Top Gun Case Study:

Path-Goal Theory

Ty Kluesner and Sydney Singh

Background

The Top Gun program is a specialized training program for elite Navy pilots. Top Gun was created to reintroduce dog-fighting combat techniques into battle. Maverick, a former student, is invited back to the academy to teach the next class of recruits. Maverick made a very memorable reputation for himself while attending the academy. He was known for being a daredevil who was not afraid to indulge in risky tactics despite direct orders from his superiors. Maverick also lost his partner, Goose, during a training exercise. Goose’s son, Rooster, is one of the students in the current Top Gun class that Maverick is tasked to instruct.

The Dilemma

The military is looking for the best of the best pilots in the United States Navy. The military needs these pilots to complete a covert mission in a foreign country that is producing a nuclear facility that poses a threat to the free world. The United States wants to destroy this nuclear facility, but it’s protected by an array of SAM defenses, top-of-the-line fighter jets, and other defenses. On top of this, the mission must be done within a short period of time, and it is within a mountain range, which makes the mission extremely difficult even for the best of the best military pilots. There is a high likelihood that at least some of the pilots won’t make it back if the mission is not carried out perfectly.

Leadership

Maverick is acting under the direction of the United States Navy. However, he is given a generous amount of freedom in how he completes the mission with his recruits.         

Defines Goal

Destroy the Nuclear Facility in enemy territory                        

Clarifies Path

Maverick gives very exact and clear instructions on training procedures.

Removes Obstacles

Maverick removes any uncertainty and doubt among the class of recruits. By removing the obstacles, Maverick invigorates the recruits with confidence.

Provides Support

Maverick leads by example. He understands how the recruits may feel because he was in their exact shoes when he was a student at the academy. As an instructor, Maverick walks alongside the recruits both in the classroom and on the training field. Maverick also participates in the final mission.

Possible Outcomes

Good Leadership

Maverick chooses to push his students beyond what is expected of them, and then they will be able to finish the mission within the boundaries of what needs to be done without any casualties.

Bad Leadership

Maverick chooses to explain to his student the mission and its importance, but doesn’t push them to the fullest extent. This does not allow them to be fully ready for the task they have been assigned, and they either fail the mission or complete it but with friendly casualties.

Discussion Questions

As an instructor, Maverick clearly displays achievement-oriented leadership behaviors. He clearly shows the confidence he has in the recruits and believes they will successfully complete the mission. Maverick never exhibits doubt or allows time for believing that the team may fail the mission. Maverick is also a pioneer in his field and expects the same for the recruits. In order to complete the mission, the team must show innovation, persistence, and creativity. You could even say that Maverick is rarely satisfied; he is always hungry for improvement.

While Maverick displays achievement-oriented leadership, Path-Goal Theory does not adhere to a single type of leadership style. Therefore, in what ways does Maverick set goals that push his students past the limits that are expected of them while, at the same time, help them understand that even though they are the best of the best, they still have a far way to go if they are going to complete this mission with 100 percent efficiency and nothing less.

How does a leader like Maverick balance Directive Leadership and, in a way that Participative Leadership, allowing his students to understand the strict fundamentals of their task while also allowing them to give insights or tips to improvise in case the mission goes awry?

Why and in what ways does a leader, such as Maverick, need to balance all four primary leadership behaviors? Does this type of leadership allow leaders to get a broader and better way of leading, rather than specifically choosing one for certain situations?

How can a leader like Maverick balance strict disciplinary action and morale building when it comes to extremely important goals or missions where failure is not an option? In what ways did Maverick show Supportive Leadership in the sense of making sure that his cadets didn’t feel too stressed about the mission, but understood that the mission was of the utmost importance?

License

This case study is licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.