From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, has emphasised the need for military officers to develop necessary leadership skills to enable them perform both operationally and strategically.
He stated this while delivering a lecture titled; ‘Strategic Leadership in a Complex Security Environment: My Perspective’ to the Course 8 participants at the Air Force War College, in Makurdi, the Benue state capital, yesterday.
Amao posited that strategic leadership would require that commanders provide political leaders with balanced military options, to aid them in making informed decisions.
While identifying lack of focus on the bigger picture, pressure to meet short term demands, success syndrome and toxic leadership as reasons why most strategic leaders fail, the Chief of Air Staff urged the participants not to be caught in that web.
“Lack of clearly articulated or misunderstood mission leads to decisions at the lower levels that may not support the ‘Big Picture’ with followers feeling overly pressured for time and overcommitted for resources.”