Officer's insight molds Airmen through basic tenets of leadership

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. John Askew
  • 606th Air Control Squadron
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany (USAFENS) --  My first opportunity for leadership came and went as a young lieutenant without much time for preparation, but my supervisor was able to pass on some wise words about leadership before the next opportunity arose.

He provided me a copy of a speech on leadership given in June 1986 by Gen. Michael Dugan entitled “The Stick -- You’ve Got It.”

The title makes reference to exchanging control and responsibility of an aircraft with two aircrew members aboard. Although its primary audience at the time was pilots, he offered tenets of leadership that are valid across the Air Force, whether you lead a four-ship formation, a maintenance crew, or a support flight.

The essence of his message is this: as a person in a leadership role, be it flight commander or supervisor, your top priority is to prepare your people for their combat mission. I offer some of his paraphrased thoughts since they have served me well so far.

As supervisors, you are now part of the chain of command for your unit. You have been entrusted with the safety and professional livelihood of those that work for you. You are now a builder, developer and teacher. If you’re a flight commander, that duty comes with additional responsibilities, including counselor and mentor, but most of all, a commander. You are no longer just “one of the gang.” You’re part of the establishment. You’ve been offered much through the privilege to lead, and much is expected in return.

Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. You must guard against destructive criticism, and refrain from disparaging remarks about your unit, your leadership and your Air Force. Provide constructive inputs and encourage constructive dialogue geared toward improving the situation. This goes to the heart of loyalty -- loyalty to our bosses, to our people, and to our units. Support your commanders who are in turn supporting theirs.

The most basic support leaders provide is preparing their troops for the combat mission. You must ensure they have the necessary training to get it done, and assess their capability to execute the mission. Leaders are in the best position to know their troops’ strengths, weaknesses, and judge their ability.

Strive to create professional, competent Airmen, ready for whatever threat is posed against national interests, and who have the judgment to effectively execute in combat and safely in peacetime.

But you can’t teach judgment and sign it off on an evaluation form. It’s acquired over time, and the clearest and simplest way to affect that learning curve is by teaching philosophies that are built on the solid foundations of your past experiences, and the experiences of others. Teach Airmen the important things such as living through the first combat mission, or how to effectively protect resources, and how to challenge themselves while understanding limitations and improving their skills.

Lastly, be the role model. Live and work every day to the best of your abilities. Your personal and professional discipline should be second to none.

Your troops should have no doubts about your loyalty to them, your unit, your leadership and the mission. You need to be more cognizant than before of all the external influences on your people and how they are affected. Be approachable and listen carefully to what they tell you, but above all, be yourself. There is no “cookie cutter” approach to leadership, but the concepts and tenets mentioned above can build a solid foundation on which you develop your own leadership style.