Commentary Search

  • What type of leader are you?

    Not many Airmen join the Air Force knowing what type of leader they are...yet all are called to lead. Airmen joining military service in their late teens and early twenties quickly learn that their Air Force expects each of its members to lead. Yet at this age and level of experience few know what

  • Monkey Food

    Several years ago I had the opportunity to attend an Office Personnel Management leadership academy. During three weeks of intense and quality training, there was one story in particular from our instructor that made a deep impression and has stuck with me after all of these years.My instructor

  • What's your CQ?

    A large number of Americans travel the world annually, but less than an estimated one percent of the citizenry actually live abroad. The ability to reside, work and travel in a foreign country provides each of us a rare and challenging opportunity to improve our Cultural Intelligence Quotient, or

  • Shaping the future through mentorship

    We have all heard mentorship is key to Airmen development. We are told as supervisors we are required to mentor. We even have an Air Force Instruction dedicated to mentorship! But, how many of us have actually been taught what mentorship truly is and how to accomplish it?Let me begin with a

  • Lean thinking about the budget

    The annual budget is a top problem facing our Air Force. The problem is simply solved: spend less. Sounds easy, right? If it is so easy to fix, then why does it remain a top Air Force issue? It is my humble belief that common budgetary processes at all levels drive both good and bad behaviors making

  • A lesson from an interior design 'fail'

    You might be wondering why there is a boring photo of a poster board sitting on an easel associated with this article, and you should. Since when does quality Air Force photography look like this?This picture, believe it or not, is really worth a thousand words (ok, maybe more like half of that).

  • Do you have what it takes to be a 'new monkey'?

    My boss sometimes calls me the new monkey.I hope that sentence has you asking, "What in the world does that mean?" If it does, I can't think of a better time to explain it, so here's the story.Some scientists put three monkeys in a big cage. The monkeys are placed on one side of the cage without

  • Life in combat training

    I joined the Air Force July 2012. I never thought I would be going through combat readiness training so early. I didn't really know what to expect. But I had a feeling it was going to suck. I mean, I went through something similar in basic training called Beast Week, which tested our combat skills.

  • Leadership lessons from a not-so-well-known President

    Short in stature at 5 feet 4 inches, not particularly handsome, a bookworm and not exactly the life of the party, James Madison does not fit some perceptions of a leader.In today's world, he probably would have been perceived as a nerd. But, his brilliant mind and leadership skills now have

  • 'Every dollar counts' challenge

    Did you get the email from the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff, Gen. Larry O. Spencer, about Airmen Powered by Innovation? Check it out! The Air Force is looking for Airmen of all ranks to find ways we can cut costs, and, as our Vice Chief says, "better fly, fight and win."While finding cost-saving