Page 2 - Desert Lightning News, Nellis-Creech AFB Edition, May 13, 2022

2 May 13, 2022 www.aerotechnews.com/nellisafb
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rewrite awards, reports and decorations changing words like “led” to “spearheaded.” Put that same effort into finding your one word mission statement. This one word will be your vision or theme to help you become a fuller version of yourself. How do you find your one word? It starts with your core values. While our personal values should be aligned with the Air Force cores values, it’s important to identify our own personal values. And just like with the Air Force core values, you can’t live into your personal values if you can’t name them. Find the word that anchors you to your values, to your beliefs. A word that answers the question of what you need in your life. A word that describes where you want to be in a year.
The last thing I’ll ask you to do is put your word into practice. Post your word and share it with others for accountability. Let your word transform you and inspire others. Deliver, bloom, or whatever your one word is, may it help provide clarity and purpose in your life.
By Lt. Col. Kristen Carter
Dover AFB, Del.
Deliver! That’s the mission statement of the 436th Airlift Wing at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
If you’re like me and have a hard time re- membering mission statements that are more than a few words, then you’ll appreciate the simplicity of this mission statement.
But what’s so important about a mission statement? Mission statements are meant to be short, action-oriented statements that identify a purpose. We all need a purpose. Going through life without a purpose is like chopping wood with a blunt blade. You’ll ex- pend a lot of energy without any real progress.
Without a purpose we end up being busy but not productive. Productivity is tied to achievement while busyness is tied to activ- ity. Productivity brings on positive outcomes while busyness brings on stress and exhaus- tion. Author Brene Brown writes a lot about the culture of addiction to being busy and
exhaustion as a status symbol. Do you know someone that hits the ground running as soon as the alarm goes off in the morning and doesn’t stop? Is that you? Are you addicted to busyness?
In the Chinese language, the word “busy” is composed of two characters: heart and killing. That sounds awful. So how do we prevent killing our heart and go from busy to productive? It’s through the focus of knowing our purpose. We know in the 436th AW that our purpose (mission) is to Deliver! Whatever you are delivering (be it healthcare, cargo, rapid mobility, etc.) you deliver hope and ex- cellence each day. What an awesome purpose to guide us each and every day.
What about your personal life? Do you have a personal mission statement? There are a plethora of books and self-help information on the web that tout the practice of develop- ing personal mission statements. I challenge you to take the time to write a personal mission statement. No excuses. If you think you’re too busy then that’s exactly why this
exercise is for you. I then challenge you to take that mission statement and just like the wing, bring that statement down to one word. Yes, just one word. Yes, you can do it. Why one word? According to Jon Gordon, Dan Britton, and Jimmy Page, authors of “One Word that will change your Life,” one word sticks. One word creates laser focus that lasts. Anyone can remember one word.
My one word for this year is “bloom.” My word choice has nothing to with a fondness for gardening. In fact, I’m a horrible gardener. All the plants in my office are fake. We al- ways hear the phrase “bloom where you’re planted.” Well, that’s great advice if you’re a wildflower but some people are more like orchids. In reality, if a flower doesn’t bloom you fix the environment in which it grows not the flower. Hence my one word ... bloom. A remembrance to my purpose to create an en- vironment where people and mission thrive. And as a reminder to water and care for the relationships and things I want to cultivate.
Now it’s your turn. We painstakingly
servant leaders
By Master Sgt. Amy Schwiesow
Dover AFB, Del.
Many individuals feel that servant leadership is an oxymoron because they do not feel they can serve and lead at the same time: they are incorrect.
Servant leaders put the needs of their followers above their own, and in turn their followers continue to grow and prosper in the organization.
Servant leaders need to be authentic and truly care about their subordinates. Servant leaders focus on em- powering their followers, and sharing in the responsibility of decision making. They accomplish this with honesty and fairness.
While servant leadership is a relatively new theory, it can be utilized successfully in your units.
As leaders, we need to truly get to know our Airmen and help them to reach their goals. One way I have helped my Airmen is allowing them to have a flexible work schedule whenever possible. With a flexible schedule, they can at- tend their children’s appointments, school events and stay home with them while sick. This may require me to work late or fill in the gaps, but that is what a servant leader does. They ensure their subordinates are taken care of. When I am able to help them in those ways, the Airmen are more committed to the job when needed, and work harder
because they know I will take care of them in the end. According to Coetzer, Bussin, and Geldenhuys in The Functions of a Servant Leader, “Servant leadership prac- tices are known to sustain high performing organizations by establishing a higher purpose, vision and strategy; developing standardized and simplified procedures; culti- vating customer orientation; ensuring continuous growth and development; sharing power and information; and
having a quality workforce.”
This is everything we live and breathe as Airmen. While
servant leadership is a new concept, characteristics of it are embedded within the leadership theories of trans- formational leadership, authentic leadership, situational leadership and the leader-member exchange theory.
In order for a leader to serve their people they need to be able to communicate effectively. This means they need to listen with the intent to understand instead of with the intent to respond. While they are listening, they need to keep an open mind to opinions that are different from their own and be supportive of those opinions. Communication can be challenging for some individuals because they are not clear in their intent and tend to leave out pieces of vital information. The missing information may not be omitted intentionally, but can lead to the loss of buy-in to the idea.
Servant leaders need to be aware of their surroundings, to include; physical, social and political. When a leader is
aware of their surroundings they are able to understand their own feelings and reactions. This situational aware- ness in turn allows the leader to view their environment through the appropriate lens. They are then able to be persuasive without being coercive. Leaders need to be able to convince others to change to effectively reach goals.
Servant leaders are committed to their followers. They continue to help them meet their goals both personally and professionally. In the military we continue to work on this trade with the use of the Airman Comprehensive Feedback, Airman Leadership Qualities and routine feedbacks. Each annual rating period contains a portion for professional growth, personal growth and community service. Leaders are not only required, but should want to sit down with each individual to develop a plan to meet all the components and create a whole person concept. Being a servant leader means working with our Airmen to ensure their needs and goals are met.
Servant leadership is a quality that is learned through experience and interactions with others. When a leader commits themselves to embodying the qualities of a ser- vant leader early on the better they will become. As leaders we must continue to practice servant leadership daily until serving becomes natural so our Airmen will know they are empowered to effect change which ultimately will ensure true excellence in all we do.
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