This paper will discuss the importance of leadership in fostering an environment conducive to a Quality Air Force. In recent years, the concept of Total Quality Management (TQM) has swept the nation's businesses. TQM is based on the ideas of W. Edwards Deming, who defines quality in terms of meeting the needs and expectations of the customer. In the case of the Air Force, the customer is the people of the nation that the organization serves. In order to attain the goals of a Quality Air Force, the Air Force must meet the needs of the American people at this time: maintaining a scaled-down force structure while simultaneously maintaining a solid base for national defense.
It is evident that leadership is a vital factor in attaining high levels of quality in Air Force operations. Obviously, quality programs must be implemented from the top down, rather than the other way around. If the management style of the leadership is based on the principles of quality, then the entire organization will be permeated with the same principles (Loh 143). It is especially important that leadership show a commitment to maintaining quality throughout the organization. In this way, the leaders of the organization can motivate the employees to follow their example in the quest toward increased productivity and customer satisfaction. In addition to motivating the employees, the key leadership roles in a quality organization include establishing the organization's vision and goals, and establishing a comfortable working environment that fosters teamwork and ongoing efforts toward improvement (Loh 144).
Researchers have found that certain strategies are successful for leading organizational change. For example, Balutis reports that effective leaders: challenge the process; inspire a shared vision; enable others to act; model the way; and encourage the heart (151). Richards claims that one of the most important, as well as challenging, el...