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As U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Adrienne L. Williams, 86th Airlift Wing commander, takes the helm of the Global Gateway, she is eager to share her personal values, leadership philosophies and resiliency tips and tricks to Airmen and their families under her command.
Q: Can you give us a little information about yourself that might not be found in your official bio?
A: When I was in kindergarten, first grade and second grade, my father was in the Air Force and was stationed here at Sembach back when it had an airfield. After that, he transferred to the Air Force Academy in Colorado. So, for the bulk of my life, all I’ve ever known was the Air Force.
I’m also married and have a daughter who is 15, and a son who is 12. I enjoy running, snow skiing, hiking, swimming and anything outside. I also really enjoy cooking.
Q: What personal values do you bring to your role as a commander and how do they influence your decisions?
A: For me, I like to keep things simple. Of course, the Air Force core values are paramount, but I really embrace what’s called the A.R.T. of leadership.
The “A” is your Attitude. Essentially, you can take that hill or that hill can take you. Everyday you wake up and make the decision on how you are going to tackle that day. You’re going to have bad days — we all do, we’re human. But it’s how you deal with it and how do you learn from it. How are you as a resilient Airman going to move forward with that?
The “R” is Respect. We talk a lot about respect. Respect is paramount in what we do. The thing I like to ask to challenge folks is, “do you respect who you are, and do you respect yourself, your morals and values?” That’s going to play directly into your attitude. If you respect who you are, even though maybe you stubbed your toe, or didn’t make the best decision or get the best PT score you wanted, at the end of the day you still like who you are. Your attitude is going to reflect that.
The last is “T” for Trust. We need to trust each other, and we need to trust that we are doing the right thing to get after the mission set. I trust all of my Airmen and commanders to execute our no-fail missions, and I thank them for the trust they place in me.
Q: Coming into command, what priorities do you have in mind?
A: I sum it up into three things.
Readiness. It’s not just about being prepared for the expected, but also for the unexpected. We have to be ready for whatever may be handed to us. A multitude of items will fall into that category, and we must be ready for all of them.
The second thing is Airmen. When I talk about Airmen, I mean capital “A” Airmen. This includes not just those of us in uniform, but also our civilian employees, our host nation partners, and our family members, spouses, dependents, and significant others. Together, we form a diverse yet unified family and team.
Relationships really matter. We are not going to move forward without them. We have partnerships with our host nation, the many different units here at Team Ramstein, and the global gateway. It’s very important that we all, each one of us, foster those relationships, continue to develop them, and grow so we can get after readiness and take care of our Airmen.
Q: Leadership comes with its challenges. How do you handle setbacks, and what do you do stay resilient in the face of adversity?
A: I’m going to revert back to the A.R.T. There will be times when things might not necessarily go our way, but we need to look for the positives and embrace them. Then, we face our challenges, attack them with a positive attitude, and move forward. Anytime I encounter a setback, I usually try to take a deep breath, take a step back figuratively and literally, and then figure out how to take my two steps forward.
I carry two toolboxes around. In one, there are all the things I’ve seen other leaders do that I think are phenomenal and I try to emulate. I put those in my “to-do” toolbox. And in the other toolbox are things that just didn’t work out so well or things I just didn’t appreciate that much. Those are things that I try to learn from and help me take a right turn instead of a left turn so I don’t make the same mistakes.
Q: Effective communication is key to a successful command. What strategies are you implementing to ensure open lines of communication across all levels?
A: I have an open-door policy. I’m an email and a phone call away, but I think the most important thing is getting out and being visible. It’s important to be visible, shake my Airmen’s hands, and look them in the eye.
The other important aspect of authentic leadership is active listening. This means having a conversation with someone and actually hearing what they have to say instead of thinking of something else.
So, going forward, I want to be visible in the community. I really want to get out there. I told both my group and squadron commanders that I not only wanted to get to know them but also wanted to get to know their Airmen. I want to get out to your areas and work centers, see what everyone is doing, and have discussions.
Chief Ludwig and I are at the newcomer’s brief every Wednesday. Usually, after we are done giving some introductory remarks, I like to ask, “Hey, what’s on your mind? What are your questions, and what are your concerns?” That goes back to active listening. What the Airmen have to say really matters. We must take that into account. We may not have all the answers. There are definitely some things we aren’t able to do, but as long as we think about it, put our heads together and listen to our Airmen’s fantastic and innovative ideas so that together we can move forward.
Q: Do you have any parting thoughts for the team?
A: Readiness, Airmen, and relationships all tie together. In order for us to be ready, we have to take care of our Airmen — capital “A” Airmen. We must have the right relationships. I like to say, “Words matter,” but actions speak louder than words. So, we need to work together to take care of each other to take the Global Gateway to the next level.
The mission of the 86th Airlift Wing is to Defend U.S. interests, project power, and enable the Global Gateway.
