Our people have to know us and buy into our values if we are to have any hope of influencing them. This demands sincerity, and the only way we can achieve that is if our actions marry up with the words we have spoken. Bottom line: Be the example for others to emulate and follow.
Show your team that you care about them as both employees and people. It has been my experience that if you take care of people, they will take care of the mission – this applies at all levels of leadership. Get to know your people – where are they from, who are they, likes/dislikes, families, what is important to them, etc. Be right beside them when they are struggling. Shine a spotlight on them when they do great things.
People are the most important resource/asset that we have – treat them like that.
I fully buy into the Air Force core values and broach no compromise there. Several other traits that I strongly value are accountability, honesty and credibility. I cannot emphasize strongly enough how I feel about integrity and accountability.
You can question many things about me, but you had better be prepared to throw down if you question my integrity. I demand the same from those around me. We are all accountable for our actions – good and bad. If you do it, or have responsibility for it, OWN IT!
Mistakes happen and I can live with that. If you make a mistake, admit it, fix it, learn from it and move on. One caveat to accountability is that there needs to be clear expectations that are clearly communicated. All of us deserve that. I am sometimes honest to a fault.
If you ask my opinion, I will give it. You may not like it – it is not personal. I am attempting to be more diplomatic, but sometimes that quality fails in me. Credibility, much like respect, is earned and can easily be lost. In order to earn it, you must do what you say you are going to do when you say you are going to do it.
Words matter and the words coming out of your mouth must ring true and stay consistent. Once credibility is lost, it is likely gone forever. So, guard yours carefully.
There are several things that I absolutely will not tolerate and tend to deal with rather harshly. The first is dishonesty. One of my mentors once said, “A half-truth is a whole lie.” I could not agree more.
The second is: Never, ever, bad-mouth the boss in public. We may not like the person, a decision or a policy, but we are obligated to support it unless it is immoral, unethical or illegal. Make peace with that thought – the military is not a democracy. Sometimes we must salute smartly and march forward regardless of our personal feelings.
The third is disregard of safety principles and practices. Safety is not negotiable! We lose too many people to circumstances that are within our control. Your first line of defense it to examine what you are doing and how you are doing it. If it does not look safe and does not feel safe, it probably is not. There is nothing wrong with calling a time-out – it just might be the smartest thing you have ever done.
Fourth, do not take credit for accomplishments that are not yours. Give credit where it is due. Our teammates deserve to be recognized for the amazing work they do on an everyday basis. Few things will destroy your reputation more quickly than trying to glorify yourself based upon the hard work of others. I personally find that behavior despicable.
The last, and this is a real foot-stomper, is discriminatory or harassing behavior. All of us deserve to be treated with basic dignity. There is no room in this, or any, organization for mistreatment of our coworkers. Pick your poison on the type: religion, race, gender, orientation. It all looks and smells the same to me and will not be tolerated. In fact, it will be dealt with in the harshest possible way if substantiated.
I am big on customer service. All of us are in the customer service business whether our customer is internal or external to our organization. Treat our customers even better than you expect to be treated. It pays dividends both now and down the road. I value predictability and I want to provide that for as much as possible.
Few things are harder, or more frustrating, than chasing a moving target. Clear and effective communication is the goal. We should all strive to communicate up and down the chain. Keep the message simple, specific and consistent. If you ever have a question about anything I have said, ask. I am not a mind-reader and may not know when I have not been clear as mud.
Check your ego at the door – you may not be the smartest person in the room. Very little of what we do is personal, and we should not give it that weight. This is a contact sport and we all end up with bumps and bruises.
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