Leadership Styles

Leadership is a term that includes both managing and leading. The distribution of roles and responsibilities, along with mentoring and supervision, are important in any business. As a result, it demonstrates the value of instruction that instructs followers on how to carry out their expected obligations using the resources at hand (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). It is crucial to make sure that someone cultivates an environment that nurtures trust, understanding, and encouragement among the people in order to become an effective leader. When it comes to military leadership, it entails the art of indirect and direct influence as well as the skill of creating the necessary conditions for the success of the organization to accomplish the mission and objectives effectively and efficiently. As a result, the Air Force comprises one of the highly dynamic and demanding jobs globally. The rigid aspect of the position and the constantly changing possibilities in the air traffic control among the other ground military requirements dictate that the perfect model of leadership is the situational.

In most instances, officers in the Air Force are usually responsible for hundreds of lives and millions of dollars of combatant aircrafts. The air traffic controllers have to take charge of multimillion planes alongside hundreds of military personnel. Therefore, close and attentive leadership is essential to maintain an orderly, safe, and the effective air traffic management. The supervisors in these departments have to be in a position to provide individual leadership styles while delegating and directing responsibilities accordingly. The Air Force covers broad aspects of executions by catering for the international, domestic and the combat aircraft. Such a nature of the organization shows how demanding the profession becomes to the military personnel (Abbe & Halpin, 2009). The leadership concept of the Air Force highlights the two key elements of effective leadership that include people who are responsible for accomplishing the missions, the task and the objective of the organization.

Leadership entails influencing the followers through the provision of purpose, motivation, and direction. It is usually guided by the direction of the core objectives of an organization. The real nature of a leader is to aim higher rather than only being aware of the requirements of getting the organization through each day. It is also necessary to account and plan for the future uncertainties. The Air Force is the branch of the military that can be described as the core-guiding unit, which requires the leaders to provide direction and expertise. Genuine and competitive leaders seek out the opportunities and always look forward to grow their professional skills and knowledge.

Situational Leadership Theory Application

The military is guided by some basic principles that aim at getting the best results possible and fulfilling the vision and mission for the collective good of the organization at large. The mission of the military is paramount, and all the other engagements that they conduct should be subordinated. Execution of the mission is the primary and core task in any organization. Thus, it makes it the basic responsibility of the leaders to ensure that they lead their people effectively in a bid to fulfill the idea of the respective units successfully (Lorinkova, Pearsall, & Sims, 2013). The leadership skills need to be generally acceptable within the Airforce military wing to guarantee that the set goals are accomplished thus making ‘mission and vision' the most important aspects to observe. People who are engaged in accomplishing the organization mission are the second key aspect to consider. As a result, it implies that the personnel are the center of the organization, and if they do not show and do not provide their support to the unit and the mission, then failure is imminent.

However, there is a need to evaluate the level to which the individuals are receptive to the Situational Leadership Theory. The soldiers are expected to show respect and reverence to their superiors. Over the years, there has been the way forward which has provided a positive outcome. The leaders are expected to guide the understanding of the military personnel on their responsibilities of support and care to the other team members. The best way that they can achieve the set goals is through the participative and directive leadership. In turn, it brings about the concept of discipline which is an essential requirement for the soldiers. In most cases, the kind of reverence shown by the military officers particularly in the Airforce towards their seniors explains the effectiveness of the Situational Leadership. The mission itself and people involved are the two fundamental elements under the leadership concept. However, for the leaders in the Air Force, it is important to identify the most effective means and styles for guiding the units in the right direction.

The military comprises of different levels of power with continued chains of sub-delegation which have been in place and have made the organizations worldwide to rank as the most effectively managed bodies. Two scientists: Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard developed situational theory. They asserted that leadership encompassed job maturity and the level of the skills in an individual. Additionally, the two main aspects that determine the chain of command include the military experience and level of skill. The receptivity of the model cannot only be attributed to the nature in which the soldiers revere their seniors and the manner in which they observe the code of conduct. However, the nature of the ranks and the representatives in these ranks show the receptiveness of the Situational Leadership in the military. To begin with, the leaders of the squadron and the general commanders are categorized and assigned responsibilities in line with their level of skill and the experience.

The commanders rely on the gradual development of the soldiers to be in a position to identify the ones qualified enough for delegation purposes. As a result, it is one of the concepts that are covered under the Situational Leadership model that comprises of four main leadership styles and four maturity levels. The leadership styles of Situational Leadership consist of two contrasting categories: the directive and supportive or the autocratic and permissive. The subordinates in the military are used to take directions from the leaders as well as training on some aspects. It requires them to identify the diverse methods implementable for the military operations to be successful.

First, the directive style is a one-way mode of communication. It requires dictating to the followers what to do, where and closely supervising their performance (Lorinkova, Pearsall, & Sims, 2013). Secondly, supportive style is the case where communication is two-way. It entails listening, frequent interaction, encouragement, and support as well as the involvement of the follower when it comes to decision making. Finally, the low directive style also referred to as the low supportive result in a more than complete void in the leadership process. The leaders should provide and display the behavior that is highly directive, and the one that is perceived as cold, insensitive or callous which is apparent particularly in the military recruitments. The soldiers find this essential and key for their development since there is a lot to learn and particularly in the Airforce where a staunch move is pertinent to successful development. Thus, this shows that the personnel in the military are receptive to Situational Leadership.

Role and Effectiveness of Transformational and Transactional Leadership

Transactional leadership usually aims at the outcomes that are mutually satisfying through the provision of clear directions, instructions, and holding the followers and the subordinates accountable for all of their actions. It ensures that no room for guesswork exists, and it is highly effective to the military's chain of command. Concurrently, it makes the decision-making process highly critical and reliant on the precision. Therefore, making the followers responsible for their actions ensures that they are fully accountable and cautious. On the other hand, transformational leadership entails charisma among the leaders. Leaders are expected to inspire and motivate with an intellect that augurs well with the military officers particularly when they are in combat (Nagl, Amos, Sewall, & Petraeus, 2008). For instance, the United States Air Force (USAF) develops some culture that emphasizes on the promotion of a transformational or a transactional style of leadership. The leaders in the USAF are mostly transformational leaders who lead through a platform of social exchange. They help the followers grow and empower the organization by ensuring that the goals and the objectives are aligned. The military is a non-profit making organization; therefore, the USAF leaders tend to ensure that their subordinates are safe and adhere to the expected code of conduct.

Traits and Characteristics of an Effective Team Leader

The personal traits and characteristics of the effective leader manifest themselves in various ways. The personality and psychology play the crucial role in the manner in which the military leader interacts with his/her team. It mostly includes the ambition towards the attainment of the specified goals and objectives. The desire to make an accomplishment significantly stimulates team leaders and their team members to strive towards achieving their full potential. The ambitious trait acts as a catalyst for motivating one towards completing a given tasks. However, this quality goes hand in hand with integrity and diligence. Eventually, it prevents them from making bad decisions, engaging in potentially risky undertakings, and minding about the welfare of others.

Effective leaders must show acts of integrity in their operations which implies that the person is honest and transparent with the team members. Integrity is crucial as it enables a leader to gain trust and confidence from the followers and treat each other equally (Lorinkova, Pearsall, & Sims, 2013). The individual must be confident in their capabilities to impact the followers positively. He must also have faith in the abilities, talents, and strengths of his team. Therefore, it is his/her responsibility to reassure the team of their authority. In addition, any person has confidence in the leader and trust that the decisions made are responsible, quality, and goal-oriented.

A military leader must possess a trait of realism, especially in difficult situations which refers to the mid-point of the likelihood of optimism and pessimism. Being realistic to circumstances or situations is connected with the ability to face challenging situations at hand and make the best decision out of it (Abbe & Halpin, 2009). A realistic military leader demands accuracy and authentic feedback to be in a position to weigh, measure, assess and test the options available. The leader spends most of the time analyzing the situation looking for aspects that may help to bring about positive outcomes. A realistic leader is bold in decision-making and is usually patient in an attempt to make informed decisions.

As explained by Abbe & Halpin (2009) the other crucial traits of effective military leaders include selflessness, loyalty and commitment to the tasks. Loyalty implies being faithful to the peers, seniors, and the country. Displaying loyalty helps to motivate the team members. The person must be devoted to the tasks given and be responsible for them. Portraying a high level of commitment towards assignments and issues demonstrates an act of dedication to military operation and thus this promotes efficiency and reliability. Being selfless implies conducting sacrificial acts such as not attending to personal necessities for a greater cause. During critical situations, military leaders who are loyal to their country and duties are expected to show acts of selflessness so as to bring about a positive impact. The desire to sacrifice one’s personal interest is an intrinsic characteristic of the military services and requires a show of courage and strength in confronting tough circumstances. The military leaders should be decisive in all circumstances whether the impacts are negative or positive they have to be accountable for the decisions made. Decisiveness goes hand in hand with the acceptance of responsibilities, self-confidence and having the will to take action.

Vision, Mission, and Strategy

The Situational Leadership theory supports the vision of the Air Force and facilitates the successful delegation process. The vision of the Air Force is to recruit individuals who can be in a position to lead the others and manage critical situations with vigor and decisiveness. The strategies in the Air Force and the military, in general, include the identification of the right people to lead the others while also promoting peace and promoting the security of the nation’s airspace. The two aspects signify highly sensitive issues that need the well-structured approach. Situational Leadership provides a reliable form of guidance and leadership to the senior officials in the Airforce wing of the military. It also ensures that all the positive values are impacted onto the followers and creates room for reliable future leaders. Some of the measures under the Situational Leadership such as the permissive model require strict and harsh measures by the leaders. However, it helps to nurture discipline and reverence to the duties and towards the leaders. Therefore, the aspects are necessary particularly in the Air Force as they are in line with the vision and strategy of the organization. It, therefore, implies how Situational Leadership supports the vision, mission and the strategy of the military.

The mission in the military is usually specific when it comes to the tactical level and becomes broader as the rates of leadership get higher. For instance, in times of combat, the junior officers are provided with precise orders such as bomb a target or provide support. In consideration of the authoritativeness of the high-ranking officials and the nature in which junior officers revere and respect their seniors, they execute their assigned roles to perfection. The aspect shows the manner in which the situational leadership supports the mission of the Airforce wing.

What to Change

If I were a leader in the military Airforce, I would change one aspect of Situational Leadership which represents the autocratic and permissive style. I find that the above-mentioned issue tend to undermine the integrity of the followers and may perpetuate defiance among them. I consider it as a destructive leadership style which is relatively prevalent nowadays. Therefore, I would appropriately change the mode to the fully transformational style that focuses more on directive attributes for empowering and inspiring the followers. The military is the sensitive organization that faces numerous hardships which implies that there should be more inspiration and guidance rather than reprimand.

Conclusion

The discussed issues show that situational leadership is the most effective in the Air Force. However, a few attributes should be changed as it provides a succinct dissection of the responsibilities of the departments. Concurrently, the organization, mentioned in the essay, meets the expected goals and objectives in a timely and a reliable manner. Under situational leadership, there are critical traits that need to be portrayed among successful leaders which include the principles defined by good management. The Air Force needs to be guided by highly positive and effective individuals to lead the organization towards the mission. In this case, situational leadership provides the perfect basis despite accommodating a few negative aspects under the autocratic aspect.







































References

Abbe, A., & Halpin, S. M. (2009). The cultural imperative for professional military education and leader development. Parameters, 39(4), 20.

Goetsch, D. L., & Davis, S. B. (2014). Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Lorinkova, N. M., Pearsall, M. J., & Sims, H. P. (2013). Examining the differential longitudinal performance of directive versus empowering leadership in teams. Academy of Management Journal, 56(2), 573-596.

Nagl, J. A., Amos, J. F., Sewall, S., & Petraeus, D. H. (2008). The US Army/Marine Corps. Illinois: University of Chicago Press.