We’ve all been there before. You are the new recruit or a veteran service member who is reporting for duty at a new location. As you begin to get accustomed to the way your unit does things, at some point, be it right away or a short time later, you see a process or practice that can be done in a more effective manner.
It isn’t that the flight or section is broken and leadership, whether that is the flight chief, squadron commander, the group, wing, or major command isn’t asking that anything be done — but you know that the standard operating procedure could be better.
Do you at this point settle for the status quo and assimilate yourself into the current way of doing business, or do you become an agent of positive change?
As you contemplate an answer, consider for a minute the current Air Force environment. At this very moment our senior leadership is making some difficult decisions, including further force reductions.
As this all unfolds, I’ve tried to pay attention to the Air Force message as we try to maintain the premier air force in the world in the face of difficult fiscal constraints.
A few of the messages I’d like to expound on briefly are the need for leadership at every level of the chain of command and the need for continuous improvement.
Just what does it mean to have leadership at every level of the chain of command? Does it mean you have to lead those who work for you? Most certainly and no doubt that will be beneficial, but in my opinion, it is more than that. Each Airman must lead up and down as well as across the chain of command.
Take charge of your folks, yes, but back to our original example — be an agent of positive change and take the process in your flight or section by the horns without being asked. In this manner, you are effectively leading up — as your unit benefits, and across — as your peers see you in action. We are the world’s premier air and space force. How do we stay there? In sports, how many repeat champions are out there? In business, how many companies have seen success only to be overcome by a competitor who took a product or idea to the next level?
The order is a tall one for you and I today, and force reductions and budget cutbacks don’t make things any easier.
Again, I go back to our original example. No matter your rank or experience level or how long you’ve been in your unit or the Air Force, by never settling for the status quo, by taking that process or practice and making it your own, by improving it, we all benefit and the U.S. Air Force maintains its esteemed position.
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We’ve all been there before. You are the new recruit or a veteran service member who is reporting for duty at a new location. As you begin to get accustomed to the way your unit does things, at some point, be it right away or a short time later, you see a process or practice that can be done in a more effective manner.
It isn’t that the flight or section is broken and leadership, whether that is the flight chief, squadron commander, the group, wing, or major command isn’t asking that anything be done — but you know that the standard operating procedure could be better.
Do you at this point settle for the status quo and assimilate yourself into the current way of doing business, or do you become an agent of positive change?
As you contemplate an answer, consider for a minute the current Air Force environment. At this very moment our senior leadership is making some difficult decisions, including further force reductions.
As this all unfolds, I’ve tried to pay attention to the Air Force message as we try to maintain the premier air force in the world in the face of difficult fiscal constraints.
A few of the messages I’d like to expound on briefly are the need for leadership at every level of the chain of command and the need for continuous improvement.
Just what does it mean to have leadership at every level of the chain of command? Does it mean you have to lead those who work for you? Most certainly and no doubt that will be beneficial, but in my opinion, it is more than that. Each Airman must lead up and down as well as across the chain of command.
Take charge of your folks, yes, but back to our original example — be an agent of positive change and take the process in your flight or section by the horns without being asked. In this manner, you are effectively leading up — as your unit benefits, and across — as your peers see you in action. We are the world’s premier air and space force. How do we stay there? In sports, how many repeat champions are out there? In business, how many companies have seen success only to be overcome by a competitor who took a product or idea to the next level?
The order is a tall one for you and I today, and force reductions and budget cutbacks don’t make things any easier.
Again, I go back to our original example. No matter your rank or experience level or how long you’ve been in your unit or the Air Force, by never settling for the status quo, by taking that process or practice and making it your own, by improving it, we all benefit and the U.S. Air Force maintains its esteemed position.