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The
U.S. Air Force Academy
 Shaved
head; seven chews per bite of food; 161 class hours.
Marching, inspections, confinements, soaring, parachuting, summer
programs, fitness tests, and sports.
These are all pieces of the Air Force Academy experience,
but the heart of the leadership development strategy lies in the Academy
Training Philosophy (ATP). Built
on the premise of “Be, Know, Do,” the Academy develops its cadets to reflect
the attributes and roles it expects these young men and women to personify
(“Be”), the skills and principles they need to understand in order to fill
those roles (“Know”), and the performance outcomes it demands from officer
candidates (“Do”).
We define the cumulative responsibilities for the cadets as
they move through their four-year program as follows:
Fourth Class – Freshman Year
- Demonstrate
assertive followership skills
- Prepare
to be instructors of the next fourth class
- Demonstrate
effective instructional skills
- Prepare
to be supervisors in the cadet wing
- Exemplify
assertive followership skills.
Second Class – Junior Year
- Demonstrate
effective supervisory skills
- Prepare
to be cadet officer-leaders in the cadet wing
- Exemplify
effective instructional and assertive followership skills.
First
Class – Senior Year
- Demonstrate
effective leadership and officership skills
- Prepare
to be commissioned officers in the US Air Force
- Exemplify
effective supervisory, instructional, and followership skills.
Specific expectations are set for each level.
Third Class cadets, for instance, are
responsible for the development of the Fourth Class Cadets.
They must “be” an instructor to the freshmen by “knowing”
their professional job knowledge as well as how to teach, motivate, counsel and
evaluate. They must demonstrate
their knowledge by “doing” specific tasks associated with each knowledge
area.
The Air Force Academy’s “Four Pillars” – Academics,
Military, Athletics, and Character – define the contexts in which the
leadership development is carried out.
In the academic arena, cadets are exposed to
leadership theories, application, and reflection. “Behavioral Sciences & Leadership,” for example, is a
core course that investigates the leader, follower, and situational variables in
relevant contexts. “Military
Strategic Studies,” “Ethics," "Philosophy," "Law for
Commanders,” “Management,” and “Political Science” also represent a
sampling of other required courses which add to the “Know” portion of a
cadet’s leadership goals. Many
non-core leadership development opportunities are also available, from
one-on-one mentorship programs and personality/leadership assessments to
leadership workshops for cadet commanders and advanced leadership courses.
The military and athletic forums provide
countless opportunities for cadets to apply their growing leadership knowledge
in a real leadership environment. The
cadet “wing” is run by the cadets, requiring them to train, motivate,
reward, punish, and lead each other. Whether
on the athletic fields or in their airplane cockpits, cadet squadrons, or
project teams, the cadets must struggle with the challenges associated with
leading peers and subordinates, and with being accountable for the performance
of their team.
Finally, the character pillar is stressed from day
one. The cadet-run honor system is
a central element of cadet leadership development at the Academy.
All cadets attend honor ethics classes throughout their four years, the
Center for Character Development hosts the annual “National Character and
Leadership Symposium,” and all First Class cadets attend a day-long seminar on
real-life ethical dilemmas facilitated by officer mentors and community leaders.
The
ultimate goal of the Air Force Academy’s leadership development program
mirrors the goal of the Air Force, as described by Major General Charles Link.
It aims to create outstanding young officers, “all the while holding up
the transforming leader as a model – the leader who works very hard to
understand his or her mission and then labors to produce an uplifting,
motivating and engaging vision worth communicating to other Air Force members
(or followers)” The “Be, Know,
Do” framework provides a roadmap for building the transformational leadership
for these young cadets, even the ones with shaved heads and too much food in
their mouths.
Note: Captain
Kevin Basik is on the faculty of the United States Air Force Academy in the
Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership. A 1993 graduate from the Academy, he teaches the Academy’s
course on “Behavioral Sciences and Leadership,” directs its course on
“Industrial and Organizational Psychology,” and he oversees the
department’s leadership programs and consulting efforts.
He is also the Officer-in-Charge of the Academy’s “Leadership
Reaction Course,” an experiential teambuilding obstacle course for cadets and
outside organizations.
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