General Savage was asked to takeover the reigns as the commander of the 918th during a time of stress and uncertainty. The general morale of this “hard-luck” contingent was low due to their bad luck streak and their inevitable impending death. They felt sorry for themselves and would rather drink away the rest of their nights than make an effort to turn things around and make an attempt to be victorious. General Savage knew that he needed to change the whole organizational culture and be everything that Colonel Davenport was not. General Savage’s comportment as a leader during these demanding times is congruent with Robert House’s theory of charismatic leadership . As soon as he arrived at the military camp, Savage had a sense of mission, a sense of pride and a clear vision for the 918th - a vision to turn it around to a disciplined, goal-focused group. He addressed the soldiers and told them to “stop making plans or thinking about going home, consider yourself already dead. Once you accept that idea, it won't be so tough.” He put the nation’s needs before his and took personal risks of his life and losing his friendship with Colonel Davenport to accept his post. He also exuded unconventional assertive behavior in comparison to prior commanders in that he wasn’t sensitive to his followers needs. He didn’t believe in getting to know the soldiers and their stories personally, not because he was cold hearted but because he knew that such emotional attachment would compromise his ability to be an effective leader at the warfront. He didn’t want to enter “a popularity contest with Keith Davenport” because he regarded his weak ways of leadership as the reason for the 918th downfall. General Savage is a ‘transformational leader’ in the sense that he has an influence on his followers . He was undoubtedly competent to lead the group and provide the pilots with