From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao has emphasized the need for military officers to develop necessary leadership skills to enable them to 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 on Tuesday.
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.”
Amao added that this may even make operational leaders make decisions that are at variance with the strategy or vision of the leader.
He urged the participants to focus on the big picture by understanding that the dynamics of the national security environment are a must for the attainment of strategic leadership.
Responding, the Commandant of the Nigerian Air Force War College, AVM Sayo Olatunde, while describing the lecture as epoch-making, commended the Chief of Air Staff for finding time out of his very busy schedule to personally come and deliver the lecture.
“The lecture itself is painstaking, thorough and pragmatic. It is an indispensable study material for developing our strategic leadership capacity,” the commandant stated.