There are dozens of leadership characteristics – good and bad alike. However, I want to look at three specific ones that were crucial in my development as a leader in the Air Force. In fact, I shared these traits during my promotion ceremony. But, regardless if you are in the military or not, these three can help you where you are.
Do the Right Thing, at the Right Time, for the Right Reason
I’m sure all of us have heard the phrase, “do the right thing.” Many times it may also come with the “make good choices” phrase my wife and I have said to our children on various occasions. There’s another saying that I’ve heard that states character is what you do when no one else is watching.
Doing the right thing is important, but I want to expand on that even more by saying that it’s equally important to do the right thing at the right time. My dad used to say, “you’re a day late and a dollar short.” What he meant by that is ”I needed your help yesterday, not today”. By waiting to make a decision, waiting to help someone in their time of need, or being to hasty to do something, we can negate the right thing we are doing. The effectiveness of the right thing no longer exists. So, it’s important to do the right thing when the timing is right.
Children will call you out in a heartbeat! They are honest and many times do not have a filter! They are also very intuitive and pick up on things that some adults do not. So, if you are not sincere, they will know. Doing the right thing for the right reason is equally important. If you help someone out just because you want a favor in return, you are not being sincere. And, that’s not a good reason to do it. Ulterior motives will surface eventually, and as a leader, this will cause distrust between you and your team.
When my brother and I were little, we would ask, “could you do me a favor” when we wanted something, but didn’t want to do it ourselves. Like, “could you do me a favor and get that toy out of the play room” or “could you bring me a drink from the kitchen?” When we used this phrase, we became indebted to one another. And, boy did we keep score! Don’t do something so that others will be indebted to you. Help others because you sincerely want to. This will go a long way in the eyes of your coworkers, family, and friends.
Do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason.
Remember Your Beginning, So You Can Help Others’ with Theirs
When you join the military, you have to go to Basic Military Training or BMT for the Air Force, Basic Combat Training or boot Camp for the Army, Recruit Training or Marine Corps Boot Camp for the Marines, and Recruit Training Command or boot camp for the Navy. We all had to start somewhere. And, whether we were fresh out of high school, college, or already an independent adult, we had to go to initial training.
For me, I joined the Air National Guard at the age of 31 and turned 32 while I was in my Security Forces technical training school. Nearly 10 years to the day I graduated college, I raised my hand and swore to defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. This year marks my 21st year and by this time next year, I will be retired.
My current job and the one I’ve had for the last 14 years entails administering and scheduling BMT for all of our new members. To date, I’ve scheduled over 2,000 new members for BMT and their follow on technical training schools! And, with me being at the end of my career and they just starting, sometimes, I can forget what it was like to be in their shoes.
So, to keep me from just saying “oh, you’ll be okay” and not be empathetic to their anxiety, I say to myself and tell my staff to remember your beginnings so we can help others with theirs. Sometimes, we just brush people off and think, “they can figure it out for themselves” just like we had to do. But, do they? In some cases, yes, to learn a lesson not otherwise learned. But in some cases, no.
I’m not saying coddle them by any means. But, be patient. Listen to their questions. Take time to answer them and reassure them that life will be okay. If we remember how we felt, how anxious we were, and how proud we were once we accomplished this goal; we can help others going through the same.
And, this can apply to any situation – cancer, loss of a loved one, relationship break ups, natural disasters. Many times, we just need someone who may have gone through the same thing to tell us that we will make it, too.
Remember your beginnings so you can help others with theirs.
Be a Better Version of Yourself Today Than You Were Yesterday
Do one thing each day that makes you better and enriches your life. Good leaders and great leaders didn’t become that way because they stopped learning, growing, and studying. They continued to better themselves. This could be in any aspect of your life – health and fitness, mental health, spirituality, quitting bad habits.
You can read a book or ebook about something you are interested in. I find that audiobooks are great for when I’m driving to and from work. Many times, I stop them to annotate the time and go back to them later. My most recent endeavor is a book that is 27 hours long! But, it is chock full of anecdotes and substance that makes me think in ways I didn’t before. I love watching documentaries and learning about history. And I can’t even count the number of YouTube videos I have watched to learn how to do something. In fact, I watched a video and created this website as a result.
The point is to do something for yourself every day that makes you better. You don’t have to do something grand. Small changes in habits, and nuggets of learning will go much further and you will stick to it longer.
It’s just as important for us to take care of ourselves so we can be our best when we care for others. Don’t they deserve the very best version of us?
Be a better version of yourself today than you were yesterday.
Core Values
As I stated earlier, I shared these characteristics during my promotion speech, when I made E-9, Chief Master Sergeant. I tied them together with the Air Force’s Core values in hopes that this would inspire those in attendance, both Airmen and civilians.
I wanted to show our Airmen that it would be easy to remember these characteristics by telling them how they relate to our core values.
Do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason – Integrity First
Remember your beginning so you can help others with theirs – Service Before Self
Be a better version of yourself today than you were yesterday – Excellence in All We Do
When we embrace our core values and truly live by them, we can’t help but be the leaders our Airman want. We can’t help but be the very best parents to our children, friends to our tribe, volunteers in our community, and the whole host of other titles we have to those around us.
We do this not just because it’s what our family, friends, and Airmen want.
But most importantly, it’s what they, so rightfully deserve.
Aim High!
