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2 Desert Wings Commentary June 26, 2015
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Leaders: the good, bad, and forgotten
by Col. Sean McKenna Airmen think so highly of these good leaders they invite them to preside at and attend
JB San Antonio-Randolph, Texas their promotion ceremonies and retirements — personal events reserved for those
greatly respected and who have truly touched their lives. Airmen remember good
It’s been my Air Force experience there are three cat- leaders for being fair and level headed, holding people accountable, communicating
egories of leaders – the Good, the Bad, and the Forgotten.
effectively up and down the chain, and treating everyone with dignity and respect.
Everyone reading this probably thinks they’re in the first
category, but we know that’s not the case. Airmen who work relationships leave lasting impressions. Forgotten leaders were largely absent from the lives of their
for you certainly wish that were true, but not every leader’s Airmen use these so-called leaders as examples of what members, invested primarily in themselves rather than in
an all-star, some not even close. So while most think they their people and in mission accomplishment. Maybe they
fall into the “good” group, only the Airmen working for not to do and are quick to tell stories of surviving under came in late, left early, took long lunches, and worked out
them can make that call, and many would choose otherwise. their reign. These supervisors and commanders fostered a excessively during duty hours. They stayed in their office
climate of fear and exclusion. They regularly scolded their and gave little direction. Indecisive, they either delayed
The “good” category features men and women remem- people and embarrassed them in front of their peers. They making calls altogether or deferred to others on major deci-
bered fondly. picked favorites and divided the team. They had no interest sions. They didn’t celebrate promotions, accomplishments
in learning the names of their teammates’ family members, or birthdays with a pat on the back, a note or a card; instead,
Airmen think so highly of these good leaders they invite nor could they pick them out of a lineup. They didn’t rec- they did nothing. These leaders, like everyone else privi-
them to preside at and attend their promotion ceremonies ognize achievement nor did they console or advise when leged to serve in significant roles, had every opportunity
and retirements — personal events reserved for those great- members lost loved ones, got sick, went bankrupt or expe- to make a positive difference in the lives of their people
ly respected and who have truly touched their lives. Airmen rienced divorce. They excluded the opinions of most and and the Air Force mission, and they blew it. Instead they
remember good leaders for being fair and level headed, held their opinions higher than anyone else’s. They were bided their time and moved on to not make an impression
holding people accountable, communicating effectively up insecure and jealous when those around them achieved suc- somewhere else. Perhaps they were too inexperienced or
and down the chain, and treating everyone with dignity cess and largely claimed any group victories as their own. too scared. Maybe they lacked confidence, felt like they
and respect. They likely yelled regularly and were indecisive when vital were in over their heads. They quite possibly were just too
calls had to be made, failing to lead during the most criti- incompetent to lead others well. Regardless of the reasons,
These leaders took the time to get to know all the mem- cal times. And when a superior noted the unit fell short of their Airmen have forgotten them ... and that’s sad.
bers in their unit and showed grace, understanding and expectations, these leaders were quick to point the finger
compassion when subordinates and peers stumbled or fell at everyone but themselves, and then took their ire out on Our experiences are shaped by those who’ve led us —
on hard times. They praised people publicly for their hard their people rather than place the blame on their shoulders, good, bad or indifferently. We’ve largely learned how to
work and corrected others privately, so as not to humili- as good leaders do. lead from them — our parents, our teachers, our coaches,
ate, demoralize and embarrass them unnecessarily in front our superintendents, our commanders. Armed with the
of their co-workers. These good leaders did not scream or The final category is the most perplexing. The “forgot- skills absorbed from these influential people, everyone in
panic when crisis came, but rather calmly gave direction ten” leader is the one that Airmen can’t remember after the Air Force has an amazing chance to positively shape
and then let their people come up with creative solutions. parting ways. lives every day.
People looked forward to coming to work because the good
leader cared about them, had positive things to say, nurtured When someone asks if they recall their supervisor from You’ve served under leaders from all three categories
a collaborative environment where everyone had a voice, Base X, Airmen stammer and stumble before answering: — the Good, the Bad, and the Forgotten. Which category
helped people understand what they did was important, and “Bradford? Bradley? Branson? Brennan? Starts with a B. are you?
fostered an environment of teamwork and family. People Oh, it’ll come to me.”
probably even had fun. They certainly had satisfaction. In
this unit, everyone was valued and treated equally. A good This boss made absolutely no impression, good or bad.
leader does that.
The “bad” leader pretty much did the opposite. Perhaps
not surprisingly, Airmen remember their bad leaders well,
sometimes even more vividly than their good ones. Abusive
Commander’s
Action Line
email: speak2cc@edwards.af.mil
The Commander’s Action Line gives all Airmen, re-
tirees, families and community members a direct link to
Brig. Gen. Carl Schaefer, 412th Test Wing commander.
The Action Line can be used to express constructive
points of view on the policies and procedures of the
base; discuss safety and security issues; and address
problems, concerns, or suggestions after traditional
methods have been exhausted.
The Commander’s Action Line should not be the
first action taken to resolve an issue. Those seeking
a remedy to a problem should first follow the chain
of command and take up the matter with the office of
primary responsibility, supervisors, first sergeants or
commanders.
Action Line queries may be submitted by sending an
e-mail to speak2cc@edwards.af.mil with Commander’s
Action Line as the subject heading or by calling (661)
277-7325. Action Line submissions must be written in
a courteous and professional tone, and must include a
name, an e-mail address or an alternative method of
contact. The requestor’s contact information will not be
published in compliance with Privacy Act restrictions.
Any messages received without contact information will
not be routed, so please be sure to provide some method
for communication.
