Air Force Academy leadership program gets a lift

Hispanic Times Magazine, Fall, 2003

Leadership training for the cadets attending the United States Air Force Academy is getting a lift from an easy-to-use and inexpensive program developed by a company that specializes in the development and implementation of materials for behavioral analysis and motivation. And the same basic concepts that make the program so powerful when applied to business are proving to be just as effective when used at the Academy to help develop character in the military leaders of tomorrow. The Team Leadership Package, developed by the Institute for Motivational Living, is based on the DISC system of assessing personality characteristics. It was chosen to fit into a new training program at the Air Force Academy, Leaders in Flight Today (LIFT), which is an Academy effort to raise leadership effectiveness and build character by focusing on and improving organization, teamwork, interpersonal skills and personal influence.

"The Academy's primary mission is to produce leaders of character," says Dr. Bradley Smith, Director of the Institute for Motivational Living. "Character-building is the number one priority at the Academy, and character-building programs are integrated throughout the academic, military, and athletic training experience. We're part of a program designed to make the Academy the center of excellence for character development in the nation."

In the words of Air Force General Richard B. Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: "Character and personal integrity must be above everything else."

The Air Force Academy defines character as: Qualities of moral excellence which compel a person to do the right thing despite pressure or temptations to the contrary. It's a definition that ought to be equally applicable to the corporate world, Dr. Smith believes.

"Today more than ever, businesses also are looking for leaders of character," he adds. "In light of the number of recently reported financial scandals at major corporations, it becomes apparent that leadership and character are critical personality traits that cannot be separated. Our programs help identify and strengthen both qualities, which is one of the reasons why I think the Air Force Academy selected us to participate in the LIFT program."

The Academy program emphasizes the three primary core values of the U.S. Air Force: Integrity first; Service before self; and Excellence in all we do. They are values easily identified by the leadership package developed by the Institute.

The Institute's Team Leadership Package provides the tools and the training materials (including a certification course in Human Behavior) along with assessments, an online report generator, and training materials including workbooks and PowerPoint@ materials. It is designed to train the group member who will be the "leader of leaders." It provides hands-on learning and quickly trains the trainer to be proficient in discovering team and individual strengths in order to accentuate these strengths while also linking team members with others who will help them in areas of possible limitations.

"The leadership program we developed for the Air Force Academy is similar to programs that the Institute has been implementing in the business arena for 20 years," Dr. Smith says. "But to us, certainly, it has more significance in that poor communication and motivation in a military situation can play a much bigger role than lost profits and business opportunities."

The customized motivational program was designed to fit the needs of the Academy and the LIFT program, under fairly tight budget constraints, according to Dr. Smith. And, the materials were developed within a short time frame in order for the Academy to incorporate the communication and motivation aspect into the program.

The LIFT program was rolled out in mid-October of last year. The Institute designed the materials and worked with the Academy to make changes to the initial program as it got underway. All materials were designed to fit seamlessly into the LIFT program and a trainer's guide and interactive presentation materials made it possible for the Academy to initiate the program easily. In fact, when Dr. Smith visited the Academy last fall to help kick off the program, he found training and group exercises already underway.

"I see improved moral, communication, and a new energy gained by first understanding ourselves and then everyone else around us," says Major Jeff Kozyra, Deputy Division Chief, Character and Leadership Education and Program Director, LIFT Seminars, at the Air Force Academy. "It has helped reduce conflict and has provided solutions by improving communication in a variety of areas where we work under conditions of stress."

The LIFT program is run as a daylong offsite seminar for junior-level cadets. It is offered five times during the academic year. Two hundred cadets were part of the initial program this academic year. In 2003, the Academy estimates that more than 1,000 cadets will participate, most receiving their first exposure to DISC behavioral analysis.