The ABCs of strong leadership

Air & Space Power Journal, Summer, 2008 by Brad Ashley

TODAY'S AIR FORCE needs strong leadership at all levels and role models to serve as great examples for our Airmen. They help all of us become better. Authors have written much on the subject of leadership over the years; it remains a complex, multifaceted art with countless attributes. Strong leaders affect the attitudes of their people, prioritize the organizational "big rocks" to provide focus and direction, and display courage while making tough decisions.

"A"--Affect Attitudes

Strong leaders affect attitudes. Attitude is everything--there is nothing more powerful than a "Hooah! Can do!" attitude. The Air Force can teach an individual technical skills and a job, but it cannot teach attitude. Individuals make that decision and bring their attitudes to the work center each and every day. Our attitudes can become a powerful force multiplier that affects our productivity, safety, effectiveness, and view of our profession. Leaders' attitudes can have a powerful effect, not only on themselves but also on the entire organization. Indeed, all organizations reflect the attitude of their leadership. Therefore, it is important to remember that leaders are responsible for setting the tone--for affecting the attitudes of their people.

I still remember Staff Sergeant Allen, my basic-military-training instructor from Lackland AFB, Texas. Boy, could that man affect attitudes! He always looked like a recruiting poster: crisp and sharp, the embodiment of Air Force professionalism. He was famous for saying, "I can't make you do it, but I can make you wish you had!" I guarantee that he affected the attitudes of his Airmen each and every day. Strong leaders affect our attitudes even when they are no longer around. Our Air Force has built its rich heritage on decades of strong leaders and their wonderful examples.

Strong leaders also go out of their way to "walk the talk." once, walking out of a headquarters entryway, I observed several Airmen standing around watching the snow fall, apparently waiting for civil engineering to clear the sidewalk to the parking lot. Several snow shovels stood idle in the corner of the foyer. Without saying a word, I grabbed a shovel, went outside, and began to enjoy shoveling the walkway. Soon the other Airmen (enlisted, civilians, and officers) grabbed shovels and joined in the festivities. We had a good time working together in the falling snow, chatting as we cleared the sidewalk and making our area safer. Strong leaders affect attitudes with their words, their examples, and--most importantly--their actions.

"B"--Big Rocks

Strong leaders focus on the big rocks. If everything is important, then nothing is important. If every task is a crisis and every project has equal importance, then nothing is really important. Leadership effectively balances our many mission requirements with scarce resources (funds, personnel, tools, time, and floor space) and makes tough decisions about our priorities. We must decide on our top issues and work them first.

Steven Covey, famous author of books on management and leadership, describes a concept he calls the big rocks. (1) In his demonstration, he uses a glass container, separate piles of big and small rocks, sand, and a glass of water. He asks participants to fill the container with all the materials. Needless to say, the task seems impossible. After the participants have repeatedly failed to fit all the materials into the container, Covey explains the proper method: all the materials will not fit unless the big rocks go in first. The small rocks fill in the gaps between the big ones; the sand and water do the same. His demonstration illustrates that we must first put our own organizational big rocks on our calendars and in our organizational job jars. Otherwise, they may not fit or get done. Strong leaders take time to reflect, select their organizational big rocks, and then communicate them as priorities to the entire team. Lesser priorities will fit in around the big ones.

Strong leaders also make conscious decisions when they select their big rocks: family time, fitness, mission, and so forth. Because time is a precious commodity to a leader, he or she must cherish and safeguard it. Airmen should always remember that if they can't be on time, they should be early!

I recently spent an hour traveling across base to present one of my vice-commander's coins for excellence. On my way back to the office, someone asked me how I find the time for these individual recognitions. My response was simple: "recognizing and taking care of our Airmen are one of my personal big rocks, so I put these activities on the schedule first and make sure they don't get bumped by lesser priorities."

I do not "fit them in" around other hectic daily activities; rather, my more routine daily activities should fit in around the big rock of recognition. Airmen should identify their own big rocks and determine why they consider them important.

"C"--Courage

Strong leaders display courage. I don't just mean courage during combat; I am talking about the daily courage to do the right thing--moral courage. Some say that moral courage involves standing up for what a person believes in or knows is right. Others say it requires telling the truth in spite of the consequences. Still others declare that moral courage entails doing what's right in the face of adversity instead of turning the other way--the easier choice. One of our Air Force core values, "integrity first," provides the foundation for building strong leadership and moral courage.