier’s Medal, and Secretary of Defense Medal for Valor are the highest commendations for non-combat bravery that the Defense Department can bestow. “What the gunman didn’t expect … was a confrontation with our very own ‘Captain America,’ and believe it or not, that is what Airman Stone’s friends nicknamed him during Air Force technical training,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah James. Speaking at the Pentagon, the secretary said the action of the three Americans “personifi ed service before self, no question about it.” US Airmen, she said, “bind themselves to a set of core values, which are integrity fi rst, service before self, and excellence in all that we do.” Self-discipline also involves physical fi tness. People who are in good physical condition are prepared for You are always on parade. any mission. Setting the example in this case includes —Army General George Patton Jr. supporting a physical fi tness program and enforcing Air Force weight standards. Leaders must be positive examples of professional conduct, appearance, and physical conditioning. A decent regard for the Team members do not expect their leaders to be saints. rights and feelings of others But they do want leaders to set a positive example. is essential to leadership. — General of the Army George C. Marshall LESSON 3 Air Force Leadership Principles 281 Care for Your People Caring for people means putting others’ needs before your own. To take care of people, you must know them well and be sensitive to their needs. Such concern pays off. If people are worried about their personal lives or other issues, they cannot focus fully on the task. The mission suffers.