Rapid Ascent: Leadership Published Aug. 1, 2024 By Lt. Col. Ericka Hernandez Wild Blue Yonder--Maxwell AFB -- In 1948, the AFM 35-15 Air Force Leadership set out principles and techniques for early Cold War commanders to build cohesive and efficient organization to face the challenges of the post World War II security landscape. Its values are timeless, but it was aimed at an audience familiar with references and examples that no longer reflect the experiences of a 21st century Department of the Air Force. Its preface, by CSAF General Hoyt Vandenburg, insists “leadership techniques must change as the habits and thinking of the people comprising our units change,” so we created an updated resource with our contemporary context in mind. At the suggestion of Air University leadership, we drew upon the expertise of AU faculty to offer a quick primer on six foundational concepts of the Human Domain. This is the fourth in a six part series. The Department of the Air Force (DAF) needs great leaders of all ranks to be successful carrying out its mission, anytime, anywhere. Unfortunately, many military activities are inherently dangerous, unpleasant, or tedious—and the people charged with carrying out military operations come from extremely diverse backgrounds and viewpoints. The role of the leader is to help military members be the most successful participants possible in pursuing their collective objectives. There are many definitions of leadership, but when taken together, most definitions encompass the ability of one person to influence a group of people to accomplish a common goal. At its core, leadership is the ability to facilitate and improve others to accomplish a task. Improving Yourself and Others. Great leaders must have the desire to improve themselves and others. To improve, a person must reflect inward and consider their strengths and weaknesses. By knowing ourselves, we have a better opportunity to understand others. Some of our self-knowledge comes from the careful consideration of feedback provided by subordinates, peers, and superiors. Leaders must seek to engage in deliberate development to strengthen weak areas. At the same time, deliberate team building can result in a group that complements the leader, compensating for any weaknesses the leader might possess and bringing different strengths to the group. Knowing where they need to improve allows a leader to deliberately develop themselves, while knowing where a team needs strength allows a leader to deliberately develop team members, as well as select team members that fill gaps in their own skillset. TSgt Daryl Dew and MSgt Watts were exceptional leaders while stationed at Aviano AB, Italy. Both by far, have been the best Flight Chiefs I ever had and are leaders that I have tried to emulate over my career. Dew and Watts took care of their people and treated their people as they were more than just a number in this organization. In December of 2005 my fiancé (now wife) lost our first child at 12 weeks into her pregnancy. Dew and Watts heard of what happened and made sure we didn’t have to work right away, they wanted us to be cared for both physical and mentally. Knowing that both of us were in the dorms and going through this trying time, they wanted us to be together and have a little more space being that people we would be coming by to give their condolences. They immediately made reservations at base lodging, they obtained one of the DV suite’s so we would have a living room and enough space for each other. Their actions showed true leadership by taking care of their people and truly showing how they valued us as flight members, and even more importantly as human beings. Their actions made me a better man and showed me how to be the leader I am today. Demonstrating that people matter and as much as the mission is very important, it cannot get accomplished without healthy people. Till this day, I speak to Dew and Watts, and both are mentors as I continue to serve in the Air Force.-- MSgt Eric Bergery, Jr. Being a Good Follower. Being a follower shows the ability to trust and respect another person’s ability to lead a team to success. It is important to remember that almost every leader, regardless of their position within an organization, is also a follower in a larger unit. Thus, it is not a simple case of either being a leader or a follower—Airmen need to consider the fact that they will almost always be engaged in both roles, at the same time. The key to a good relationship between a leader and a follower is trust. Offering trust to another person can be uncomfortable because it may make you feel vulnerable. By putting trust into a leader, a follower is to a certain extent relinquishing control. But, without accepting this need, it is impossible to forge a team together into an effective unit operating in pursuit of a common goal. Because of the uncertainty created by the loss of control, it takes courage to be a follower. Being Courageous. Courage is strength in the face of adversity. Courageous leaders challenge themselves and their team members to perform beyond their comfort zones. They have the courage to uphold the Air Force core values: Integrity, Service before Self, and Excellence in All We Do. Because military operations often involve extreme danger, there is an element of courage that comes from the physical domain. Leaders recognize danger and do what they can to minimize its effect for the team, subject to the needs of the mission at hand. But sometimes danger cannot be avoided—and leaders need to help their teams continue in their roles, not be paralyzed by indecision or fear. Courage also has a cognitive dimension. Courageous leaders have a moral code and are not afraid to live by it, even when doing so might make them less popular. Courageous leaders are decisive. They are not afraid to make decisions and not afraid to admit when they are wrong. If a commander/leader is not willing to listen, they will lose the respect of not only their subordinates but peers and their bosses. They are ones that get in the trenches, learn what their Airmen are doing (not every minute detail to be the SME but enough to understand how to advocate for their people), ask questions, show interest, and learn to balance, or harmonize might be a better word, the mission, AND the people.– Anonymous Lt. Col. Remaining Self-Disciplined. Self-disciplined leaders follow their moral code and live by their virtues. The heart of self-discipline is the ability to place long-term objectives over short- term objectives. It can be personified in many ways, such as maintaining a commitment to physical fitness; continually learning new skills and knowledge; or avoiding the tendency to leap to conclusions without gathering as much information as possible. Self-disciplined leaders are composed. They regulate their emotions and do not allow them to override rational judgment, even in heated moments of high pressure. Self-disciplined leaders hold themselves to a measurable standard and lead by example. That example helps leaders build disciplined teams that adhere to the Air Force core values. Just as leaders need to be self-disciplined, the same is true of teams. Well-led teams hold one another accountable to the standards of the team. Retaining a Sense of Humility. Good leaders are humble. Having humility means having the ability to listen to others’ points of view and take them into account when making decisions. Having humility means having the willingness to perform any function within the unit, rather than assuming that some are the exclusive domain of subordinates. Having humility means taking criticism from superiors, peers, and subordinates, actively listening to it, and thinking about how it might be used to improve oneself. One of my mentors, someone I have looked-up to practically my entire career is hands down one of the best leaders I have ever had experience with in my life. Everyone that comes in contact with him, feels it. Even if the entire interaction is only momentary, they leave that moment enamored with his genuine and “real” leadership feel. He invests in everyone he interacts with, he is charismatic as hell, but his ability to show you that he genuinely cares transcends everything. You know that he is invested. He is honest, even-handed, and empathetic. He engages and greets everyone warmly. As a mentor, he asks the hard questions, pushes you outside of your comfort zone and guides you not only with logic but connects the dots to ensure you understand the situation and how it applies to the bigger picture. – SMSgt Kathleen Knisley Leadership vs. Command. It is important to remember that leadership is not positional, it is personal: a leader can be of any rank, and it is entirely possible for a leader to have less rank, less experience, or less knowledge than members of the group that they are leading. In contrast, command is positional, it is a specific role with parameters much more narrowly defined than the concept of leadership. It is quite common to be a leader without being a commander, and on some occasions, a commander may not always be a leader. A leader can have an important influence on a team of any size, and in their role as a leader, they facilitate and improve the members to accomplish a mission. Toxic Leadership. When one or more of the five elements are lacking in a leader, there is high potential for toxicity. Toxic leaders usually are driven by the pursuit of personal success at the cost of their team. They are almost always concerned with their own rewards, advancement, careers, and opportunities, with little regard for the effect that might have on subordinates, peers, or superiors. They tend to lack trust in the members of their team, which often leads to micromanagement. Ironically, they are often very charming and skilled at interacting with superiors, although a closer examination will reveal a self-interested motivation for much of their behavior. However, toxic leaders drive the morale of the unit down, as the members of the team quickly realize that the leader does not have interest in supporting individual members, and that the leader tends to see mission accomplishment as a reflection on their personal leadership. Being in charge does not automatically equate to being a leader…and this is true for the top members of the team just as it is for the singular person who is the commander. Basically: If people trust their commander to act in their interests while getting the mission done, then effective leadership is taking place – it’s the followers who really have the vote here. –CMSgt Christopher Almeria Toxic leaders rarely accept blame for their own mistakes, or the failures of their team, and instead seek to cast blame upon anyone but themselves. Unfortunately, toxic leaders can have an extremely corrosive effect upon the performance of a unit in only a short period of time, and unless team members seek assistance from outside the unit, the damage that a toxic leader can inflict may require months or even years to repair. Building Leaders. Leadership is not an inherent trait, meaning that it is not simply something possessed by some individuals and lacked by others. Leadership skills are transferable—they can be taught, if an individual is confident enough to accept the need to improve their own performance. Leadership is inherently tied to communication, and thus communication skills are one of the most important elements to improving leadership performance. Another key is the ability to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the self and others, and to build a diverse team capable of engaging in complex activities as a collective organization. And finally, the ability to learn from experience, both one’s own and that of others, is an important means to mastering the art of leadership at any level. Great leaders have an inherent passion to improve themselves and others while carrying out the mission. They are followers who are courageous, self-disciplined and humble. Great leaders are also shepherds of talent and culture. Their behaviors and choices matter, both as an example to their team members and as a means to grow others into greatness. Great leaders understand that they cannot be successful without the full effort of the team, and thus they always find ways to empower others to lead with greatness. Lt Col Ericka L. Hernandez is the Deputy Course Director and Military Advisor, Leadership and Research Development Department, Air Command and Staff College (ACSC), Air University. Lt Col Hernandez earned her commission in 2003 through the Fayetteville State University, North Carolina Air Force ROTC program as a Cum Laude graduate. She has served as section commander, protocol officer, Aide De Camp, Operations Officer, and Director of Senior Leader Management in various locations across the globe. Lt Col Hernandez is a graduated squadron commander having led both the 386th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, and the 316th Force Support Squadron, Joint Base Andrews, MD. Textbox quotes from individual Air Force personnel collected and edited by Dr. Paul J. Springer as part of his study of leadership during the tenure of General David L. Goldfein. Many thanks to the volunteer participants whose comments and experiences helped to shape the contours of this project: Air University’s ACTS “Disciples” Lt. Col. Lyndsey Banks, CMSgt Jason Blair, TSgt Zachary Bennett, Col. Stephanie Boger, Lt. Col. Jose Crespo, Lt. Col. Christy Cruz Peeler, Col. Jerry Davisson, MSgt Ashley Evans, Lt. Col. Mitchell Foy, Maj. Ray Funke, CMSgt Steven Hart, Dr. Robert Hinck, Dr. John Hinck, CMSgt Joshua Lackey, Mr. Mark Logan, Lt. Col. William Mendel, Capt. Denny Miller, Ms. Rhonda Miller, TSgt Israel Navarro, Lt. Col. Amber Ortiz, SMSgt Joshua Penery, Lt. Col. Don Salvatore, Col. Eltressa Spencer, Dr. Susan Steen and the AY24 AU Resilience Research Task Force, Maj. Jonathan Tolman