Both of my parents became teachers. I saw them get up early every day to prepare for class, and there were also many nights where they worked late at home grading their students’ papers and assignments. When I was old enough, I started to play sports. I tried everyone available to me and eventually stuck with “one,” as every parent can attest you can’t do everything you want to do all the time.
I was good, but there always seemed to be someone better, or if not better, the favorite kid on the team. I started to develop the mindset of “No one works harder than me!” It has been a driver for me throughout my entire life, and it has given me the determination to achieve my goals.
I joined the Air Force at age 19 and spent the first 10 years as an enlisted pharmacy technician. I practiced my tradecraft and worked hard, hard enough for recognition, but more importantly, hard enough to earn opportunity for work outside of my Air Force specialty code.
I was asked to be part of the Ready Augmentee Program. It was awesome! We drove 10K all-terrain forklifts in the marshaling yard and K-loaders on the flightline to load cargo onto deployment aircraft.
Fast forward to present day. A lot has changed in my life: family dynamic with children, changes in hobbies, multiple changes in duty station and a commission as an officer in the world’s greatest Air Force. Along my journey, I have had the worst and best mentors anyone could ever ask for. I like to think I chose the good mentors and the bad ones were placed in my life at key moments to teach me lessons on how to be a better leader.
So, what have I learned? I want to share five things with you today: 1) Work hard; 2) Trim the “fat;” 3) Go the extra mile; and 4) Communicate.
Work hard
Done! Please see above and continue to be the hardest most dependable worker on the face of this planet. We owe our service to everyone in America we represent. We must leave it better than when we found it! It’s OK, steal my tagline: “No one works harder than me!”
Trim the “fat”
As big “A” Airmen, we make decisions every day. Focus on trimming away the obstacles and parts of your daily processes getting in the way of your decisions. You are empowered! Lead at each level in the organization. Don’t wait for someone to tell you to do something when you have control of part, or all, of a process or issue.
decisions with the best information. The Air Force is data driven. Gather information for and against your issue. You need to know both sides of the argument or task to make the best decision. Then trim away what isn’t needed. This process of decision making helps you think through the second, third and fourth order effects of your decisions.
Leadership is a “long game” and not a “sprint.”
Go the extra mile
Anything worth doing is worth doing right. Take the time to make a quality product or perfect the process, and when you are rushed, your previous dedicated efforts help ensure a better quick decision or smoother expedited process. People talk about needs and wants, but I think they can be the same.
As a commander, I try to provide needed direction and leadership to my squadron. As trust builds, our interactions become more and more wanted on their part of me. We create a symbiotic relationship built on trust, needs and wants. A motivated Airman it tough to beat!
Communicate
All of the above is hard to achieve if we don’t communicate. We must understand each other as close to the personal level as we can. The sum of who we are as individuals creates a diverse work culture that the Air Force is beginning to unravel in new ways. Diversity & Inclusion training and discussion efforts are helping to break down barriers that exist in some of our work centers and certain jobs within the Air Force and entire Department of Defense. Bottom line: “Words matter!”
I’d like to leave you with a quote from Daniel Linsky, the Boston chief of Police during the Boston Marathon bombing. He said, “You don’t learn leadership, you live it every day.” Nothing could be truer. Being a leader takes work, hard work. Be there for the Airmen you lead, be there for the Airman you work alongside, and be there for your leadership at the latest finest hour. You are a leader, so lead courageously and remind yourself: “No one works harder than me!”
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