Under professional competency of an Air Force leader, one is expected to exhibit an unparalleled knowledge of the job requirements and further demonstrate an ability to train the subordinates in their daily activities. General Maxwell Taylor notes that an Air Force leader is formally educated to supervise and evaluate the work of the subordinates as a professional competency (Taylor, 1977). i Moreover, as an Air Force leader, one is taught to demonstrate the above professional competencies in the daily performances without failing. Also, one is responsible for setting the working environment that encompasses relationships with the employees as well as their engagement and morale.
Professional competence cannot be achieved without an adept intellectual capacity of the leader. The correlation between the two can be observed in how an Air Force leader nominates key assistants in command and staff. As such, with regards to formal education, the Air Force leader is taught how to develop good instincts in the judgment of character. As Taylor (1977) reiterates, by exhibiting good character judgment in hiring, the leader is proving that he knows a good man when he comes across one. ii Informally, the leader is expected to maintain physical fitness owing to the demanding nature of military life. As an intellectual leader, he must know how to discipline his mind and body to both work diligently and in tandem.
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In essence, disciplining one’s mind and body correlates and speaks to the leader’s strength of character as an additional attribute. Ordinarily, an intellectual leader must have a strong personality that the subordinates can relate to. With both strong mental capacity and character up his sleeve, the leader becomes a role model to the juniors. A strong character is necessary for dealing with issues outside the military field such as politics, diplomacy, economics, and foreign policy (Taylor, 1997). iii To this end, a strong character will enable the leader to maintain a level head and avoid the temptation of being drawn into the above issues, which have the potential of causing partiality and prejudice.
What is a leader if he or she does not motivate his subordinates and the people around him? Indeed, an Airforce leader is educated to be an inspiration to others and especially his/her followers as a way of boosting their morale. In addition, an intellectual leader with a strong character as well as professional competency is a role model and inspiration to the juniors. As Taylor contends, the charisma of a leader is evidenced in the effect he has on his troops. One essential way in which a leader achieves this is through maintaining a respectful working environment characterized by both horizontal and vertical communication and feedback. However, servant leadership is of utmost importance in inspiring the subordinates to action.
References
i National Defense University, & Taylor, M. D. (1977). Military Leadership: What Is It? Can It Be Taught? The National Defense University. Retrieved from http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/au-24/taylor.pdf
ii Ibid
iii Ibid
