Leadership In Aviation Research Assignment Paper (Admission Essay Sample)

Student Name
Student Number
Course Number
Course Title
Assignment Number
Leadership in Aviation
2055words
Lecturer Name
MARKING CRITERIA


Grading







5

4

3

2

1

Assigned grade

Total available

Weighting

%

Criteria

1






4

/5

x 60

48


2






4

/5

x 15

12


3






4

/5

x 15

12


4






4

/5

x 10

8


TOTAL

80

Criteria

%

Justification

1

48

well focused and evidence of extensive reading; sources have been outlined well

2

12

Good attention in guiding the reader, good organization, suitable paragraphing and a clear conclusion

3

12

Good command of academic language and good use of academic register

4

8

Very good presentation, essay complies with the word limit and good spelling and pronunciation

Leadership in Aviation
Leadership is the act of influencing or directing the effort of an organization or a given group of people to achieve a given goal. According to John (1998), leadership cannot be made in a day and it could take a lifetime. This statement is supported by Michael and Erich (2013), who believe that leaders are faced with the fear of not being able to fulfill their promises to their followers. They say once leaders are able to accept that they can overcome this fear then they are able to lead effectively and become better leaders, the kind of leaders who grow with their followers. Leadership is not just about telling people to go it’s about going with them (John, 1998). This means that an effective leadership is where the people are empowered by their leader and the leader in turn is allowed to grow and develop with their followers.
There are certain traits that researchers have discovered to contribute to an effective leader (Peter, 2011). A lot of studies have been done to point out the traits of effective leaders and a long list of traits that contribute to successful leadership was made. They then narrowed down to the important traits that make an effective leader; intelligence, confidence, charisma, sociability, determination and integrity. Intelligence is where the leader is able to express in good language and has excellent communication skills. Confidence refers to the positivity that the leader shows towards himself and his followers. Charisma is the sense of appeal that the leader has and they are able to attract people and get them to listen (Michael and Erich, 2013). Sociability refers to having sensitivity and emotional intelligence while interacting with your followers and supervising them. Determination on the other hand is the drive to stay focused in achieving a certain goal while integrity is the truthfulness in how the leader acts. It is the core of leadership.
Leadership is shown more by how a person acts rather than their traits (N.K. Jain, 2005). According to behavior theory, leadership effectiveness is shown by how the leader interacts with his followers. Jain argues that if trait theory was successful, researchers would have come up with a method to identify the right people to lead. According to N.K. Jain (2005), if the behaviors of successful leaders were pointed out then we could be able to train people to become leaders. This would then mean that there would be sufficient leaders. According to Bruce (2001), leaders are made and not born even though giving leadership to individuals with the best qualities is the important part as it gives them an opportunity to grow and use them.
Effective leadership is essential in every organization. An organization coordinates the actions of people without knowing exactly who this people are. They have rules and regulations which are not always clear that are meant to be followed by everyone so it does not really know whether the people want something or not. This means that change has to be implemented by certain people in power, the leaders. Without an organization there is no one to lead and leadership on the other hand puts organization in reality by creating a relationship with the people. Leadership and organization are therefore mutually dependent (Marc-Philippe, 2016). In Aviation, we have had our fair share of leaders who have put in their effort to ensure the industry thrives.
Carey Lohrenz is a former lieutenant in the US navy and a pioneer aviator. In her book, Fearless Leadership, she explains how quality leadership is critical for success especially in co-ordinated teamwork. She shows how life in the military can be frustrating but still needs a strong cohesive leadership that the soldiers can rely on. For a team to perform highly it needs a fearless leader who has courage, integrity and tenacity, a leader who would bring the team together and work closely to execute a given plan (Carey, 2014). A leader needs to set a bold vision and unite the team and stay resilient. Effective leadership can be fully executed by a leader who understands the real benefits of quality leadership and is able to show it in their day to day activities.
Carey Lohrenz became one of the first female combat pilots in the US navy. Coming from a family where her father, brother and husband were either navy or marine pilots she learnt to cope with negative attitude of male combat pilots towards female pilots (Philip, 2013). Carey believed in herself and despite people’s opinion on the idea of having a female combat pilot, she went for it. Leading requires that one pushes through their own limiting obstacles and push through the fear of how other people think of you (Carey, 2014). She emphasizes that one should have the courage to honor their instincts and passions as a leader. Fearless leaders are always moving forward to better themselves and their followers.
Fearless leadership can aid an organization overcome unproductive behavior that prevents change and the organization reaching its full potential (Loretta, 2009). A leader should be able to face reality, make the appropriate decision and take responsibility for the results. Effective leadership needs courage which is not always achieved in a day but through continuously pushing oneself to try new challenges and find solutions. It’s a process of overcoming fears. A leader should understand that failure is part of the whole process, nothing is perfect and the process is messy and sometimes confusing.
In my personal experience, supervision is an excellent example of how I have seen leadership in action. During a project we were asked to conduct during our internship, the supervisor always paid a close attention to what we were doing constantly referring as to the books to make sure we were on track. He seemed encouraged by the members of the team that seemed to contribute a lot and he spent a lot of time around them. He would even ask one of them to lead in some of the sessions that didn’t require heavy supervision or topics that they seemed particular good in.
During our last meeting together, the supervisor awarded the most participative members of the team. He said how he was impressed by our efforts. He was particularly critical of the members of the team that were slow and did little to contribute to the project’s success. He went on to say how that could affect their performance in their professional lives. He said that he expected that we would finish the project way before the due date but instead we just relied on the members who seemed more participative and energetic thus causing the team to drag.
After the meeting most of us felt discouraged and really undermined. The supervisor failed to empower the team as a whole instead he was bias only paying attention to the top performers. If he had paid the same attention to every member of the team, we would have even finished the project before the due date. According to John C. Maxwell 2007, leadership is mainly through influence. Most of the team members were left feeling like they were undeserving to even be in the aviation industry. A team leader should encourage all his followers despite their performance so that at the end of the day there is unity instead of just competition among the team members.
As a pilot, my leadership skills are always being put to the test. As a captain my first priority is to my passengers and the crew. A pilot is should put the comfort and safety of the passengers first (K.C. Khurana, 2009). Of course with storms there are frequent lightning strikes. The flight attendants were quick to assure the passengers they are in good hands and the plane can withstand a few lightning strikes but they demanded to hear from the captain. It was understandable; why not hear from the man flying the plane.
I was called from the cockpit by one of the flight attendants so that I could address the passengers. My first action was of course to tell them a bit about myself and to explain to them that however they were feeling was normal and totally acceptable. I affirmed the fact that many planes fly through stormy weathers and they are able to make it to their destinations. I noticed some of the passengers were not eager to hear what I was saying; figured they had been in such situations before. However, I continued with my speech.
I proceeded to assure them that the flight attendants were highly trained and they have handled such situations before and they should feel privileged to be in their care. I observed that they listened keenly and just to ease the tension I cracked an old joke. I continued to tell them that if they experienced any disc...