Flight Commander Leadership (ANSWERED)

QUESTION

• QUESTION A: What role do morals and ethics play in your role as a leader?
• QUESTION B: How do the concepts presented in the readings apply to military service?
• QUESTION C: Discuss the linkage between morals and accountability in your professional life and the morals and accountability you practice, or expect, in your personal life?

 

This lesson reinforces what you have previously learned in terms of core values and continues on the basis that the core values form a bond between those who serve — a shared set of values regardless of service members’ backgrounds

Our personal core values build bonds of trust with friends and family. Our Air Force Core Values build bonds of trust with fellow members in the profession of arms, our friends, neighbors, and people we do not know as we serve the nation. In the words of General Fogleman

As you read in Lesson 2, Air Force core values begins with the rationale for Service core values as a professional ethic applicable to all Airmen.

With the Air Force Core Values as a foundation and the action of moral behavior described in the first reading, we are ready for a discussion of moral accountability. Moral accountability encompasses much more than owning the outcomes of a decision.

 

A.Attributes of the Moral Person

 

1. Intelligence

Intelligence emerges as the most important virtue for the moral person. Thought has primacy.

One must think of oneself as a thinking being in a system of thinking beings. The ethical

theories discussed herein, particularly Kant’s Categorical Imperative, underscore

rationality as an essential element.

2. Self-Control

Morality also requires self-control and self-discipline. One needs intelligence to determine

what is right or wrong, and one also requires the self-control to do what is morally right and never to do what is morally wrong. The moral person demonstrates a willingness to act

on the results of ethical deliberation. He or she is strongly disposed to adhere to rationally

ascertained moral rules and standards, particularly when confronted by considerations that

are morally irrelevant, such as what most people believe is right, how one instinctively or emotionally feels about an action, or what consequences will impact on oneself.

 

3. Integrity

The moral person is an honorable, trustworthy, and loyal person

 

4. Veracity

The moral person states what he or she believes is true and right, even though it may be easier

to deceive others or oneself. A moral person is an honest person who does not break faith

with anyone, violate engagements, break promises, and disappoint any expectations raised

by his or her conduct.

 

5. Justice

The moral person is a just and fair person

 

6. Freedom

The moral person respects authority and obeys the legal and moral law; yet disdains authoritarianism.

 

7. Accountability

The moral person is a responsible person. He or she engages in self-restraint, performs his

or her duties, thinks about the consequences for his or her actions,

 

8. The Common Good

The moral person recognizes that a “good” life, in its truest sense, depends on one’s community

and society.

Ethical Justification

 

How are moral rules justified? If one is an Ethical Relativist, one ought to be moral because

that is what is approved by society. Societal rules are necessary if people are to coexist, cooperate,

and prosper in a society.

 

If one is a Utilitarian, one must be moral so as to achieve the greater good. One thus will set

aside any egoistic motives in favor of moral rules that promote the general welfare. If one is

a Kantian, one ought to be moral and do the moral act for no other reason than it is “moral.”

The “ought” in morality, therefore, has in itself an unconditional obligation for a Kantian.

 

4. Problems with Justifying Morality

 

Can it be demonstrated to a prudential person that it always and certainly will be advantageous for him or her to act in a thoroughly moral manner? Why should not the pragmatic person instead encourage and persuade others to be moral; and then take advantage of that fact; and at the same time avoid his or her own moral responsibilities? It may not be a satisfactory answer that one is not likely toget away with acting immorally.

In all honesty, it must be admitted that there will be at least

some circumstances where one can act immorally with impunity, perhaps without even

detection, and quite efficaciously. Surely, if one is a Machiavellian, it would be advantageous

for everyone else to be constrained by morality and for one to escape any moral sanctions

by pretending to act morally, or, if one has the power, simply to flout moral standards. The

Machiavellian goal is to succeed in making one’s self-interest paramount, and this goal can

be attained in part by inducing others to make the demands of morality paramount in their

lives.

 

1. Certainty in Ethics and Morals

 

One will demand too much of ethics if one expects absolute proof of general ethics principles

and indisputable certification of specific moral judgments. Although it is always appropriate

to ask for an external justification of validating ethical principles, the problem arises as

how to justify essential and high level ethical principles.

There does not exist now, however, nor is there likely to exist in the foreseeable future,

one entirely and absolutely valid ethical theory. There are differing moral philosophies,

espousing conflicting ethical principles, expressing various values, and treating differently the

very complex subject of morality. Yet, unless moral questions can be “answered” by ethics,

morality itself is laid open to subjectivism, relativism, amoralism, and disorder. There are distinct

advantages in acting on principle and in having predetermined acceptable principles

on which to act. One is rightly skeptical about a person with no principles as well as suspicious

of a person of “principle” who has a new principle for each occasion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Communicating the Vision

 

Another key dimension to business leadership is the communication and explanation of the

vision, mission, and values to the firm’s stakeholders. Business leadership, in this dimension,

is viewed as an education function, especially as some stakeholder groups may not initially

or directly comprehend the necessity for change, or a longer-term viewpoint, or more

expansive perspective. The business leader, in addition, not only must communicate and

explain the vision, mission, and values, but he or she also must communicate the firm’s commitment

to its vision, mission, and values.

 

1. Ethical Business Leadership

 

1. The Morality of the Vision

 

A principal function of a business leader, of course, is to develop and enunciate a vision.Yet

the vision must reflect an ideal and worthwhile image of the future and the mission must contain

high moral purposes, and the values and goals manifested in the vision must be legitimate

and rightful ones. Only then will the vision be an encompassing, inspiring, transcending,

and transforming one.

 

2. The Personal Character of the Leader

 

The inherent morality of the vision, the success of leadership, as well as the effective exercise

of authority, fundamentally depend on the personal character of the leader. The leader

not only must possess intelligence, common sense, competence, and resolution, but also

integrity, honesty, trustworthiness, fairness, and morality. The successful leader, moreover,

must have the personal strength of character to do consistently and diligently what is morally

right. The words and actions of the leader completely must be harmonious.

 

 

 

 

 

From my perspective, one of the most critical responsibilities accompanying that empowerment is ensuring the unit achieves its goals in the most effective and safe manner possible. But to be empowered to lead and the willingness to accept the responsibility to put empowerment into action are two different things. In order to lead, all Airmen must understand the responsibilities leadership empowerment entails and that to lead we often must make tough choices–and perhaps the hardest choice is to recognize ineffective and unsafe behavior and act to change that behavior.

 

 

It seems that within the decision making process those charged to lead often experience some level of internal conflict regarding what is expeditious and what is appropriate. My unscientific observations lead me to believe good, honest leaders, through experience, intuitively grasp the importance of decisions that affect the team, especially decisions regarding safety. Such leaders understand their decisions must be based upon the greater good and not on unnecessary considerations like whether or not a particular decision will reflect poorly on an individual and/or group, and whether or not the resulting actions of a decision are unpopular. It’s become cliché, but nonetheless accurate that actions often communicate louder than words and the act of making those tough decisions based upon the greater good may in fact cast an unfavorable light on some individuals and/or groups; and may be unpopular among the team. But the ability to intuitively make those tough decisions is gained through the maturation process and comes when an individual internalizes the

Our Air Force has had a proud and distinguished history of personal sacrifice, honor, integrity, professionalism, and innovation protecting our country. Few Airmen have failed to live up to the expectations and trust our nation has vested in our force. But like any large organization the Air Force has experienced the evolution of particular internal “tribal” cultures in which occasional lapses in good judgment and adherence to conventional wisdom, gone unchecked, become the norm. In some cases, those tribal cultures of non-compliance and non-convention, rooted in delusional perceptions of “uniqueness” and “singularity” evolve into potentially force endangering situations.

 

0 tolerance does not mean 0 tolerance . My chief wouldn’t acknowledge discrimination. She stated What about the Jews

 

The AP also found that the Uniform Code of Military Justice does not adequately address discriminatory incidents and that rank-and-file people of color commonly face courts-martial panels made up of all-white service members, which some experts argue can lead to harsher outcomes.

The military said it processed more than 750 complaints of discrimination by race or ethnicity from service members in the fiscal year 2020 alone. But discrimination doesn’t exist just within the military rank-and-file. That same fiscal year, civilians working in the financial, technical and support sectors of the Army, Air Force and Navy also filed 900 complaints of racial discrimination and over 350 complaints of discrimination by skin color, data from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission shows.

In February, Lloyd J. Austin III – a former Army general who now is secretary of defense, the first Black man to serve in the post – ordered commanders and supervisors to take an operational pause for one day to discuss extremism in the ranks with their service members.

 

Ethics… There are ethics and then there are ETHICS…

Why is the military so concerned with my wedding tackle and what I do with it? Most of the so called ethics issues seem to be either the use or contemplated use of wedding tackle.

Certainly ethics are important. However too many PC ideas have moved into the realm of ethics. At one time homosexuality was considered unethical. Other reasons that at that time it was considered a serious issue was the effect it would have on good order & discipline, medical issues (ie. blood transfusions)and because it could be used as blackmail. All of these concerns were then and ARE now still valid, but the thoughts of enough people has changed how it is perceived. A large majority of those against it are stifled due to politics.

What is ethical? Well that depends on the person. What works for one person may in no way work for another. Ethics can also be situation dependent. The old “would you steal food to feed your child” line.

Something that is offensive, isn’t necessarily unethical or illegal. But it is often cast in that light.

Here is some things I consider to be unethical:
Poor Leadership. I don’t care what the General does off duty as long as he/she doesn’t do it to subordinates. I don’t care if he/she sleeps around and is married (what he/she does or does not do is between them and their spouse if they have one), as long as he/she doesn’t violate a position of trust. Some of our greatest military leaders, had something on the side. We as a military should stay out of politics. Why are company commanders worried about what congress thinks? They should be focus on the mission & the men… Leave politics to the politicians and keep them out of our business.

Double standards that exist with regard to infractions of the UCMJ. Things that a senior officer or NCO will be allowed to retire for, mean prison for those of lower rank.

Unclear, vague, non-specific orders, policies, rules and regulations. These lead to wasted subordinate effort, resources, time as well as leaving the door open to interpretation, which may be intentionally or unintentionally interpreted.

Information leaking. No I am not talking about Snowden, he didn’t put out much that could not already be found. What I am talking about is information leaked by “Officials at the Pentagon, who have requested to remain anonymous, etc. etc. They are getting something for this, maybe money, probably sex, feeling of power etc.

Staying in your lane. This is a popular saying, however it is misused. If it effects me, my unit or the mission, it is MY lane.

The SHARP program. Reports are up which they say is a good thing, however with 85 to 90% are found to be unfounded, lies or abuse. When someone makes a false or unfounded allegation, there should be consequences that are equal to the the punishment the alleged would have received. But there isn’t.

Poorly conducted investigations. We have all seen 15-6’s that were slanted from the get go. Investigations were only the witnesses supporting the the supposed victim were interviewed, skewing the “facts” in favor of a predetermined outcome. Most often done in cases of supposed racism, sexual harassment/assault etc.

Why are these such an issue? The press is a factor… For the most part they hate us. The religious right, persons or groups with agendas, motives or goals who manipulate the system.

Using of other methods to punish, coerce and lay blame such as General Letters of Reprimand. There is no standard, like there is there is for the UCMJ. They are probably needed, but justification and a standard are necessary. If it won’t even rate a company level art 15, then one of two things should happen, either A. A butt chewing and nothing more or B. The matter is completely dropped. No GLoR, Bad OER/NCOER etc. etc. These are often abused as a means of retribution. This is an abuse.

Political Correctness, emotions, feelings and the fear of offending have invaded in a big way the military. Concerns about what is or isn’t offensive have been dragged into arena of ethics. And punishment follows. Just because it is something you would or would not do, does not make it ethical or unethical, right or wrong. It may not be appropriate and offend you, but that doesn’t mean it is unethical.

I could go on and on.

ANSWER

Flight Commander Leadership Opportunity

Introduction

A flight commander is an officer who commands a ground-based flight in the air force. The flight commander has various roles during his operations in the forces. For instance, it is the flight commander’s responsibility to set the goals and develop training plans for their flight. They also formally evaluate the team member’s leadership skills and informally counsel others. Having been selected as the flight commander leading my team, I will have multiple obligations to ensure that every operation goes well. Generally, a leader is an individual responsible for their subordinate’s actions (Cavico et al. 2004, 244). During my leadership, I will apply various tools and leadership skills to help ensure that every operation is a success. I will involve my team members, consult them where necessary, and work closely with my mentor to ensure that everything works well. The most effective skill I will apply as the flight commander is effective communication and decision-making skill. Also, in this position, I am likely to have oversight responsibilities, and I will have to create all the necessary plans for the operations. This essay seeks to determine the skills and tools I will apply as a flight commander to ensure the flight serves its purpose.

Being a flight commander puts one in a strategic position very close to the mission and command. As a flight commander, the leadership skills are put to the test more, although help in the technical parts is still expected from them. Because of this, to make a good flight commander, the commander needs to be able to strike a balance between leadership responsibilities and maintaining technical competence. A good leader should strategize accordingly, organize the team, assign duties, motivate action and build an understanding with the people you work with (Walker et al. 2019, 43). Most of the time, good leadership requires soft skills highly influenced by personality and personal behaviors. Some of the leadership skills and tools I intend to use in the new adventure are discussed in the following text.

As the flight commander, I will also apply ethical decision-making skill. Making ethical decisions as a leader is an essential aspect to achieving success because, through ethical decision-making, the leader and the team members build trust (Scott 2002, 3). Generally, trust needs ethics, and in most cases, it is only possible to establish trust if the given conditions are perfect. Trust is essential in a team because it makes the team free and comfortable to air their opinions and ensures they attain the project’s success. Honesty is the leading builder of trust among team members. During my operations, I will ensure that I am transparent with my team members before taking any actions. I will be the leader, but before making any decision, I will consult with my team asking their opinions on the matter. It will be necessary to put aside my self-interests and focus on my moral responsibility as a leader. After airing all the possible thoughts and opinions, we shall discuss them together, weighing each option and choosing the most suitable one. This will facilitate building trust because my team members will feel free to brainstorm their opinions in the teams as they will believe we are one and what they think is as essential as my thoughts (Jerald & Robert 2008, 13).

The leading tool I will use with my team is creative collaboration. Creative collaboration is when people from multiple viewpoints and backgrounds come together to find shared goals. Through creative collaboration, individuals may find solutions to problems and create the best responses for current opportunities (Norma 2004, 3). Overall, creative collaboration is about framing problems and goals in ways that motivate individuals to work together. Through this tool, intelligent individuals with huge egos can lay their egos down and contribute something significant and relevant to the team. Creative collaboration also motivates individuals to communicate a similar language among them. As the flight commander, I will ensure I use this tool with the team. I will inform them in everything I do, ensuring I involve them by noting their opinions on the matter. After which, I will create new views from their views. It is essential to note that we are all from various backgrounds with different life and work experiences. Therefore, every thought in the air force is necessary because it comes from another person with a different experience. Through this, I will be in the best position to explore various creative ways to create other delightful, new, and surprising solutions for the team.

As a flight commander, I am expected to work hand in hand with other officers in the team, including the cadet commander and squadron leader. It is likely that the people I will be leading side by side with and the people we will be leading have different personalities and different ways of thinking. The first tool I want to apply is being flexible, which will be a gateway to understanding every team member. I should be able to demonstrate my flexibility abilities as early as possible. Leading even with unexpected occurrences goes a long way in the leadership process (Homan et al. 2020, 12). As a flexible leader, I expect to control my emotions, be open-minded, have planning skills, and be patient, among other traits. I should handle any issues presented to me with a calm mind and consideration. As the flight commander, my goal is to ensure the flight is a success by all means.

Being a new job, I must make an excellent impression on the people who expect to be served. Although I will need to demonstrate confidence that I am in control, I will also need to confirm high levels of self-discipline to command respect from the word go (Gjurov. 2021, 34). Self-discipline is very critical for military people, especially those in leadership positions. Achieving set goals in time is highly affiliated to the levels of self-discipline of the leaders because it has everything to do with leading by example. There needs to exist mutual respect with the people I will be working with, and being their leader, I should give them a reason to respect me. Self-discipline will involve ensuring I was doing everything by the book regardless of the circumstances. It is essential to show the people what you stand for from the word go as a leader to know how to toe the line. Although the end goal should be succeeding, a good leader should be understood that failures are normal and inevitable sometimes.

I intend to use my good communication skill to keep tabs on everything going on at the workplace. Good communication skills require not only giving out instructions but also being able to listen to the rest of the team members. For instance, I will need to apply my listening skills more during the first months at work to understand the culture and how things work out. I intend to do most of my consultations with my mentor, who is better to explain what needs to be done. Apart from my mentor, I may also need to seek insight from others below my rank because they have been there long enough and might know what is expected of a flight commander (Kunich et al. 2018, 33). My communication channels will be open to everybody in the team; whether in a small rank or higher than me, my ears will be available to everybody. I expect everyone in my squad to know something I don’t or the rest of the team. Good communication skills can be beneficial in conflict resolutions amongst team members. There should be a neutral party who should mediate conflicted parties, and the flight commander is best suited for this job because of the respect they attract. I also intend to use my communication skills to ensure conflicts are minimal at the workplace, and if any arise, they are dealt with as quickly as possible. Grudges should not exist between teammates because, one way or another, we should be able to trust teammates with our lives.

Based on our job description, counseling and constant training are necessary. The team needs reassurance that someone cares for them (Santiago. 2008, 54). Expressing care and appreciation in any way possible is essential to keep the team intact. Setting up counseling facilities, for example, and ensuring that they are operational goes a long way in stabilizing the team members’ health, which gives them the morale to strive for success in their operations. I will introduce or emphasize the importance of this after I familiarize myself with the processes and am in a position to make changes.

I will also work closely with my mentor consulting him whenever I feel stuck or in a dilemma. Since I am new in this role and it is one of the most vital roles in this career, I will closely work with my mentor. My mentor, compared to me, has the experience and has done this for a while. She understands what may go wrong or right when certain things are done. Therefore, I will always consult him for guidance, role modeling, and motivation (Lee 2004, 558). My mentor will help me set goals for the operations before presenting them to my team. Because of these reasons, I will ensure that I work with my team and work well with my mentor.

Conclusion

As a flight commander, I am obligated to ensure that every flight operation goes well and prepare my team effectively for that. For the effective conclusion of an assignment, a team leader must work closely with the team members. My team members’ leading skills include communication skills, creative collaboration, flexibility, ethical decision-making, and self-discipline. As a leader, I should understand that communication involves giving commands and entails listening to what my members have to say on a particular matter. Therefore, listening to their opinions and points will be vital, putting my self-interests aside. Through creative collaboration, we shall come up with the best solutions to problems, and it will allow y team members to feel free. Lastly, I will have to consult and work with my mentor for role modeling and guidance. Using all these methods, I will be in the best position to lead my team to success.

Bibliography

Cavico, Frank J., and Bahaudin G. Mujtaba. Business ethics: Transcending requirements through moral leadership. Pearson Learning Solutions, 2004.

Gjurov, Lazar, Filip Stankovski, and Bojan Miklosh. “THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SELF-DISCIPLINE FOR THE SUCCESS FULLNESS OF THE MILITARY LEADERS.” KNOWLEDGE-International Journal 49, no. 5 (2021): 979-984.

Homan, Astrid C., Seval Gündemir, Claudia Buengeler, and Gerben A. van Kleef. “Leading diversity: Towards a theory of functional leadership in diverse teams.” Journal of Applied Psychology 105, no. 10 (2020): 1101.

Jerald G. and Robert A. B. Behavior in Organizations, Ninth Edition, by  Published by Prentice Hall. Pearson Education, Inc. (2008)

Kunich, John Charles, and Richard I. Lester. “Reality Leadership.” In Military Leadership, pp. 71-83. Routledge, 2018.

Lee, Janie M., Yoshimi Anzai, and Curtis P. Langlotz. “Mentoring the mentors: aligning mentor and meet expectations.” Academic Radiology 13, no. 5 (2006): 556-561.

Norma Carr-Ruffino, Building Innovative Skills: The Creative Intelligence Model Published by Pearson Custom Publishing, a Pearson Education Company. Third Edition, Ph.D. (2004)

Santiago, Luis. “Heirpower! Eight Basic Habits of Exceptionally Powerful Lieutenants.” Air & Space Power Journal 22, no. 4 (2008): 114-116.

Scott Jr, R. “Ethical decision-making: The link between ambiguity and accountability.” Air Space Power Journal. Chronicles Online Journal (2002).

Walker, Derek, and Beverley Lloyd-Walker. “The future of the management of projects in the 2030s.” International Journal of Managing Projects in Business (2019).

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