JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
As those of you who wear Air Force blue know, the Airman's Creed charges every Airman to be a leader. In the last paragraph of the creed, it states, "I am an American Airman, Wingman, Leader, Warrior..." But just how do we operationalize this concept? That is, give our Airmen or Sailors for that matter, regardless of grade, officer or enlisted, the basic tools to achieve this worthy objective?
Rather than lay out the old tried and true list of leadership characteristics that many of us have become very familiar with over the years, let me offer three basic tools or guidelines to follow that every Airman or Sailor should know, which will help them meet and exceed this charge.
First, to be a leader, one must set the example with regard to appearance, conduct, customs and courtesies, and the desire for excellence. Setting the example is indeed an acknowledgement that your actions or inactions speak much louder than your words. Setting the example not only applies to influencing your subordinates, but also your peers and your superiors alike.
One of my former senior enlisted wingmen often quoted one of his former mentors stating, "Airmen go where their sergeants [and officers] lead them." Setting the example by doing and demonstrating rather than by saying can be a powerful motivator. When you set the bar high and consistently demonstrate those high standards, others will naturally want to join your winning team and will follow your lead.
Second, set out to make a difference in your unit's operations. In today's environment of constrained manpower and what will invariably be a shrinking defense budget, we can ill-afford to operate as business as usual. We must look for innovative ways to accomplish our missions more effectively and efficiently, knowing that in most cases Big Air Force or Big Navy will not tell us how to do this or to stop doing a particular task if it is not contributing to our mission accomplishment. Determining this will be a "grass roots" effort at the unit level, and if validated could in fact impact operations across the major command and our respective Services.
This task is not solely the charge of the seasoned Air Force or Navy veterans; it's an operational imperative that every Airman and Sailor actively seeks ways to leave their duty section better than when they started.
Finally, as Gen. Raymond Johns, Air Mobility Command commander, the parent command of this installation, is fond to remark, leaders need to "Dare to Care."
"Dare to Care" recognizes the reality that in our super-connected, 24/7 world of smart phones, social media and the like that perhaps we now need to focus more effort on face-to-face contact with our Airmen and Sailors in order to re-connect on a personal basis with those we work with daily.
In some cases, this interaction may be uncomfortable and may require you as a supervisor or peer to ask the hard questions. That's what our Wingman and Comprehensive Airman Fitness, as well as Shipmate cultures are all about - connecting on a personal level, communicating face-to-face rather than by texting or e-mail, caring even if it gets uncomfortable, and celebrating the successes that we can share only in a truly connected workplace.
Next week, during Wingman Day, our Airmen will talk more about CAF and how it can help them re-connect to become better leaders and followers.
I know it all sounds so very simple. Just three basic tools to make you the leader we need in today's dynamic and challenging military. Give them a try. I guarantee you that you'll be surprised how these seemingly small actions can have a big impact on the overall effectiveness and health of your work section and ultimately, you entire organization.