What Effective Leadership Behaviors Did Colonel Novak Exhibit?

• What effective leadership behaviors did Colonel Novak exhibit?

Colonel Novak assumed responsibility of 200 plus men, several cargo planes, and an unstable situation. It appears that Colonel Novak assumed the responsibility of a leader and exhibited several leadership behaviors to accomplish his goal to make his squadron the best.

Some of the roadblocks that he inherited were a shortage of supplies, personnel, and replacements. There was also low morale among the team and a lack of teamwork and organization. When you take all of these obstacles into consideration and add them to the stress and dangers that accompanies those in combat, this is a recipe for a tragic situation or a disaster. Task-oriented behavior was exhibited when Colonel Novak held a meeting with the squadron to introduce himself and talk about how important their mission was to the success of the war. By providing detail explanation of the importance of their mission of engaging in war, this is an example of a leader clarifying what results are expected them and setting specific goals for the squadron during the time of war.

Colonel Novak took the initiative and made it a priority to learn more about the men in his unit. He accomplished this by hold meetings to discuss the methods that were going to be deployed during the mission. He was also attentive to their complaints and made an honest attempt to address their concerns. He also reorganized the squadron to make them more effective and dealt with any disagreements quickly as a team. All of these methods are examples of task-oriented and relations-oriented behavior. He socialized with others to build relationships, help resolve conflict, and recognized contribution made by his team members.

• What does this case illustrate about effective leadership?

This case illustrates that no matter how unstable a situation or groups appears, with good planning and a leader with the essential qualities needed to be