CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
As my time in the Air Force comes to a close and I transition into life after the military, I have been thinking a lot about my military experiences and the leadership qualities I have acquired throughout my career. Some I have learned through formal training, but most I learned from my previous supervisors. I have had numerous supervisors over my twenty years in the service; most of them left a positive influence on me, but the ones that left a negative influence on me are the ones I learned the most from. They taught me about the kind of supervisor I didn't want to become. What makes a good leader? While opinions vary on that, there are certain qualities that you need to have to be an effective leader.
The most important quality to me is integrity; integrity means alignment of words and actions with inner values. It means sticking to these values even when an alternative path may be easier or more advantageous. A leader with integrity can be trusted and will be admired for sticking to strong values. They also act as a powerful model for people to copy, thus building an entire organization with powerful and effective cultural values.
Dedication is another quality a good leader should possess. Dedication means spending as much time and energy on a task that is required to get the job done, rather than giving it whatever time you have available. The work of most leadership positions is not something to do 'if time permits.' It means giving your whole self to the task, dedicating yourself to success and leading others with you.
Another key quality is humility. Humility is the opposite of arrogance and narcissism. It means recognizing that you are not inherently superior to others and consequently that they are not inferior to you. My first squadron superintendent could have used more of this quality. He truly believed he was better than anyone with fewer stripes than him. In fact, his first words to me were, "You know I don't like Airmen don't you, Freeman?" Those words have stuck with me throughout my career, and I made sure that I never treated Airmen junior in grade to me like I was better than them. I treat each and every one with respect and demand nothing less from them.
Openness is an important skill to develop. Open leaders listen to their people without trying to shut them down early, which at least demonstrates care and builds trust. Openness also treats other ideas as potentially better than one's own ideas. My last job involved a lot of unconventional troubleshooting due to the age and lack of availability of equipment. My supervisor would gather all of us together and solicit ideas. He would listen to all ideas and encourage us to try some of them. He would offer his thoughts when he saw we were stuck. That taught me a great deal about being a supervisor and leader. If you always tell your people what needs to be done, you are not allowing them to develop and build confidence in their abilities.
The above qualities are ones that I have learned throughout my career and they have served me well. I will be able to take them with me as I transition into life after the military. As I mentioned earlier, integrity is the most important quality to me; integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Sure it might be easy to take the easy way out, but when you're in the business of saving lives and delivering freedom, taking the easy road is not usually an option. Thank you all for what you do for our country.