Leadership starts with the man in the mirror

  • Published
  • By Maj. Gen. Scott Gray
  • Air Mobility Warfare Center commander
MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. (AFPN) --  As a general officer, I am frequently in front of audiences talking about leadership. One of my favorite groups to address is an Airman Leadership School class.

In my discussions with them -- and every group I face -- I always ask two questions: First, has anyone ever worked for a bad boss or leader? Unfortunately, 75 percent or more of the hands reach for the sky. I then ask for examples of what made these leaders bad.

The answers are normally the same: Not involved with his or her subordinates; not concerned about me or my training; is concerned only with his or her advancement, at any cost; lacks integrity; doesn’t support the boss or the mission; is a tyrant to work for -- frequently screams and yells at folks; harasses people or condones it on and off duty; doesn’t know the mission and doesn’t trust those who do; sets low standards for himself or herself, allowing the shop to skate by.

You get my drift, and you may have met some of these leaders yourself.

The second leadership question is: Have any of you worked for great leaders, and what made them great?
Sadly, fewer than 25 percent of the hands go up, but those that do are raised with enthusiasm.

Their examples are exactly what you would expect and hope for in our Air Force leaders:
Integrity; concerned about me, my development and my family; sets the example on and off duty; lives and breathes the Air Force’s core values of “integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do”; sets high standards for themselves and our shop; takes none of the credit for the good stuff we do, but takes all of the blame for the bad; praises in public, kicks tail in private; loves his job, his life and his family; and makes work fun.

If the Air Force is going to excel and get the most out of our people, we must reverse the negative leadership examples. Our people are our most important asset. We need to treat them as such.

I’m challenging all leaders and supervisors to look in the mirror and reflect on our own strengths and weaknesses, then set out to improve ourselves, so our people can realize their full potential. When we do that, we can take the Air Force to even greater levels.

It is the best investment we can make for our greatest asset -- our Airmen and their families. Your Airmen need you to be great.

As for me, I’m heading to the mirror.