RESTRICTED

AIM

The aim of the paper is to study, analyse and compare the leadership style of General
Curtis Emerson LeMay and make applicable recommendations for present day
context.

RESTRICTED
 RESTRICTED

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION TO THE LEADE……………………………………………….1

EARLY LIFE…………………………………………………………………...1

MILITARY CARRIER....................................................................................2-4

AFTER RETIREMENT......................................................................................4

LEADERSHIP ANALYSIS.........................................................................................5

LEADERSHIP TRAIT AND CHARACTERISTICS…………………….….5-6

LEADER’S COMPETENCE AREAS………………………….……………7-8

ANALYSIS OF LEADERSHIP STYLE…………………………………...9-10

LESSONS LEARNT FOR TODAY'S ENVIRONMEN………………….10-11

FINDINGS…………………………………………………………………….…….12

RECOMMENDATIONS……………………..…………………………………….13
CONCLUSION……………………...………………………………………………14

REFERENCE…………………………………………………………………...…..15

RESTRICTED
 RESTRICTED

INTRODUCTION TO THE LEADER

“Few folks ever learn anything from previous experience of elders, whether elders
in years or elders in familiarity with a given task or problem.”
- General Curtis Emerson LeMay

EARLY LIFE

1. Curtis Emerson LeMay was born in Columbus, Ohio on 16 November 1906.

His parent were Erving and Arizona LeMay. His family was a simple family and the
Curtis Emerson LeMay was the eldest son of his family. His mother worked as a
domestic servant and Curtis start a new business after the losing the job of his father.
As the eldest of the family, Curtis had more responsibilities due to the
family's difficulties.

2. While lived in California, LeyMay had to work hard to feed the family at that
time. Curtis started a newspaper business after they relocated to Columbus. He was
able to make money for his education and occasionally contribute money to his
mother through this business.

3. He studied from Columbus public school and he graduated with a bachelor's

degree in civil engineering from the Ohio State University in 1924. He was
commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Corps Reserve in
October 1929 and regular commission was received in January 1930. During this
period in Ohio State, he took flight training at Norton Field in Columbus from 1931 to
1932. He got married to Helen Estelle Maitland on 09 June 1934.

INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

RESTRICTED
 RESTRICTED

MILITARY CARRIER

4. General LeMay was attached to the 27th Pursuit Squadron at Selfridge Field,
Michigan and he had to serve there seven years. After that, he was transferred to the
2nd Bomb Group in 1937. LeMay was a member of the first B-17 mass flight to
South America which received the group the Mackay Trophy for exceptional aerial
achievement. LeMay believed that conducting continuous training is the best way to
save lives in the air.

5. At his age of 37, General Curtis LeMay was appointed as youngest Major
in the Army Air Force. The first twelve years of his military career he had served with
a rank no higher than First Lieutenant. However, LeMay was able to spend the last
twenty-two years in the rank of general including full General, the Chief of Staff of
the U.S. Air Force, serving under both Presidents John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson.

6. On the war, LeMay developed crucial defensive formations such as the

fighting box, which B-17s used during flights over occupied Europe. In 1943, he was
promoted to brigadier general and given command of the 4th Bombardment Wing,
where he handled the unit's development into the 3rd Bomb Division. He was offered
a position as a United States Senator after WWII, but he declined since he would have
to leave his rank.

7. LeMay was appointed as the fifth Chief of Staff of the United States Air
Force. During this time as chief of staff, his opinion of strategic air campaigns over
tactical attacks and ground support operations became Air Force policies. He had
obtained various types of U.S. military decorations such as
a. The Distinguished Service Cross
b. The Distinguished Service Medal
c. The Silver Star
d. The Distinguished Flying Cross 
e. The Air Medal 

INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

RESTRICTED
 RESTRICTED

8. After a few years, Curtis LeMay was selected to a flight school in California
and he was able to carry out flying activities successfully there. At initial stage, a
good flying instructor was not allocated to Curtis Lemay to carry out his primary
flying training. However, after the finishing of his primary flying training of PT-3
aircraft LeMay trained under the excellent instructor and LeMay successfully
completed his flying training at Kelly Field.

9. Flying Cadet LeMay received his wings on October 12, 1929. LeMay's first
activity out of flying training was phase aircraft at Selfridge Field, Michigan. There
were three things to be completed out by LeMay during living at Michigan. First one
was the completion of his college education at Ohio State. Second one was his
marriage Helen Maitland. The third is that he want to attend the Navigation School
after escaping his duties with the Civilian Conservation Corps.

10. Aircraft had sufficient range to necessitate navigation as well as the carrying
capacity to transport extra duty personnel in 1932. Harold Gatty had taken sky
navigation from ships and was teaching LeMay and others how to use it on planes.
Curtis LeMay acquired professional respect and proficiency after learning to navigate.
He first taught then navigated numerous critical missions demonstrating the range,
efficiency and relevance of airpower. LeMay was given the opportunity to drop his
first live bomb at Selfridge. They only rehearsed with dummies since they had not a
ranges to drop actual weapons at Selfridge.

11. Curtis LeMay was attached to the China-Burma-India theater in August 1944
where he led the XX Bomber Command in China and the XXI Bomber Command in
the Pacific. LeMay used an unusual strategy and the strike rate was increased to 80%.
Because wood was the most common construction material in Japan, the burning
weapons were extremely powerful, usually cause firestorms that destroyed entire
areas. Between March and August 1945, these attacks hit 64 cities, killing an
estimated 330,000 people. Presidents Roosevelt and Truman backed LeMay's actions
as a means of weakening the weapons industry and avoiding the need to invade Japan.

INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

3

RESTRICTED
 RESTRICTED

12. LeMay commanded simultaneously B-29 Super fortress combat operations

against Japan including massive incendiary attacks on 64 Japanese cities. This
included the firebombing of Tokyo which is known in official documents as the
"Operation Meetinghouse". For this first attack LeMay ordered to remove the
defensive guns from
B-29 aircraft and loaded each plane with Model M-47 incendiary clusters, magnesium
bombs, white phosphorus bombs, napalm and ordered the bombers to fly in streams at
5000 feet to 9000 feet over Tokyo.

13. Curtis LeMay returned to the United States in 1948 to take over as the
commander of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) from General George Kenney.
When Lemay took over SAC, it only had understaffed B-29 bombardment units left
over from WWII, fewer than half of the available aircraft were operational, the
personnel were poorly trained and the Base and aircraft's security requirements were
rudimentary. LeMay found a single unarmed Air Force guard while examining a SAC
hangar full of US nuclear strategic bombers. Upon inspecting a SAC hangar full of
US nuclear strategic bombers, LeMay found a single Air Force sentry on duty,
unarmed. Also LeMay was shocked to learn that most of the strategic bombers
assigned to the mission missed their targets by one mile or more.

AFTER RETIREMENT

14. LeMay left the service in February 1965. He continues to serve his country in
many capacities. He was active as an adviser to the Air Force, ran as the third party
vice-presidential candidate with George Wallace in 1968 and served as one of the
directors of the National Geographic Society. In his last years, LeMay kept out of the
public eye. He died at an Air Force hospital in California on 1 October, 1990.

INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

RESTRICTED
 RESTRICTED

LEADERSHIP ANALYSIS

LEADERS' LEADERSHIP TRAITS/ CHARACTERISTICS

15. Acceptance of Responsibility. General Curtis LeMay's had outstanding

performance as a military leader and he was promoted to higher ranks with in short
period of time. He was also able to wear those ranks and perform well in each one
without falling behind. General LeMay was assigned a slew of operational
assignments and appointments which were essential to the situation. General LeMay
repeatedly demonstrated his ability to perform in a strategic manner at each session
with his subordinates in order to complete assigned duties without being defeated or
failing.

16. Commitment. During World War II General of the Air Forces Henry
Arnold required a bomber with higher payload, range and speed than the stalwart B-
17 and B-24 bombers to use in Europe. LeMay assisted in resolving some of the
issues by altering maintenance techniques. As a result they decided to buy B-29
aircraft. The B-29 experienced serious issues because of the quick rate of
innovation and the absence of proper testing to work out design defects.

17. Knowledge and Skills. LeMay was directing the strategic Air operation
against the Japanese home islands once he became concerned that high altitude
precision bombing would be unsuccessful due to the generally cloudy weather over
Japan. Further, high altitude bombs launched by B-29s were regularly blown off
course by a powerful jet stream passing over Japan's home islands. As a result he
shifted to low altitude explosive attacks against Japanese sites at night. The strike rate
climbed to 80% once LeMay employed this unusual strategy. LeMay commanded a
firebombing operation against Japan between March 1945 and the Japanese surrender
in August 1945. This illustrates LeyMay's remarkable knowledge and competence
since he had real experience with the implementation of effective military plans by
setting an example for the rest of the world's military history.
5

RESTRICTED
 RESTRICTED

INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

18. Endurance. General LeMay has clearly proven his degree of endurance in
his roles as a military leader. His dedication to the country is demonstrated by his
extended service as a military pilot.

19. Courage and Confidence. There are several examples of General Curtis
Emerson LeMay's courage and confidence in both military and civilian life. During
the childhood LeyMay was the eldest child of his family and he had to do something
to earn and feed the family because his father’s job was temporary lost at that time
and money was not enough to run the family. Therefore, Young LeMay had to work
to feed the family while lived in California. After they moved to the Columbus Curtis
stated a newspaper business. Through this business he was able to earn money for his
studies and sometimes he was able to give money for his mother also.

INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

RESTRICTED
 RESTRICTED

LEADER’S COMPETENCE AREAS

20. His mission was to inflict as much misery on the enemy as possible while also
providing as many tools as possible to lower his men's tactical risk and save as many
American lives as possible. He was concerned with efficiency and efficacy in
bombing the enemy to surrender. He was concerned with how he carried out his
responsibilities. He was actively involved against the Germans, Japanese and
maintaining a nuclear deterrent against the Soviet Union from 1941 until his
retirement in 1965.

21. In November 1948 during a meeting with Air Force Chief of Staff Hoyt
Vandenberg the two men agreed that SAC's principal purpose should be to deliver 80
percent of the nation's atomic bombs in a single mission. According to his aim LeMay
delivered the first SAC Emergency War Plan in March 1949 for dropping 133 atomic
bombs on 70 cities in the USSR within 30 days. Because LeMay predicted that World
War II would last no longer than 30 days. Two months later the Harmon committee
issued a unanimous report declaring that such an attack would not end the war with
the Soviets and their industry would soon recover. The Joint Chiefs of Staff had
established this group to investigate the consequences of a large nuclear strike against
the Soviet Union. Joint Chiefs committee encouraged the increasing of America
nuclear arsenal within a weeks and Chief of Staff Vandenberg demanded enough
bombs for 220 targets.

22. LeMay was the youngest four star general in American history when he was
appointed in 1951. LeMay tested 24 hours bomber and tanker warnings and ensuring
that certain bomber units were always ready. SAC was led by LeMay until 1957 and
then it was transformed into a modern, efficient, all jet force. In nearly a century
LeMay was the longest serving commander of an American military command.
LeMay was largely successful in increasing Air Force budgets by strongly supporting
the use of military space programs for satellite reconnaissance and electronic
intelligence gathering.
7

RESTRICTED
 RESTRICTED

INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

23. LeMay advocated a sustained strategic bombing campaign against North

Vietnamese cities, harbors, ports, shipping and other strategic targets Bombing
limitations were imposed by President Lyndon Johnson for geopolitical reasons, as he
surmised that bombing Soviet and Chinese ships in port and killing Soviet advisers
would bring the Soviets and Chinese more directly into the war. As a result of all
these limited campaign failed to destroy significant quantities of enemy war supplies
or diminish enemy ambitions. It was proved that LeMay's theories were corrected for
all those situations.

24. Only the older and more experienced pilots flew the bombers when he
switched from pursuit to bombers in 1936. The younger and less experienced flew in
the different roles required throughout the B-10 and shortly the B-17aircraft. They
didn't have Navigators or Bombardiers instead they had pilots who rotated through
each function without really mastering any of them. LeMay was the best navigator in
the Air Corps and it was proved at most important prewar tests.

INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

RESTRICTED
 RESTRICTED

ANALYSIS OF LEADERSHIP STYLE

25. There are variety of leadership styles existing in the modern world such as
a. Autocratic
b. Democratic
c. Laissez-Faire
d. Transformational
e. Facilitative
f. Transactional
g. Coaching
h. Charismatic
j. Visionary
k. Cross-Cultural
l. Strategic Leadership
m. Team Leadership

Throughout his career, General Curtis Emerson LeMay used a variety of leadership
techniques to motivate others to follow his lead in order to achieve his objectives.
Some of the incidents of his military career are depicted below.

26. Autocratic Leadership. The boss is at the center of autocratic leadership.

All authority and responsibility rests with the leader. Curtis LeMay said that ‘I will
be in the lead plane on every mission. Any plane that takes off will either fly over the
target or be court martialed’ when he was the Colonel in Command of the B-24 group
during World War II. Such autocratic command is essential in such a massive and
high risk battle. This statement shows the autocratic leadership of the LeMay.

INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

9

RESTRICTED
 RESTRICTED

27. Strategic Leadership. Strategic leadership is a line of possible thinking

unlike any others. Operation Meetinghouse is the great example for LeMay’s
Strategic leadership. It was a combat operations against Japan and they attacked
64 Japanese cities during this mission. LeMay ordered to remove the defensive guns
from 325 B-29 aircraft and load each plane with model M-47 incendiary
clusters, magnesium bombs and white phosphorus bombs to fly in the streams over
Tokyo. They dropped 1665 tons of incendiary bombs and killed 100000 civilians by
destroying 250000 buildings and incinerating 16 square miles (41 km2) of the city.

28. Democratic Leadership. The primary feature of the democratic style of

leadership is the encouragement of the participation of all group members to become
active stake holders through the harnessing of their individual talents. LeMay tried to
encourage and use ideas of his men and thoughts effectively rather than demanding
task accomplishment and LeMay actively looked for ways to promote excellence by
recognizing strong performance through his lead crews and spot promotions. He did it
by providing the appropriate environment to monitor the operations and encourage the
aircrew, flight, squadron and command performance. The practices merge to form the
collective culture LeMay seeks in his commands.

LESSONS LEARNT FOR TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT

29. LeMay was an intelligent leader who adopted a good strategic plan and clever
manoeuvre in order to defeat the enemies. Motivating and Moral Building of
followers, creating confidence, Coordination, Goal setting and representation can be
considered as advantages of good military leadership in the present environment.

30. General Curtis LeMay’s military leadership show the way to us in order to
think on the present military situation in the world as Staff Officers. Even though
General LeMay had several leadership styles he was success in many gaols while
adapting each and most suitable leadership style. By analysing General LeMay’s
10

RESTRICTED
 RESTRICTED

commitment to the US military service we can have a positive and a clear idea about
the advantages of General LeMay’s leadership stiles and life.

31. LeMay understood that the nation had to be destroyed to end a total war and
he was willing to train his men as best he could before sending them into battle to
destroy the enemy as efficiently and effectively. Leadership and command are useful
constructs to continue to explore and learn regardless of their interconnected nature.

32. Other than those points studies regarding the life of the LeMay was a very
capable people to realize what the leadership is about. The main thing that we can
learn from the LeMay’s life is that leaders are generally not born but their skills and
capabilities are developed with the time. LeMay can be categorized as an excellent
leader with good judgments of listening skills, sensitive and open minded.

33. The satisfaction and motivation of the followers are just as important as the
leader's performance skills in winning the battle field. In battles, General LeMay may
be able to keep his troops at ease. The followers were mostly satisfied with General
LeMay and his command due to his talent and dedication. As a result of that the
dedication of followers and loyalty aided him in performing well when he is taking
decisions with obstacles and challengers.

34. Finally General LeMay's concern the welfare of the men and women under his
command and he has become a symbol of military service. LeMay always focused
for ways to make people more effective at their jobs by considering their lives. He has
become as a symbol of his command and leadership. All these achievements he
gained because of the he created good image among his followers.

INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

11

RESTRICTED
 RESTRICTED

FINDINGS

35. General LeMay always tried to bring the U.S. military to a higher level in
every aspect. For that he has done a tremendous job especially in the field of military
aviation. He was able to improve the aviation technology in parallel with the military
activities.

36. Flying of B-10 aircraft and subsequently B-17 aircraft is a symbol of

leadership and command in LeyMay’s military life. During wartime he personally
prepares the soldiers under his leadership and assigns responsibilities to his
subordinates. He is a good teacher as well as a good leader.

37. LeMay worked hard in a very good manner even at his very early childhood to
feed his family. This quality built his credibility for the future. When he commanded
the 305th his men already knew that he was professionally competent at his job and he
had obtained the credibility for his previous activities.

38. His men knew he spoke with competent authority. Because of his leadership
qualities his men trusted him when he told them they were going to fly straight and
level from the starting point to the target to improve bombing accuracy rather than
thinking about avoiding flak which was a treat to shoot them down.

INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

12

RESTRICTED
 RESTRICTED

RECOMMENDATIONS

39. The Military Officers should possess a sound knowledge on great leaders and
their leadership skills. Any Officer can learn to overcome the barriers imposed on
them by studying General LeMay's leadership behaviours. As such it is recommended
that all military officers to study the LeMay’s life style, his aviation military
knowledge and the military career as they are mostly contributing to develop a great
leadership.

40. Technical knowledge has also become an important component for today's
military professionals. The attitude, courage and vision are far more required by a
nation. Hence it is recommended that General LeMay’s military life and the career
should be closely studied by the military leaders in the Sri Lanka Air Force.

41. As military Officers it is recommended to identify the General LeyMay’s

confidents in battle, tactical knowledge and decision making ability during his
military life to become a perfect military leader.

42. As military personnel we have to be ready to face any sort of a challenge. We

must not avoid them and except them in an offensive or defensive manner. We should
not wait till the next chance. That could lead us to failures. So doing the right thing on
right place in the right manner is very important for us as military leaders.

INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

13

RESTRICTED
 RESTRICTED

CONCLUSION

43. LeMay is considered as a one of the greatest operational commanders in the

United States Air Force during World War II.His technical knowledge, thinking
patterns and tactical skills were required for more accurate bombing in Europe and the
destruction of the dispersed Japanese military industry. LeMay judged people only by
their actions not by their words. He remains an examples as a commander and leader
and tell how to handle challenges.

44. General Curtis E. LeMay's battlefield strategy resulted from an evolutionary

process. According to him training is the most important to be ready for the battle and
believed that one could never rehearse enough for battle. He started with high altitude
precision bombardment that he used in Europe. The switch to low level night time
bombing came about because of many constraints on the battlefield strategy being
used.

45. He achieved a reputation for his leadership in combat, his innovations in

training and his development of new bombing techniques. He also constructed a long
range strategic Air Force and developed new techniques of low level incendiary
bombing. He conducted a devastating air campaign against the very fabric of the
Japanese economy and society. When the war ended in General LeMay was one of
the many air leaders who remained in the service to create and build the post war
United States Air Force as superpower. Many more future leaders will be inspired and
adopt qualities like him by analyzing of his leadership styles.

14

RESTRICTED
 RESTRICTED

INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

REFERENCES

1. Air Force Biographies, “General Curtis Emerson LeMay,”

http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=6178

2. Delacour, Jonathon. “Curtis LeMay’s Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising
Sun.”http://weblog.delacour.net/archives/2005/03/curtis_lemays_grand_cordon_of_the
order_of_the_rising_sun.php 10 March 2005.

INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

15

RESTRICTED