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Document created: 1 December 06
Air & Space Power Journal - Winter 2006

Lt Col Paul D. Berg, USAF, Chief, Professional Journals

Leadership in today’s US Air Force is intrinsically linked to our service’s core values. According to Air Force Doctrine Document (AFDD) 1-1, Leadership and Force Development, 18 February 2004, “Leadership is the art and science of influencing and directing people to accomplish the assigned mission. . . . Effective leadership transforms human potential into effective performance in the present and prepares capable leaders for the future” (p. 1). We cannot uphold the high ethical standards established by the Air Force’s core values of “integrity first,” “service before self,” and “excellence in all we do” without consistent leadership at all levels.

The fundamental concepts of leadership and core values derive from the Air Force’s rich heritage, yet twenty-first-century Airmen operating at technology’s leading edge require their own brand of leadership. Today’s Airmen lie at the very heart of our service’s combat capability because they voluntarily dedicate themselves to translating sophisticated technologies and ideas into desired battlespace effects. Better educated and more technically savvy than ever, they come from a constantly evolving society that does not always set its moral compass by our core values. Air Force icons like the gruff, cigar-chomping Gen Curtis LeMay served as role models for those values, but their leadership styles might seem quaint to today’s Airmen. Leaders hoping to inculcate the core values in new generations of Airmen must continually refresh their styles without compromising basic principles.

Leading Airmen to fulfill our values in today’s changing world demands adaptability. Integrity rarely poses a problem for Airmen, yet we cannot take it for granted because the mere suspicion of lapses can have serious consequences, as demonstrated by the Boeing tanker-lease scandal. The global war on terrorism (GWOT) places our people in new situations that may challenge their integrity in unexpected ways. Placing service before self is nothing new for us, but because expeditionary GWOT operations levy heavy professional demands, leaders must guide Airmen in balancing their professional and personal lives. We also have a long tradition of excellence in all we do, and Airmen need the freedom to nurture and develop their skills. Aircrews have always prided themselves on their individual initiative. Today, the GWOT challenges Airmen of all specialties to think creatively, yet new technologies complicate leadership. Airmen need to make rapid and correct tactical decisions in uncertain environments; however, advanced global-communication systems afford distant commanders unprecedented awareness of tactical situations. The tension between delegating authority to the Airman on the scene versus making decisions in a distant headquarters remains an ongoing leadership challenge. Twenty-first-century Airmen deserve leaders firmly rooted in enduring values yet willing to adjust to shifting conditions.

The statement in AFDD 1-1 that effective leadership “prepares capable leaders for the future” gives leaders a mandate not only to ensure that the Air Force educates and empowers every Airman to act flexibly, but also to cultivate our core values of integrity, service, and excellence. Without maintaining strong and ethical leadership, we can achieve little, and without intellectually engaging the threats we face, we cannot attain success. As the professional journal of the Air Force, Air and Space Power Journal dedicates this issue to advancing the professional dialogue about how best to lead Airmen in the twenty-first century.

Disclaimer

The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression, academic environment of Air University. They do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the Air University

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