The Essential Partnership: The Four Core Functions of Military Leadership and the Core Values

Abstract

Junior and mid-level officers and civilian-equivalent ranks in the Air Force well understand the importance
of accomplishing the mission and the warrior ethos, as well as taking care of the personnel in the unit.
However, many of these leaders demonstrate two military leadership shortcomings: They display a poor
understanding of the role and impact of the necessity for good order and discipline, and they have not
internalized the primacy of the Core Value of Integrity First. The author proposes four core functions
of military leadership to form the foundation for better understanding the tasks military leadership at
all ranks must support, and emphasizes the necessity for the Air Force Core Values in making sound
leadership decisions and for ensuring that good order and discipline remain the foundation of the
American Warrior Ethos.