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More than 30 Airmen from throughout Ramstein participated in a 360-degree leadership course offered through the Kaiserslautern Military Community Top III Total Force Development Council.
This course and others like it are designed to give Airmen of all ranks a chance to develop their leadership skills. This specific course taught participants how to lead those above, below and how to lead peers.
“I wanted to figure out how to lead up, more than lead someone adjacent to me or below me, because I’m an A1C so I don’t have many people below me,” said Airman 1st Class Joseph Quincan, class participant. “Leading up is more of a challenge I think, because where I work everything is based on experience, knowledge and rank.” This course taught Airmen that leadership isn’t solely about position, but influence as well.
“Participants learned that you can be a leader at any level, leadership is about influence not about what position you fill,” said Master Sgt. Jacob Peterse, course facilitator. “It’s about how much influence you have with others and how you can use that influence to steer things with a leadership perspective.” For Quincan, this class demonstrated that in order to lead up, you have to lead yourself.
“John Maxwell explained it very well, saying that you have to have confidence in yourself first to be the best you can be,” Quincan said. “People who have that experience and/ or rank will look for you to influence them. If they see that you’re the best that you can be, they may be influenced by you.”
Studying leadership is important for all ranks to do, it gives different perspectives to one’s leadership style, Peterse said.
“Leadership at all levels, from Airmen through Senior NCO to officers we all have people above and below us. That gives us a reason to study leadership,” he said. “This course gives names to things that people already do and it gives people ideas for new things to try to become a better leader.”
Leadership courses are taught four times a month. To register, contact the career assistance advisor or the KMC Top III Total Force Development Council.
