Chapter 8: The U.S. Air Force Approach

Team leadership in a wartime military environment is high stakes, demanding, and unforgiving. It requires a unique profile of competencies to be skillful and effective across continuous threats, predictable missions with unpredictable outcomes, ongoing uncertainty, changing conditions, and constantly transitioning alliances. For these circumstances, key competencies are necessary in four areas: (1) a solid intrapersonal core made up of stamina, resilience, and humility; (2) a cognitive cluster of information processing and problem solving capabilities; (3) social capital to engage with and leverage the talents of others; and (4) critical alliances related to the ability to span boundaries to create and gain advantage through strategic relationships. The complex and extensive nature of these capabilities indicates their need to be cultivated, developed, and practiced over time. It is imperative to start early and use advanced experiences such as structured formal education. College programs could be extended to support a broader range of team leadership skills, focusing on the development of wider awareness. This type of curricular design is recommended to others and is used at the U.S. Air Force Academy.