General Savage’s recommendation to remove Colonel Davenport from group command was an example of effective military leadership because he displayed courage, integrity and leadership by example to transform the dysfunctional 918th Operations Group into a high-performing organization. Let’s examine the first trait of effective military leadership, courage.
Courage is the ability to make the right decision regardless of popular opinion or personal biases. Military leaders such as General Savage are in the business to make decisions. In order to make effective and smart decisions, military leaders must have courage. General Davenport displayed courage when he recommended his friend and colleague be removed from command due to poor performance. Having courage to make the right decision is not always easy and is perhaps the most difficult trait to master, but a leader with unwavering integrity creates the foundation upon which courage is built and is another example of effective military leadership.
Integrity is the Air Force’s first and perhaps most important core values. Integrity is the ability to do what is right all the time, even when no one is looking. General Savage displayed a perfect example of integrity when he provided his assessment of Colonel Davenport’s performance and recommended to Lt Gen XXXXXX, a big advocate of Colonel Davenport, to relieve him of command in order to what was right; improve the performance of the 918th Operations Group. The final example of effective military leadership is leading by example.
Lead, follow or get out of the way! In order to be a leader, you must have followers. In order to become great followers, they need to know what the leader’s expectations and standards are. The best way to communicate standards and expectations is to provide examples through your actions and behavior in order for your subordinates to emulate your behavior.
General Savage’s recommendation to remove Colonel Davenport as the 918...