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The answer I had but declined to give because of its snarky nature and somewhat negative tone was simple – because I was told I had to be.
Over the course of three days, however, I changed my tone and my attitude. I was given an opportunity to hear from some of the amazing leaders we have right here on this base. I was reminded of one very important lesson that we, as NCOs, sometimes forget – we are the example and it’s our responsibility to ensure the success of those in our charge.
The advice and guidance I took from the seminar opened my eyes; at a time in my career when I had hit cruise control and fallen asleep at the wheel. That was my first mistake. I fell prey to that trap many of us find ourselves in – I was content. I had allowed myself to stagnate in my current situation, and I didn’t have any complaints about that. What I learned, though, is even though everyone’s idea of success is different, none of us should ever stop trying to be better.
Not everyone who enlists in the Air Force wants to be the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force. Not everyone joins the Air Force to get advanced degrees or to be a commander. It’s not our job as leaders to define success for our Airmen. Our job is to get them everything they need to accomplish their goals, and to make sure they never stop doing better.
I was reminded leadership is about more than hard work. It takes more than reports, spreadsheets and deadlines. Leadership is about learning and consistently making ourselves better. It’s about defining our own success and setting our own goals because there’s no way we can help our Airmen achieve theirs if we aren’t familiar with the process.
If we can continue to better ourselves, in all aspects of our lives, our Airmen see an example of how to achieve their own success. It’s not enough to just give them a path, but we also have to teach them the importance of balancing their personal and professional lives. Showing Airmen the healthy balance between work, home, family and friends is an important piece of their resiliency and long-term success.
The three-day seminar I attended gave me the chance to refocus and redefine my picture of success. It reminded me to be the example and to never be satisfied with sitting still. It reminded me why I’m here – because the success of my Airmen is of the utmost importance, and there is nowhere else I would rather be.
| Date Taken: | 01.30.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 01.29.2018 16:58 |
| Story ID: | 263751 |
| Location: | OGDEN, UTAH, US |
| Web Views: | 22 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Nowhere but up – one key to success, by MSgt Torri Cook, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
