William Mitchell William

Over the years, different types of leadership styles have been continually examined to determine the best approaches for working with others and motivating everyone to do more. For future generations, these attributes help them to decide how and when to reach out to stakeholders. In the case William (Billy) Mitchell, he is the classic example of embracing these attributes. To fully understand which characteristics he exhibited requires examining his leadership style and how this can be utilized in contemporary society. Together, these elements will illustrate the best approach for motivating others and building a sense of vision / loyalty within the group. (Cooke, 2002) (Mastromichalis, 1986)

Billy Mitchell's Leadership Style

Billy Mitchell was known as a competent leader who was able to incorporate attributes which helped him to work with his supervisors and subordinates. These areas enabled him to transform the mindset of the army at the beginning of the 20th century. This was time when the U.S. military was shifting to mechanized warfare utilizing various technological advancements. The leadership that he provided offered a sense of direction and encouraged others to follow him. (Cooke, 2002) (Mastromichalis, 1986)

A few of them most notable improvements Mitchell was responsible for include: building telegraph lines in Alaska and implementing the air power doctrine. Aviation was the area where he had his biggest impact. Early on, he realized the importance of aircraft...

During World War I, he was responsible for taking these concepts to another level by learning technical skills from the British and French. Then, he improved upon them to enhance American military strategy. The result was a complete transformation with the army implementing these ideas as part of their Air Corps doctrine. (Cooke, 2002) (Mastromichalis, 1986)
After the war, he expanded upon these concepts and began to demonstrate how airpower could be used to attack naval vessels and to launch operations from sea against land targets. However, he enraged the general staff who felt that his tactics were unorthodox and they refused to follow his ideas. This occurred with him calling for a separate branch of the military called the air force. They would have the responsibility for conducting operations in the sky. The basic idea is that anyone who controlled the air was able to influence the outcome of events on the ground. After years of frustration and facing the possibility of censure / suspension for his opinions (via a court martial) he resigned. Until his death in 1936, Mitchell continued to argue how air power was the most important aspect in deciding future wars. (Cooke, 2002) (Mastromichalis, 1986)

In this case, Mitchell demonstrated classic leadership techniques through his understanding and application of technical ideas. This occurred with him seeing how new technology changed the nature of warfare and the lasting effects it had on…