GM591 LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

Inexperienced Leadership

Chapter 1
Introduction Overview of Organization

The Logistics Squadron is a consolidated logistics squadron providing supply, vehicle and readiness support to the Wing, tenant units and agencies. The guiding principles utilized in the performance of the organization are as follows; a. Mission Statement: A military organization dedicated to providing logistical support to our Joint Service Community. b. Vision Statement: Provide quality service to our customers in support of their missions. c. Values: Integrity, Accountability, Teamwork and Excellence.

The squadron provides direction and management of base logistics processes related to cargo mapping, equipment, fueling operations, vehicle dispatch and deployment planning. The function of the squadron is to manage the overall supplies of the wing and effectively manage its inventories. It is a part of the Michigan Air National Guard, Wing with over 150 personnel encompassing, active military, traditional guardsmen and civilians.

Currently, I am the Logistics Readiness Officer who: a. Provides oversight of the internal storage and external shipping of logistics supply activities for the Wing b. Is responsible for managing and staffing the Material Management Flight for the logistics supply and information sections

c. Actively oversees and manages proper implementation of unit programs for supply and the issue of all mobility bag assets d. Administers procedures, programming and staffing of individuals, supplies and parts for A-10 and KC-135 Aircrafts.

In the past I have held positions as Executive Officer and Commander. The commander analyzes and restates the mission, designs the concept of operations, organizes the forces, and provides support to subordinate units. He issues mission orders with sufficient details for his subordinates to plan and lead their units.1

The inability of the higher command to provide a stable environment of a strong leadership perpetuates the fundamental weaknesses within the current Logistics Readiness Squadron. Over the past 3 years the squadron has had 5 different commanders. In that 3 years only one commander was in place for a total of one year. The current commander assumed his position in the last seven months. His previous assignment was on a training site with less than 100 full and part time personnel. There are over a 150 personnel in the current squadron in which he has command. The unit was prevented from growth due to the many changes in leadership and is now faced with an inexperienced leader. Currently, he is removing all of the experienced first and second level supervisors, causing personal and financial hardships on individuals and fear among the troops relating to job security. There has been no communication of his vision or future goals. Methodology Using the Text book topic, Managerial Skills and Competencies, I would like to direct my paper on, how the commanders leadership style affects performance, satisfaction and trust within the
1

(Army Field Manual (FM) 1-114, 1 February 2001)

unit? Robert Katz divides the essential managerial skills into three categories technical, human and conceptual.2 I will focus on the human and conceptual skills as I pursue researching the above stated question. Conceptual Skills are the skills leaders must have to think and to visualize theoretical and difficult situations. Using these skills, leaders must be able to see the organization as a whole, understand the relationships among various units, and picture how the organization fits into its broader environment. Conceptual Skills give a leader the ability to look at a situation and figure a way to break it down into manageable pieces. One of the commanders responsibilities is to take a task and information, sort it out in an organized fashion and effectively communicate that process to his subordinates.

(Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, & Uhl-Bien, 2010)

Chapter 2
The Problem As an inexperienced leader lacking conceptual skills this commander is unable to analyze situations and problem solve. In a short amount of command time and with no command experience his actions have alienated the entire unit. Commanders must foster a strong sense of duty and service. They must create a vision, and motivate and install pride in team performance. (Gen John Michael Loh).3 With no real plan, the personnel spend their time looking over their shoulder unable to focus on the task at hand. "Often leaders, especially inexperienced ones, mistakenly believe that a new broom must sweep clean, that new directions and initiatives are necessary, that tyranny is a substitute for teaching and leading. Most units do not need a new agenda; they require catalysts for excellence with current and evolving goals; and they need teachers who really care for people."4 This Commander has not thought about the impact of his actions on the remaining unit members and certainly not on how to replace the experience he let go and prepare the unit for an Operational Readiness Inspection in the near future. This problem affects the overall morale and effectiveness of the unit. This commander has created an atmosphere of distrust. Leadership is the ability to recognize the special abilities and limitations of others, combined with the capacity to fit each one into the job where he will do his best.5 He has not taken the time to effectively evaluate culture of the unit and how it got to this point nor has he discussed his ideas with his staff. No one within the unit has a clear understanding of the commanders objectives and goals.

3 4

(Staff A. F.) (Staff U. S., October 1996) 5 (Sanders, 1967)

Chapter 3
Review of Related Literature The primary source of literature for the development of this course project was curricula received from military institutions that teach leadership. In addition to these curricula I reviewed related books and periodicals that identified leadership guidance. First, the literature review was used to help identify leadership attributes. Leadership and Command Phase III, Air Command and Staff College, Version 3.2 provided several articles and commentaries from senior military leaders. Second, other books provided valuable information on leadership to support this project. Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun by Wess Roberts focused on the fundamental beginning to an understanding of what we commonly refer to as leadership.6 Sun Tzu the Art of War for Managers by Gerald and Steven Michaelson focused on applying advice from Sun Tzu to business, and making better, winning, business decisions.7 The Art of War, Sun Tzu as

translated by Thomas Cleary. Commanding an Air Force Squadron in the 21st Century by Jeffry F Smith focused on the unique experience that comes with military command.8 Command, Leadership, and Effective Staff Support an Army Handbook contains thoughts, insights, and perspectives that can assist leaders in meeting the challenges of command, leadership, and staff support.9 Army Field Manual (FM) 1-114; Air Cavalry Squadron and Troop Operations provides direction to effective operations at the squadron level. Emotional Intelligence, Air & Space Power, addresses the characteristics of emotional intelligence and offers practical ways

6 7

(Roberts, October 2009) (Michaelson & Michaelson, 2010) 8 (Smith, 2004) 9 (Staff U. S., October 1996)

for readers to integrate its techniques into their leadership style.10 The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make, by Hans Finzel gives insight to common mistakes made by leaders while giving practical principles on how to lead. Leadership Is An Art, by Max DePree, discusses what is required of people to be effective and humane in facing leadership as an art. Organizational Behavior by Schermerhorn, John R.; Hunt, James G.; Osborn, Richard N.; Uhl-Bien, Mary provides the foundation of workplace behaviors and how to address those behaviors.

10

(Latour & Hosmer, Winter 2002)

Chapter 4
Analysis of Problem Leadership is what gives an organization its vision, its focus, and its ability to translate that vision into reality. As the squadron commander, you stand at the helm of the leadership agenda.11 Although the commander has a variety of tools to communicate to the unit he chooses to keep things to himself. No clear goals have been communicated. Vision plays a key role in focusing the unit and providing direction. It is not only the leaders guidepost, but also is important in involving the spirit and will, it captures the imagination and provides the focus for the future. What is known is that eight of his senior and middle managers have or are going to be terminated. Too often, a corporate acquisition results in house cleaning of very competent and experienced people. The people who are terminated in the interest of financial efficiencies are often those who really know the customers, the culture, and the subtle elements necessary for success. Because these experienced people are terminated, the acquired company becomes weaker before it becomes stronger, if it survives at all.12 Although, a military unit is not acquired by an outside entity there are similarities when a change of command occurs. This commander has placed the unit in jeopardy of meeting mission requirements by removing his experienced staff without qualified personnel to fill the gap. His lack of experience relating to the government hiring process will be a major factor in his ability to replace his experienced personnel. Disruptions of Inspector General and Congressional complaints are already distracting from the mission. The higher we go, the more important it is to be careful that our impact on the lives and careers and families of our subordinates is positive and not negative. 13 One key when beginning a new command is to take some time to get a clear perspective. In this case we have more of a because I can approach to personnel actions taken in the squadron.
11 12

(Smith, 2004) (Michaelson & Michaelson, 2010) 13 (Smith, 2004)

People relationships and informal systems give stability to the structure of the command system.14 The removal of middle leadership creates an additional instability to a unit attempting to recover from the chaos created by the top leaders and their revolving door of commanders over the past years. Lack of communication and instability within the junior ranks builds on the already built in suspicions behind the hiring of someone outside of the unit. The first impression made on a squadron sets the tone for success in command. There have been no goals stated as to the direction in which the commander would like to take the unit. The lack of communication between the commander and anyone else in the unit focuses on Human Skills. His noticeable absence from the work place during regular duty hours and the late nights alone in his office, distances him from involvement with the work force. His inability to clearly communicate goals and the drastic actions taken early in a command leave people within the unit to draw their own conclusions of the commanders motivation. Rumor mills are part and parcel of every work group. Rumors often spread like forest fire, and rarely if ever are anywhere close to realitybut when things get bad and survival is involved people begin to create their own reality if the true reality is not communicated.15 Our leaders must have the essential quality of stewardship, a caretaker, and quality. They must serve in a manner that encourages confidence, trust and loyalty.16

It is by communicating that leaders are able to lead. Utilization of good communications fosters and creates the trust and understanding to encourage followers. It is important to, make a conscious effort to explain to both your squadron and your family the reasons behind your modus operandi.17 Without communication leaders accomplish little and cannot effectively lead. Command is a sacred trust. The commander is not just the top person in the unit. The nature
14 15

(Michaelson & Michaelson, 2010) (Finzel, 2000) 16 (Roberts, October 2009) 17 (Smith, 2004)

of command and leadership is to create a climate within the unit to inspire achievement of goals and performance under any conditions, especially in combat. Chieftains must be credible. Leaders lacking in credibility will not gain proper influence and are to be hastily removed from positions of responsibility, for they cannot be trusted.18 What is clear is that this commander is terminating all of his first and second level supervisors. Now the unit members are as the old adage says, busy keeping their jobs, not doing their jobs. There is no doubt that change is needed within the squadron, but the manner in which change is implemented will have a significant outcome on the effectiveness of the unit in the coming years. This type of rooting removes most of the institutional memory leaving unqualified personnel in its place. Requiring unqualified personnel to step up into jobs where qualified personnel were removed for no other reason than it is the prerogative of the commander creates a dreadful work environment.

18

(Roberts, October 2009)

Chapter 5
Possible Solution Mentoring is a value that is over looked within the military. Yes, we provide leadership training, but forget the importance of mentoring. Mentoring is a strategic investment in the success of units. It provides a succession plan bridging the gap between successful leaders and the next generation of leaders. Without mentoring we lose the tidbits of tacit knowledge, lessons learned from street smart lessons, that wisdom learned from the school of life. Mentors are resources that provide networks and the opportunity to learn axioms that cannot be book learned. As leaders intuitively appreciate, the better they know and understand and manage themselves and the better they know and understand and manage others, the more likely they are to get the results they want.19 Mentors can test the willingness of younger people to shape and mediate conflict and to step forward with their own criticisms and proposals for work problems especially where intuitional solutions have not worked.

Knowing others and knowing one's self, in one hundred battles no danger. Not knowing the other and knowing ones self, one victory for every loss. Not knowing the other and not knowing ones self, in every battle certain defeat.20 To get a better understanding of ones self there must be a starting point. This can be accomplished by administering the Leader Azimuth Check. The items that make up the Azimuth represent twelve elements of leadership. It is based on the Strategic Leader Development Inventory which was jointly developed by the Army Research Institute, Army War College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. Although, this will not provide an absolute assessment of ones leadership qualities or potential

19 20

(Latour & Hosmer, Winter 2002) (Cleary, 2005)

it is a starting point. This check provides a means to take a look at ones own attitudes and behaviors. It also, provides feedback from personnel that have seen you in action.

This Group Commander should take the time and meet regularly with this Squadron Commander to help in his leadership development. The meetings will help with the actionobservation-reflection model. Reflection is important because it can provide insights into how to address problems using avenues for organizing ones thinking about leadership. Observation and perception deal with attending to events around us. Both seem to take place spontaneously, so it is easy to see them as a passive series of actions. Common mental images of these actions can reflect this perceived view. Holding scheduled meetings will provide the squadron commander with an opportunity to gain insight from an experienced leader as well as a chance to re-evaluate his own actions. Being able to address events that occur in short time frames corrections, if need be, can be made without a significant impact on the unit. Until the Group Commander gains the confidence in the actions taking place, decisions that have a major impact on the squadron should first meet his approval. This will allow the squadron commander the opportunity to bounce ideas and the group commander to get a better handle on what is going on down at the squadron level.

To reach the level of squadron commander one must first complete Air Command and Staff College, however it is not required as an in residence course. Whereas many people can excel on paper, leadership needed in the military goes beyond pencil and paper. This officer could benefit from the experience of other officers. Attending Air Command and Staff College in residence would allow him to interact daily with his peers in an educational setting and thus improve his ability to see the broader picture in the operations of a logistics squadron.

Chapter 6
Reflection Looking back on this assignment and how it has influenced me has been difficult. After 30 years in leadership roles, Ive observed many different types of leadership styles. Because the military is not measured by profitability, long durations of poor leadership continues without consequences. This is truly a case of the fox guarding the hen house. My leadership style was developed long ago and Ive spent years honing my style. Each day I look at myself in the mirror and know Ive done what is right and what is best for the men and women I serve. The environment in which I work is dominated by those in power positions. Choosing not to give in to the pressures to commit crimes for the boss places you on the outside looking in. Years of dedication, hard work and doing things right is not an attribute that is rewarded in our Wing. Many talk about the Guard Family, not many live it. In fact, just the opposite is true. My paper describes a scenario which is not uncommon in our Wing. The poor leadership quality displayed by our squadron commander is just what the command wants. After all they are the ones that placed him into the position. Ive seen good officers come and go over the years. Leaving is the easy way out. I stayed to prove to other young officers that you can keep your integrity while serving in this Wing, but you need to be aware that your career is in the balance. Ive had the opportunity to mentor younger female officers and have found that most chose to move on rather than to be subjected to the hostel environment that has been created, especially toward female officers. In the 25 years Ive served in the Wing no female officer has reached a rank higher than where I now stand. In fact, Im the senior ranking female officer within the Wing. I hope my achievements will serve as a role model, not only for female officers, but for all young officers. This assignment reinforced my beliefs that in this wing only those without a moral compass find themselves in critical leadership positions. In todays fast pace war environment, it is comforting to know that when our people are deployed they are deployed to supplement other

units as our unit does not deploy as a whole. After seven months in command the undercurrent in the squadron is directed on how personnel do not want to serve in combat with the current commander. They fear for their lives. It is a sad state of affairs. I can only close with the thoughts of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, You do not lead by hitting people over the head that is assault, not leadership.

Bibliography

Army Field Manual (FM) 1-114. (1 February 2001). Air Cavalry Squadron and Troop Operatons. Cleary, T. b. (2005). The Art of War, Sun Tzu. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications, Inc. Finzel, H. (2000). The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make. Colorado Springs, CO: Communications Ministries. Latour, S. M., & Hosmer, B. C. (Winter 2002). Emotional Intelligence. Air & Space Power, 27-36. Michaelson, G. A., & Michaelson, S. (2010). Sun Tzu the Art of War for Managers. Avon, MA: Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc. Roberts, W. (October 2009). Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun. New York, Ny: Business Plus Hachette Book Group. Sanders, J. O. (1967). Spirituial Leadership. Chicago, IL: Moody Press. Schermerhorn, J. R., Hunt, J. G., Osborn, R. N., & Uhl-Bien, M. (2010). Organizatonal Behavior. Hoboke, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Smith, J. F. (2004). Commanding an Air Force Squadron in the 21st Century. Honolulu, HI: University Press of the Pacific. Staff, A. F. (n.d.). Leadership and Command Phase III. U.S. Air Force. Staff, U. S. (October 1996). Command, Leadership, and Effective Staff Support. Washington D.C.: The Information Management Support Center.