A633.4.3.RB- Changing Dynamics of Leadership

A633.4.3.RB- Changing Dynamics of Leadership

There is an obvious shift in leadership occurring in which leaders now recognize and accept the fact that most solutions come from the bottom and middle of the company—not the top (Obolensky, 2010). .  Leaders are beginning to understand that their job is to foster an environment that can produce the best solutions and strategies.  Leaders are no longer able or expected to be the “expert” on all company-related subjects, and leaders must turn to their subordinates to create the best solutions. This shift in leadership is occurring because of the better understanding of leadership and what works best, and because of the increased competency and capability of the lower level workers.  However, my organization is slow to adapt to the leadership shift.

The United States Air Force, and military in general, is slow to adapt to the shift in leadership strategies for three main reasons: the strict rank structure of the military, leaders thinking that not knowing answers is a sign of weakness, and the way in which the military promotes people.  The military’s strict adherence to using a chain of command hinders the organizations ability to function most effectively.  People at the middle or bottom of the organization are told to send their ideas or problems up through their chain of command.  The chain of command then filters down these problems and ideas until they reflect the same beliefs the leadership has, or until they are filtered so much that it won’t “displease” the General Officers.  This filtering of ideas is a great hindrance to the progression of the organization.  Also, many military leaders still think of themselves as military leaders did 100s of years ago.   They think that they are the people responsible for making the big decisions because they are the only people who are capable or have the knowledge to make decisions.  They do not need input from the bottom.  Finally, our military leaders are not necessarily the best leaders in the Air Force, and the organization should consider changing the outdated and ineffective promotion system used today.  In today’s Air Force, your leadership ability means absolutely nothing when it comes to promotion, and that is a real problem. 

            Leadership dynamics in the Air Force would have to be altered by changing the way people in the Air Force think.  People should not “fear” speaking truthfully to General Officers, and there should not be briefings given to ensure subordinates do not “say anything out of line” when speaking to leadership.  Additionally, the promotion system would need to be changed to place an emphasis on promoting good leaders, not just people who are good at writing their own performance reports.

Obolensky, N. (2010). Complex Adaptive Leadership.