Section 10B - Leadership Flashcards
What is leadership?
The art and science of influencing, motivating and directing Airmen to accomplish the Air Force mission in joint warfare.
What are the two fundamental elements of leadership?
The 1) mission, objective or task; and 2) Airmen who accomplish it. (Leadership should support both elements.)
The Air Force expects members to develop leadership skills. How does this development apply to enlisted members?
Enlisted members will primarily operate at the tactical level of expertise, combining their technical skills with their direct influence on subordinates.
What is the primary task of every military organization?
Accomplishing the mission.
State-of-the-art technology and equipment are the assets that determine the unit’s success or failure. (T/F)
False. (People are the most important assets. Without their support, the until will fail.)
What important principle of leadership is often neglected?
Involvement - knowing you Airmen and showing sincere interest in their problems, career development and welfare. (Involvement is key to maximizing worker performance and the mission.)
Who must leaders hold accountable for their actions?
Themselves and their people.
In General W. L. Creech’s opinion, what is the most “ruinous path” for leaders?
“Selective enforcement of rules and standards.”
What may be the toughest part of being a leader?
Setting a proper example. (Successful leaders constantly evaluate themselves and work on their shortcomings.)
In leadership self-evaluation, you must assess how effectively you can 1) make and stand by tough decisions; 2) stay flexible; and 3) remain enthusiastic and cheerful. Name three more areas you should assess.
Any three of the following: assess how effectively you can 4) do your best with inadequate means; 5) inspire people; 6) take reasonable risks so subordinates can grow; 7) let subordinates be creative; 8) invite communication; 9) listen; 10) withhold judgement until facts are in; 11) accept subordinates’ failures as your own; 12) recognize their success as their own; 13) do many things at once; 14) manage complex jobs; and 15) carry out orders as well as give them.
What six things did General Louis L. Wilson, Jr. advise leaders to do?
1) be tough; 2) get out from behind the desk; 3) search out problems; 4) find the critical path to success; 5) be sensitive; and 6) be honest.
What did General Louis L. Wilson, Jr. advise leaders not to do?
Don’t 1) take things for granted; 2) alibi; 3) procrastinate; or 4) tolerate incompetence.
Morale will almost certainly be higher if you are a tough leader. (T/F)
True. (Set your standards high and insist your people measure up.)
What leadership advice eliminates many people problems and shows your Airmen that you’re interested in their problems, work conditions and welfare?
Get out from behind your desk and see for yourself what’s going on in your work center.
Every organization has problems. As a leader, what is the trick to finding them?
Fostering an environment that encourages people to bring them to you.
What does “find the critical path to success” mean to leaders?
Get involved personally and concentrate on make-or-break issues in your organization. Don’t waste time on inconsequential or trivial matters.
Explain what “do not alibi” means to leaders
People make mistakes. Don’t be defensive about them.
As a leader, you are devised to be sensitive and empathetic with your people, yet you shouldn’t tolerate incompetence. What should you do if someone demonstrates laziness, disinterest or inability to get the job done?
Terminate his or her assignment.
Nothing can be more disastrous than garbled information, half-truths and falsifications. Regarding honesty, what leadership advice did General Louis L. Wilson, Jr. give first?
Tell it like it is and insist that your people do likewise. (He also advised leaders to create an atmosphere of truth and confidence.)
What standards must Air Force leaders know and enforce?
Standards of conduct, discipline and customs and courtesies.
What is the mission of the Air Force?
To deliver sovereign options for the defense of the United States and its global interests - to fly and fight in air, space and cyberspace.
What oath does every member take voluntarily upon entering the Air Force and reaffirm upon enlistment?
To support and defend the US Constitution, bear true faith and allegiance to it, and obey the orders of the president and superior officers according to regulations and the UCMJ.
When are Air Force members subject to duty?
24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The ___ of ___ provides the control and communications needed to accomplish the mission.
Chain of command. It cannot work without loyalty at every level.)
What is the key principle behind the chain of command?
Resolving problems and seeking answers at the lowest possible level.
Standards of conduct only apply while on-duty in a military environment. (T/F)
False. (They apply on- and off-duty, in personal behavior and in treatment of others, in military and civilian environments.)
Officers and NCOs must not give the appearance of favoritism or impropriety in their personal relationships with whom?
Coworkers and Airmen. (Excessive socialization and undue familiarity, real or perceived, degrade leadership.)
Some people believe military success depends on effective management, while others believe charismatic leadership is the key to success. Who is correct?
A combination of both is essential.
The roles of leadership and management are better understood in terms of what three elements?
1) Behavior; 2) personal characteristics; and 3) organizational situation.
Which author states, “Management is getting people to do what needs to be done. Leadership is getting people to want to do what needs to be done.”?
Warren G. Bennis, PhD
“Leadership is of the spirit…management is of the ____,” according to Field Marshal Sir William Slim.
Mind.
___administer, maintain and control. ___motivate, develop and inspire.
Managers. Leaders.
Are managers or leaders problem solvers who seek conflict avoidance?
Managers. (Leaders are analyst of purposes and causes who accept and invite conflict.)
Are managers or leaders values-driven and ambitious?
Leaders. (Managers are statistics-driven and thrive on predictability.)
Do managers or leaders ensure organizational objectives are achieved, even if they disagree with them?
Managers. (Leaders ensure that their objectives and those of the organization become the same.)
Are the personal characteristics of successful leaders or managers exclusively positive?
Neither’s personal characteristics are exclusively positive or negative. Leaders must have a grasp of management and leadership skills. The two cannot and should not be separated.
The are of leadership includes management. (T/F)
True.
Different personal characteristics mean the best managers do not make good leaders, and vice versa. (T/F)
False. (The best managers tend to become good leaders and effective leaders are usually good managers.)
___ launch and steer organizations towards goals and strategies. ___ ensure resources are available and efficiently used.
Leaders. Managers.
___ organize people. ___ align them, understand the vision and are committed to it.
Managers. Leaders.
An organization needs a balance of strong leadership and strong management. (T/F)
True.
Explain why a peacetime force can survive with good management at all levels and good leadership concentrated at the top, but a wartime force needs competent leadership at all levels.
Because good management brings a degree of order and consistency to key issues like readiness, availability and sustainment, but people must be led into battle.