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Essay / 12'O Clock High - 1411
Summary The 918th Bomber Group is radically transformed from a "bad luck" group under Colonel Davenport to a group thriving with pride and self-confidence under the leadership of Brigadier. Savage. The reasons for this dramatic turnaround clearly lie in the differences in leadership style between the two men. The main causes of the division's transformation under Savage include: • A leader with vision who can see the big picture. • Focus on critical tasks and not on relationships. • Close performance gaps. • Meaningful reward and punishment systems • Instill a sense of pride and self-confidence in the group. Did Brigadier Savage succeed in transforming the 918th while Colonel Davenport failed?" The differences in leadership style between the two men were presented within the framework of three main parameters: vision, organizational changes and Human Resources Management Colonel Davenport, although at heart "a nice man", has a myopic view of the 918th. He is only able to see "mission by mission" and cannot predict how his group's actions will take place. will play a role in the larger scheme of things, i.e. winning the war against Germany As a result, he is unable to notice his group's performance gaps and the role their dismal performance plays in. the war against Germany as a whole. Even his body language is that of resignation and lacks the contagious confidence that a leader must possess.[1] lack the pride and self-esteem required for the job and give excuses to stay down. Brigadier Savage, on the other hand, sees the bigger picture clearly. As he tells Lt. Jesee Bishop after a successful mission: “Of course, we're guinea pigs. But if we hang on now, one day soon someone will see solid cover of American bombers heading towards Germany to strike the Third Reich. where he lives". He also understands that this "bad luck", if nothing is done, could affect the rest of the groups of the 8th Air Force, costing them the entire war. An interesting point worth discussing is the how Brigadier Savage shared his vision with his group In fact, when he assumed leadership, he even blamed the group for asking "what does it all mean" [2] and what not? is only in the third mission that we hear him share his vision with Bishop.