***image1***Motivation. It’s one of the principles of leadership that has an enormous effect on individuals and organizations.
When I attended Officer Training School, our flight commander motivated his flight of 12 with this challenge the morning of our graduation: “Everyday, your counterpart lieutenant in one of the communist block countries will wake up to do the best job possible. How will you compare?”
Those were the last words he spoke to us as a flight. As I started my Air Force career, I often thought of his final words. I’m sure they were meant to motivate us throughout our career, but that all changed when the Berlin Wall tumbled four short years later.
Fast forward to last month. We were privileged to host one of our coalition partners and explain how we maintained our flight landing systems on the airfield. As we talked, I thought of the irony of talking to the mythical counterpart my flight commander motivated us with years earlier.
We shared our experiences and challenges, and it was no surprise that our coalition partners focused on one theme – “Explain to us your NCO corps.”
I counted no less than five times during our one-hour in-brief their expressed desire to understand in depth how our NCO corps worked. It wasn’t how old the equipment was or how often preventative maintenance was performed. Their fascination was with the enlisted team that made the mission successful. And the look on their faces was priceless when one of our Airmen led the demonstrations. Every question was answered flawlessly. Now that’s what motivates me.
Motivation is an extremely powerful tool in our daily lives, but at the same time it can result from a simple act. It’s the smile and courteous service from the postal clerk who always puts you in a good mood, despite the never-ending line. Or it’s the short note you take time out of your day to write to thank someone for doing an exceptional job. Or it’s the letter of appreciation you have your boss present to recognize outstanding performance. The effect these small acts can have can be exponential and infectious.
Clearly, the most important time to stay motivated is during combat operations. Recently, one of our communication troops received a Purple Heart during his duty in Iraq. In the dialogue that followed, his only request was to have some new M-16 grips as his were damaged. His motivation was awesome, “I am staying here until the end of my tour, no one is going to detour me from our mission here.”
Now that’s motivation, and the reason our country loves her military.
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***image1***Motivation. It’s one of the principles of leadership that has an enormous effect on individuals and organizations.
When I attended Officer Training School, our flight commander motivated his flight of 12 with this challenge the morning of our graduation: “Everyday, your counterpart lieutenant in one of the communist block countries will wake up to do the best job possible. How will you compare?”
Those were the last words he spoke to us as a flight. As I started my Air Force career, I often thought of his final words. I’m sure they were meant to motivate us throughout our career, but that all changed when the Berlin Wall tumbled four short years later.
Fast forward to last month. We were privileged to host one of our coalition partners and explain how we maintained our flight landing systems on the airfield. As we talked, I thought of the irony of talking to the mythical counterpart my flight commander motivated us with years earlier.
We shared our experiences and challenges, and it was no surprise that our coalition partners focused on one theme – “Explain to us your NCO corps.”
I counted no less than five times during our one-hour in-brief their expressed desire to understand in depth how our NCO corps worked. It wasn’t how old the equipment was or how often preventative maintenance was performed. Their fascination was with the enlisted team that made the mission successful. And the look on their faces was priceless when one of our Airmen led the demonstrations. Every question was answered flawlessly. Now that’s what motivates me.
Motivation is an extremely powerful tool in our daily lives, but at the same time it can result from a simple act. It’s the smile and courteous service from the postal clerk who always puts you in a good mood, despite the never-ending line. Or it’s the short note you take time out of your day to write to thank someone for doing an exceptional job. Or it’s the letter of appreciation you have your boss present to recognize outstanding performance. The effect these small acts can have can be exponential and infectious.
Clearly, the most important time to stay motivated is during combat operations. Recently, one of our communication troops received a Purple Heart during his duty in Iraq. In the dialogue that followed, his only request was to have some new M-16 grips as his were damaged. His motivation was awesome, “I am staying here until the end of my tour, no one is going to detour me from our mission here.”
Now that’s motivation, and the reason our country loves her military.