Leadership qualities required from a current raf leader
 

I was thinking to the RAF leaders that I worked with in the 70's and 80's and wonder if the new leadership required different qualities. Remembering Bruggen 77-79 and the passionate, aggressive and dynamic leader that was there then, would these qualities work today.

Much will depend upon the leadership style that is formulated by the business model, procedure and process in force at the time.

If leadership is now a style formulated by a business model, then the OP has his answer.

Surely the question should be:

'What management qualities are required from a stakeholder in today's airpower provider'


No?

'What management qualities are required from a stakeholder in today's customer-facing airpower provider going forward?*
;)

I vote for minigundiplomat's eponymous style!


*Cannot someone get an "issues" in there somewhere?

I think the nature of our leaders has changed. My experience of the 80s was that, in comparison to today, there was a far higher proportion of senior officers who were little more than outright bullies. It was accepted as virtually the norm.

In the same way that the cultural mores allowed the likes of Saville to get away with what they did in the 70s and 80s, the power of the military heirarchy was so strong that questioning of those above was simply not permitted.

My experience was the opposite in the 1980's. With the exception of the Scottish Group Captain :yuk:, I would have followed them anywhere.
Maybe I was lucky....

I would have followed them too, increasingly less so after the 90s. Brought to a head when one of them said he would put his family before his job, actually he meant before jeopardising his career for the mere sake of integrity and looking after his boys

Fox3, you're soooooo last century. There are no such things as "issues" - there are "opportunities" or, for the less-career minded, "challenges". :)

"Issues"? Here's your P45.

It's a fair cop, guv.
In my defence, my entire Province lives in the last century. There is almost no crime, no one is in a hurry, and we may not be rich but we're happy. We live on steak, lobster, oysters, chips, strawberries & cream, wine & beer because that's all we have on local farms. :{

What about Maple Syrup ???

Or is that in another part of the country ?

Oh yes, sorry. My maple syrup comes from a farm 4 klicks away. Pancakes, proper bacon, sausages..........


I think we are about to offer Costa Rica a chance to join Canada, to guarantee the coffee supply. That should just about sort it!

Issues
 

Fox, would they be issues of the "over-arching" type or the "underpinning" type?:ok: CB (and would we give a flying f anyway). Too many managers and not enough leaders these days in my opinion.

klicks
 

Klicks me dear chap? surely you mean 2.5 miles, or 2.1598 nm for the purists here! :)

CB

Look at Society for that.

Firstly, a lot less people in the military and other services where leaders to an extent rose to the top, especially in war and peer respect was often part of it.

So these people are not entering society.

Secondly, all you see are management courses, not leadership courses.

Thirdly, society doesn't want stand outs, they want everyone equal, no winners, no losers and hence leaders maybe don't stand out as much or encouraged.

(Although I notice at schools now they have high achiever classes !).

That's my OH.

I recall a colleague of mine doing her M.Ed, and asking me to help her out with the management & leadership module. After about 2 paragraphs of meaningless drivel (which ran to 200 pages), I cast it aside, poured her a glass of red and said "OK, this is what Leadership really is". Six years later, she is a Headmistress.
My sister did the same as an Admin assistant, and 7 years later she is Head of Communications for a major London Council. And I do not count myself as any better than average in a 1980's RAF context. Almost any of the sensible posters here could, and probably have, had the same effect on people they know.

It's mostly inapplicable theory by people who've never led anyone, and in practice there is no leadership, because fewer and fewer "managers" are given any real authority to exercise any leadership.

p.s. Canadian Break, I'm an engineer by training - those are things you do to bridges, not people.

Fox3,

You are so right, and those of us that had the opportunity of being taught leadership AND Management Science at Sleaford Tech can back you up - except for those of my persuasion and others who sold out, chiselled for higher places at the expense of integrity (personal and airframe, as applicable) and see the mob as a means to a personal end. Outside, they have politicians, bankers, lawyers, and other cadres whose status has diminished. We are a reflection of society...

I spoke with an Asian fund manager the other week; he referred to a PTI.. a pause time incident. Ie; he was doing nothing, clearing his mind.

PTI.. doing nothing? No comment.

Not sure if it is management or leadership or just organisation but was having a talk with a teacher and we were discussing emergencies and emergency evacuations.

I related that studies show that those who have served in the military
or other emergency services are far better off at getting out.

Anyway, it turned to fire drills at schools and the problems evacuating children - large numbers and the bedlam that can ensue.

I said why not make it a game, sensible older child at the front, everyone lines up behind them and holds onto them. Then they walk out and everyone follows in a line, nice and orderly and hopefully in control (Assuming only one teacher available).

It was like a light bulb had gone on with the comment, never thought of that :ugh:

You jest, but...