Leadership Analysis of Twelve O'Clock High

There are various reasons why leaders fail. It always depends upon the situation how the leader is acting and what is the need of the situation. In the context of the film various reasons why leaders fail are as follows:

The 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, a unit known as the Rakkasans, were conducting Operation Iron Triangle in 2006 in Iraq when soldiers killed eight unarmed Iraqi men. The US military severely reprimanded the Commander of the Rakkasans, COL Michael Steele, for the unethical command climate his leadership allowed to exist within the unit at that time. This unit will need a new commander that can set and maintain an effective, ethical command climate through his leadership. That new commander should resolve the issues that led to the reported war crime in order to establish a culture that perpetuates an ethical command climate.

Frank, Savage is given command of the 918th with the intent to restore pride in the men’s accomplishments and to give them a sense of purpose. He wanted the group attitudes to change so, “the last thing a man will want is to be left on the ground.” Savage’s initial response to his new assignment is to become very strict with his new men, he understands the brokenness of the group and wants to restore military code back into the group. Discipline was Savage’s number one goal,quite the opposite from his predecessor Davenport’s take on things.

The movie “Twelve O’ Clock High” is a case study in the application of leadership theory during World War Two. Gregory Peck portrays Brigadier General Savage, a United States Army Air Force officer thrust into a situation that requires a maximum effort both on the ground and in the air as he attempts to re-invigorate an undisciplined, anxiety ridden, and ineffective combat unit. Throughout the movie we observe Peck’s character employing a variety of leadership methods, but ultimately discovering that true combat effectiveness and cohesion is accomplished through a

Once an Eagle by Anton Myrer is a very influential novel in the military. In fact, it is required reading material for all 1st Lieutenants in the Marine Corps as well as in the United States Military Academy at West Point. Many Army leaders have read the book and often discuss it among themselves in social situations. Although a fiction read, many leaders extrapolate the use of mission command as well as the leaderships attributes. In this analysis I will be comparing a single event in the novel to the Army’s leadership principles as well as Mission Command. I will then provide a personal reflection and conclude.

The book Black Hearts opened my eyes to how leadership from a single Officer can have a grappling effect on such a wide range of soldiers from the lowest of ranks. One of the best takeaways from Black Hearts is to never do anything: illegal, unethical, or immoral. Although this is a easy statement to repeat, Black Hearts demonstrates the difficulties that lie behind these words. It has also painted a picture of how leadership can topple extremely quickly from a top down view. The Army is portrayed in a bad light throughout the book relentlessly. This is due to the concentration of poor leadership of the 1-502nd Regiment (Referred to as “First Strike”), a battalion of the 101st Airborne Division.

During arduous combat operations coinciding with a high OPTEMPO unit cohesion may flux toward a detriment of mission success. This report will focus on the 56TH Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) in order to address the critical leadership problem. In addition, focus will center on relevant facts and assumptions that led to the critical leadership problem and rectify the issues. Furthermore, a new ABCT vision will be published in order to restructure the organizational culture toward a unified purpose and an increase in esprit de corps. (Verify with lesson for correct purpose)

The 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) has a proud history of accomplishments. It has served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Historically, the morale across the brigade was high; leaders took care of their Soldiers, and all of them did their best to train them, accomplish missions successfully, and support them in any way. The 4th ABCT HQ, as well as each of the battalions, were highly efficient and effective, and most of them were jubilant to be part of the brigade. Three years ago, one of the best maneuver brigades in FORSCOM was the 4th ABCT. The brigade had focus; leaders and soldiers were dedicated, and there was a strong work ethics. However, the 4th is facing some challenges ahead that are going to make difficult to reach its full potential. Amongst several leadership problems, there is a major one. There is not an organizational vision in the brigade, and if there is, it is unclear and poorly evident.

A true leader is a person who takes initiative and does what is needed to lead a group of people. If they need to, they will make any sacrifices, take the ability to take control and charge of a group. Ralph displays initiative and leadership in the book, “Lord of the Flies”, by William Golding, by leading the innocent group of kids to survival.

What might have been the setback we previously faced in making decisive, clear or sound effective decisions? Was it a defect in how Commanders and Leaders led units or troops, or perhaps the philosophy in which we chose to command and control every aspect of the battlefield? What does it mean to recognize or comprehend the art of Command and the science of Control? The six principles of mission command are key in developing a cohesive team that will support all aspects of the mission. Asking “why” is now encouraged when it pertains to certain situations or missions. Understanding the purpose of why a course of action or desired outcome is necessary, leads to mission success and a cohesive unit with thinking leaders. Thinking clearly usually isn’t an issue for most leaders, but position an individual in a situation of extreme stress or complexity, then there might be a reason to be concerned. Through

The movie Thirteen Days is based off of the real life situation of the Cuban Missile Crisis that occurred back in 1962. The United States learned that the Soviet Union was placing missiles with nuclear weapons in Cuba. The movie follows President John F. Kennedy and his advisors as they are trying to come up with a plan of action for how to handle the situation.

General Gates further showed leadership by providing purpose and direction to subordinate commanders. To reestablish good order and discipline, General Gates ordered that commanders conduct daily drills designed to instill confidence in the men and themselves.9 With this renewed confidence, General Gates' subordinate commanders had not the least doubt of beating or compelling the British to retreat.10 Leadership, is a commanders activity. In mission command, leadership influences all of the commander's activities.11 It is how commanders show concern for their Soldiers and provide direction to their subordinate commanders. General Gates exhibition of leadership from preparation to execution enabled his Soldiers and subordinate commanders

The latter -leading about 85 cadets and 5 people as support personnel- allowed gaining more confidence in dealing with people and leading them through the educational process. Now, the critical analysis, based on the RLAM model , will go through all the elements of leadership. Trust in the relationship with peers, subordinates and bosses, is the base of leadership. Considering the well-conducted previous positions and the credibility given by the rank, the position, and the overall background in the Air Force, baseline-thrust as well as respect are sufficient also for the strategic level. The confidence (equal to trust above the red line) was high, especially toward the end of the periods of each previous position. At strategic level, confidence, which is directly connected to competence, requires to acquire further knowledge and proficiency in leading at higher level. Developing strategies and leading through informed decision making are key elements that AWC will instill during the course; afterwards, experiences and feedback will consolidate them. Commitment was also achieved at executive level, but as of today, this element at strategic level requires a broader understanding on how to strategically lead an organization and adjust strategies in a VUCA environment. Again, AWC will provide the best tools and knowledge on how to operate at national level, but only the real experience

Twelve O’clock High is an American War film, about aircrews in the United States Army. It was filmed in 1949. The pilots flew daylight bombing missions against Nazi Germany. This film is used as an example of leadership styles and management. These bombing runs done by the pilots helped the United States win World War II. This film is also used as a teaching tool for leadership at the Army Command and General Staff College.

The movie 12 O’clock High was a great representation on how a leader can have so much of an impact on their unit. The true understanding of the movie could not be transcended properly if only watched once due to the complexity of the problems. At first the movie made me think COL Davenport was improperly removed and BG Savage wanted him removed on his own vendetta. After watching the movie a second time, truly examining the characters’ leadership ability using the leader-follower-situation interactional framework made me believe not only was BG Savage decision a good one, but also that it was necessary for the success of the 918th Bomber Group. Throughout the movie different leaders made critical decisions which ultimately led to the success of the Bomber Group, these leaders all had different leadership styles, different effects on their subordinate and different situations.