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Alli's avatar

When we believe that we can pick general level talent when someone is a Lt, and then ignore all the red flags in subsequent years, we have a problem. Too many senior leaders decide who is going to be their guy/gal, and because of their ego, allow bad behavior to go unchallenged. I came in, in 1994, and retired in 2014. I saw it for the entirety of those 20 years. And nothing I have seen since I retired has dissuaded me that it has changed.

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Ron Welch's avatar

Agree!

I served in the U.S. Air Force from 1968 to 1975 and the U.S. Air Force Reserve from 1975 to 1978. One of the many things I look back on was that I was privileged to have served with several (actually quite a few) WWII vets who were at the end of their careers. I got the good out of them before they walked out the door. They were a different breed of men. They were a different breed of leader.

After the Air Force I worked for a Fortune 10 corporation. One of the most admired companies in the world. Admired for products, financial management, operations, technology and... Leadership. We had excellent leadership and Management. Our senior leaders were like the WWII era leaders I knew in the Air Force. They were a different breed of people. A different breed of leader and manager.

After retiring from that company I worked (Sr. VP) for a small defense contractor advising senior Air Force leaders both military and civilians. After a 33 years absence I was back in the Air Force! Working with 'Stars' and SESs and GS15s. For nearly five years. For five days a week and sometimes weekends. And everyday when I left to go home (or my hotel), as I drove off base... my thought was that all of these people need to be fired!

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