Page 2 - Desert Lightning News, Nellis-Creech AFB Edition, Aug. 24 2018

2 August 24, 2018 www.aerotechnews.com/nellisafb
Commentary
Desert lightning news s. nevADA
Facebook.com/NellisDesertLightningNews
Pearls for leaders
Respect ...
Mission Success! by Lt. Col. Paul Netchaeff
Shaw AFB, S.C.
as members of the air Force, we all learn, know and live the core values every day while serving our great nation. “integrity first, service before self and excel- lence in all we do” are perfect guideposts that steer our daily lives.
That being said, i have a word i would like to expound on and express the im- portance of. This one word, which will lead to mission success, is respect.
respect is a simple word we all comprehend yet don’t always adhere to on a daily basis. it is easy to recognize the absence of respect when displayed, but sometimes it is not so easy to define or reflect respect in our everyday lives.
by definition, respect means to demonstrate high regard for or special attention to something or someone.
i truly believe this one simple word, if utilized correctly, will significantly help achieve mission success for all air Force members and, as a tertiary effect, im- mensely cut down on disciplinary infractions.
to achieve mission success through respect, i have broken it down into three tiers: respect yourself, respect your coworkers, and respect the mission.
The first tier is to respect yourself. as air Force airmen, we need to respect ourselves by being mentally fit and demonstrating self-control and seeking help when needed. We must stay physically fit by exercising multiple times a week, ultimately assisting us in passing our fitness assessment. We must be socially balanced, helping us understand the ideas, norms and points of view of others. Lastly, we must be spiritually fit, which can be described as, “strengthening a set of principles, values or beliefs that sustain an individual’s sense of well-being and purpose.”
respecting yourself also entails what you put in your body. alcohol and drugs, even outdated prescription drugs, can lead to one’s demise. You must respect yourself first.
The second tier: all airmen should respect the ideas, norms, values and be- longings of their coworkers and peers. Yes, this is another no-brainer, but i will submit to you this is another area that is highly neglected. additionally, you need to respect your coworkers for who they are, as they are. The color of their skin, religious preference, and sexual orientation are irrelevant. They don the same uniform you do, which means they are also members of the most powerful air Force in the world. respect them.
The third tier: respect the mission. We all have different jobs and roles that help execute the Shaw Weasel mission, but you need to understand your squadron’s mission statement, the vision set forth and how your role plays a critical part in achieving mission success. as i tell my airmen every week, i do not ever want to hear, “i’m only an airman, and i only do this.” Your job is crucial for the air Force’s premiere F-16cm Fighting Falcon suppression of enemy air defenses wing, or you would not be here. You are a part of the team. Understand the mission and respect it.
as i first mentioned, respect is a very simple word, yet powerful when utilized to its fullest.
respect yourself, respect your coworkers and peers, and respect the mission. When you simplify the word and unify the three tiers, we all win through mission success. They all fortify mission success.
make every day, a day to be better than you were yesterday.
by Col. Larry J. Evans
Scott AFB, Ill.
at a prior assignment, i had the pleasure of putting together a leadership course for the medical group’s company grade officers.
The focus was to help our young of- ficers improve their leadership abilities and work on areas that needed improv- ing, which we can all benefit from to some degree. in preparation of this course, i studied material about how to become a better leader, no matter what stage of your leadership journey.
i want to suggest a book that’s a good reference for today’s military leaders. this book has concise “pearls” that you may find both practical and useful. The book is Leading Others, Managing Yourself by Peter mcginn.
mcginn is a former clinical psychol- ogist, who, following consulting en- gagements with United Health Services, eventually became a vice president for human resources and chief executive officer with that same organization. He distills over 25 years of leadership experience into 10 “laws.” i’ve listed a brief overview of these laws that relate to the challenges associated with what we face as leaders today.
Law #1: Do the right thing
Perhaps the most important trait of any leader is the desire to serve and to lead. in this tension lies a moral dilemma: Who should a leader serve when self-interest and constituents’ interests are at odds? When push comes to shove, constituents’ needs come first. This is painful because it means over- coming our natural instinct for self- preservation, however, it is enriching because it can help us to grow in ways we never thought possible.
Law #2: There is no right way
Sometimes as leaders your sugges- tions for improvement are not being welcomed by your people. When bring- ing new ideas into a new work environ- ment that worked at your previous base, the leader needs to assess the situation thoroughly before proceeding. When initiating any new process the leader should always look for ways to improve it. Sometimes you have to walk a few
feet down the unbeaten path in order to find a better way.
Law #3: Leadership is an action, not a title
our legacy as leaders is determined not by what we think or say, but rather by what we do. no one will remember our intentions. instead, we leave behind the result of our actions and what those actions mean to others.
Law #4: ready...aim...fire
as leaders, we often spend so much time putting out fires others have started that we seldom give ourselves the luxury of making change happen in a thoughtful and reflective manner. in- stead of reacting to threats surrounding a problem, how about creating a proac- tive plan to address the problem in a well thought out way, before it becomes a hot political issue? it is far more fun to create the future our way than to get burned in someone else’s fire.
Law #5: if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it
You may have heard the saying, “if you can’t define it, you can’t measure it. if you can’t measure it you can’t manage it. and if you can’t manage it, you can’t improve it.” as leaders, we expect our colleagues to adhere to our performance expectations, but we fail to adequately define these expectations or provide feedback. This is neither fair nor practical. Provide people with care- fully crafted, defined, and measurable goals, and you’ll see marked improve- ment.
Law #6: if you and i are always in agreement, one of us is not necessary
it’s nice to have everyone agree with your point of view. The problem is, nothing will happen! as military leaders, we struggle with the notion that an “army of one” works well when a decisive action is required in critical situations. However, when dealing with complex, chronic leadership issues, teams of diverse individuals with con- tradictory points of view will often get us where we want to go faster and with far less conflict.
Law #7: if you are coasting, you are going downhill
________
See pEArlS, on Page 5
Desert Lightning News Staff
Paul Kinison, Publisher, Aerotech News and Review Stuart Ibberson, Editor
Tinna Sellie, Editorial Layout
Sandy Bueltel, Advertising Sales
CONTACT: Editorial Staff at 334-718-3509
For editorial staff: e-mail editor@aerotechnews.com CONTACT: Advertising Sales at 661-945-5634
For display ads: e-mail sbueltel@aerotechnews.com or billwhitham@aerotechnews.com
For classified ads: e-mail classifieds@aerotechnews.com
Desert Lightning News, So. Nevada edition is published by Aerotech News and Review, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force. Contents of Desert Lightning News, So. Nevada edition are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, Aerotech News and Review, the U.S. government, the Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force.
The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts and supplements, does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of Defense, the
Department of the Air Force or Aerotech News and Review of the products or services advertised.
Everything advertised in the publication shall be made available for purchase and use of patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron.
The deadline for submissions to Desert Lightning News is no later than Monday, 4:30 p.m., the week of desired publication date.
For all submissions, a name and phone number of a person to contact must be included in the event questions arise.
All material is edited for accuracy, brevity, clarity and conformity to the Associated Style Guide, to include military ranks and proper writing etiquette.
Corrections: Desert Lightning News staff members strive for accuracy each week. If you notice an error in fact, contact the Desert Lightning News staff at 334-718-3509, or e-mail editor@aerotechnews.com, and we will consider publishing a correction when appropriate.
Desert Lightning News, So. Nevada edition can also be viewed online @ www.aerotechnews.com Printed by Aerotech News and Review, Inc. (877) 247-9288 • www.aerotechnews.com