AP, you are obviously posting with a current knowledge of present day to day life in the Service, and what you say I find alarming. I assume that you are commissioned (but ready to be corrected) and thus have authority over those that are not. Would you, have you ever, told them that:-
the RAF doesn't give a sh*t about you
or is such advice only given in the Officers Mess? As to comparing military service to civilian employment, you can't be serious, can you? We are talking about a disciplined fighting service, not about taking the bucket and spade brigade to Malaga.
I'm not sure really what you mean by the collective RAF anyway. My RAF was my own Sqn at my own Station. Of course there were frictions, sometimes between the two, but the Sqn was my RAF, with a boss who would fight on our behalf if need be. We knew that he would give it his all if anyone of us had personal or compassionate problems. "He" was any of the bosses that I had.
Now I know all this is old stuff. I am old stuff, but it is such old stuff that is essential if you are going to send men and women to war. This is the stuff that VSOs should be preoccupied with, not telling JOs that the Service doesn't give a sh*t but rather ensuring that it does give a sh*t! What is their job about if it isn't that?
If you think that you are poorly paid then tell me when those who serve were otherwise paid? Being an RAF officer isn't just a job, it's being able to serve your country. More old stuff; patriotism (sorry, just used the "p" word!). We are very close to being told that those who serve don't give a sh*t for their Service or their country. I don't believe that is true. Am I wrong?
I PVR'd. As mopardave says:
When you stop enjoying the work, move on
So I did, but I wasn't encouraged to do so in the way that Haraka was. No, to answer your question, that isn't leadership in my book.
P.S. Good post Leon!