Leadership: don't wait, take it

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Benjamin Harper Jr.
  • 379 Air Expeditionary Wing command chief
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) --  I was out the other day with some of the fine Airmen we have here in the wing and one of them made the comment, “I can’t wait until I get the opportunity to lead.”

There are many things about leadership that I don’t understand, but I do know you don’t wait on it to come, you make it happen. In every forum in the last 10 years, I have heard the statement made that we have a shortage of good leadership at all levels. What makes a good leader and why is there a shortage?

Leadership involves constant preparation. Vince Lombardi, one of the greatest football coaches of all time, once said, “It is not the desire to win that is so important but rather the willingness to prepare.”

So how do we prepare then, since we are all expected to lead in this deployed combat environment? Retired Army Gen. Montgomery Meigs identified four characteristics that we might recognize as common in what we view as good leaders.

The first characteristic is intellect, from which we derive the elements of decision and execution -- competence, intuition, and will. Good leaders read about good leaders. They are constantly searching and studying leaders and leadership styles from all walks of life. First they make sure they understand the goals of the mission. Then they search out proven and often innovative ways to get the job done. Here, we say “mission first,” but it is understood it is people always. We make sure we and our people receive the best education and follow on training available, even in the deployed environment.

Take the maintenance group, for example. Do you think they can provide 40 percent of the airpower for this AOR with the oldest fleet ever in the history of the Air Force by luck or chance? No way, it takes dedicated leaders who ensure the combat maintainers have the best tools and training available. They ensure the troops are intellectually prepared to face the challenges of the daily maintenance mission.

The next characteristic is energy. Good leaders get around; they influence the daily “battles” with presence. They follow their e-mail with their feet! The very best of them have the uncanny ability to be at critical places at critical times. They get out from under the pressure of the calendar and focus on the human element of the organization.

I think the greatest similarity between motivational energy and depression is that they are both contagious. Good leaders get up and get ready. When they are with the troops they are motivated. As a leader, the organization feeds off you. It takes a lot of energy to keep this up which is why the Air Force places so much value on the new physical fitness program.

Let’s look at the troops in the operations group for a minute. This dedicated group of men and women are constantly flying. It may be a combat, refueling or humanitarian mission, or it may be carrying troops, but the mission is constant. The Airmen in the operations group give us a tangible demonstration of the kind of energy it takes to be a good leader. It is constant, focused and always available.

The third characteristic is selflessness. It is truly motivating to know that your leader is thinking about you first, isn’t it? We have all seen this characteristic demonstrated time and time again. This allows good leaders to accept the best decision and not just their decision. This characteristic causes us to look “out” and not “in” to our own benefits.

Ranger school drove this point home early to me when it taught me that it is always about the soldiers; if you take care of them, they will take care of you. In Ranger school, you learn quickly that leaders eat last and sleep last (and a lot less). Anything to do with comfort, you as the leader are last in line. To define this characteristic in the wing look no farther than the support group. They demonstrate this on a daily basis.

How about the civil engineer members who are out in the cold wind on the roofs fixing leaks? If the last fire alarm that went off in the dorms made you mad, think about how the fire department sends responders to every single one, ready to save lives. We don’t fear attacks because of the selfless security forces who maintain a constant shield of protection. There are many more squadrons in the support group that do often-forgotten jobs daily. Their selflessness allows us to eat, sleep, and enjoy these creature comforts that we quickly recognize whenever they are absent.

The final characteristic is humanity. While humanity is essential to success for all of us, we most often think of the medical folks when speaking of humanity. Every customer they get never stops by unless he or she is not feeling well; yet, they always take care of us.

Even so, it is a demanding environment for all of us and mission accomplishment is critical to the AOR. Every day there is a risk of failure, and while we have the best of plans and training, the outcome is still in doubt until we actually execute the mission. The difference in victory and defeat often lies in the faith the troops have in the leadership and the combined perseverance to “hold the line.”

To engender that faith, leaders must have a human touch and a feel for the troops. Lt. Gen. Walter E. Buchanan III, U.S. Central Command Air Forces commander, says he would “rather talk than type.” It is hard to relay humanity through email. It is hard to feel the temperature of the workplace or the distance to the bathroom from a Power Point presentation.

I have had several great lieutenant supervisors in my life that have really taught me some good lessons. Lieutenant Derry, my best lieutenant supervisor ever, was the kind of leader you would die for. He led us by example but he never put himself above any task. If we were wet, he was wet; if we were hot, he was hot. You get the picture. He was out there. He cared for us and it showed daily. “To lead you must know, and to know you must go,” is a motto that the lieutenant exemplified.

Another time, at a change of command, a general also taught me humanity. The weather was threatening and we were all outside while the official party was on the stage and under a cover. As the ceremony began, it started raining. The general got off the stage and out from under the cover. He remained there and gave his entire speech while getting rained on like the rest of us. Now, if you think he was just too dumb to get out of the rain, you are sadly missing the point of humanity in leadership. He set an example I will never forget.

Understanding the mission, maintaining the energy to see it through and caring about your troops are leadership qualities that each of us, regardless of our jobs, can do every day. So don’t wait for the opportunity to lead, take it!