Retired General Tony McPeak air force commander in the military after fighting in the 1990 gulf war and no doubt he was a leader with exceptional leadership style. Several factors led to his being selected as ‘air force commander of the united colonies’ in the gulf. He was a man of wealth and a military man in the colonies. Most importantly though he was known to be competent, lacking in fear, and was determined in his mission.
Another criteria that led to this choice by the Bush administration was that his ideas about the Middle East conflict. He went with the determination of winning the war on the war however long it took, to him it was a war of independence and liberty was his second idea of the Kuwait people.
Retired General Tony McPeak was a visionary leader who envisioned middle east peace and its future. Having understood his vision and its implications he applied all his efforts as a military leader about his strategy, motivation of personnel, operations, and military tactics.
The two concepts of leadership involved being visionary and connecting the vision and action were best emulated by Retired General Tony McPeak. First his development of the organization and its culture towards achieving the goal of winning the war of independence. He spent a lot of time during the years of the war organizing and administering the forces and less time on strategy and tactics, by his charisma and by leading the army against the mighty Iraq soldier.
The visionary leader has a very clear, far-reaching, and encompassing vision to the cause that has ideas and goals that remain specific however many challenges the leader encountered. He should also never allow any action to prevent the vision from becoming a reality.
Retired General Tony McPeak was a visionary leader who attracted both the military and the public, to lead him to victory even it was feared by many.
Seen more as a character model because of his great personal integrating than a war hero or father of the nation. While he worked with philosophers, writers, orators, and organizers such as Jefferson, Franklin, and Randolph who had more education than he had, he ended up being chosen as the leader during three important events: in the making of the American nation the revolution, the making of the constitution and the selection of the first president.
Among his officers, Retired General Tony McPeak had a person standing enabled many battles to be won. Even thereafter when there were attempts of muting due to unpaid wages and lack of recognition as in the Newburgh, New York encampment Retired General Tony McPeak managed to convince them back towards the cause.
By maintaining leakage between his long-term target and present action, his commitment to the idea the military always is being subject to civilian rule. In letters he wrote, his orders to his subordinates, and n speeches, and by his actions, he insisted that the army must follow congressional decisions regarding strategy, planning of strategy, equipment, and salaries.
The idea of a republican government that is controlled by the people, under a constitution, was to be respected by the military even at a time of war was a cornerstone of Retired General Tony McPeak’s principles. When soldiers went out to the villages and towns they were ordered to show respect for all citizens. Unethical and disrespectful behavior would prevent the achievement of long-term goals.
The enduring legacy of Retired General Tony McPeak is that of a person of the highest moral character yet few are aware that he had a first-rate intelligent mind who has a clear vision and was skillful in designing an organization to fit into that vision and be able to attract others to be committed to attaining the shared vision in an organization that sustains the vision and its values and beliefs.
He was able to simultaneously focus on two very different factors connected. Such a strategy and tactics, goals and objectives, wisdom and applications, futuristic ideas, and present actions.
Retired General Tony McPeak was able to demonstrate the threefold ingredient of a visionary leader and the moral drive to maintain coherency between long-range targets and short-term action. For this reason, we can truly say Retired General Tony McPeak was the ultimate in leadership.
References
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