Air Force Mentoring: Developing Leaders

Abstract

The Air Force mentoring program should focus on developing subordinate leadership skills. Current Air Force mentoring instructions substitute career building for leadership development. This substitution distracts leaders from maximizing the leadership potential of Air Force personnel. Developing and institutionalizing mentoring programs focused on building and improving airmen's leadership skills would greatly benefit the Air Force. The methods used to conduct this research include literature reviews, personal interviews, and a comparison of leadership development programs. The literature review covers current Air Force and Army instructions, civilian and military writings, and interviews with Air Force officers who have commanded Air Force squadrons. Their statements are not part of a scientific survey; nonetheless, they indicate problems in Force leadership development programs. Other interviews were conducted with Air Command and Staff College leadership specialists who dedicate their time teaching leadership to military officers. The instruction review and interviews illustrate that Air Force mentoring programs substitute career management for leadership development. Furthermore, many indications suggest that mentoring programs have not been institutionalized. In contrast to Air Force programs, Army and Marine basic doctrine, Army instructions, military and civil leadership literature emphasize the need for leadership development. I suggest that the Air Force needs to shift the mentoring focus from career development to leadership development. Although many officers rise through the ranks and learn the value of building subordinate leadership skills on their own, creating a mentoring program focused on developing leadership skills emphasizes the importance of leadership in the Air Force mission.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2003
Accession Number
ADA424958

Entities

People

  • Michael S. Nelson

Organizations

  • Air Command and Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Power
  • Doctrine
  • Education
  • Instructions
  • Instructors
  • Marine Corps
  • Mentoring
  • Military Education
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Science
  • Organizational Structure
  • Professional Development
  • Students
  • Training
  • United States Government
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Education

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Organizational Process Management (OPM).