Leadership is always about “them”

  • Published
  • By By Maj. Quinton Sasnett
  • 403rd Civil Engineer Squadron commander
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, BILOXI, MISS. --  When the proposal for command was offered to me, I did not want to pass up the opportunity to lead. I had heard of the scenarios and obstacles that as a squadron commander, I would have to traverse. I knew what I was getting myself into, knowing that the organization I was going to lead was due to shut down. That said, I thought it would be a piece of cake. I had read the works authored by great leadership minds, recalled the areas of discord toward my previous leaders when I was younger, even called out to other commanders from my past to get their opinion of their successes and failures. I looked for anything that would allow me to find the "one-size-fits-all" solution. But leadership isn't what you can learn beforehand that makes the difference. It isn't what other people bring as perspective towards their experience, it isn't even the things you 'think' you would do if presented a particular situation. There is no "one-size-fits-all" solution, if there was, everyone would be doing it. Rather, leadership is about them.

"Them" can be defined in a number of ways; none of which should be taken lightly.  First, as a leader, you should be looking two steps ahead of the expectation ("them" as your supervisor).  It sounds like you should be able to predict the future or conjure events, documents or even training out of thin air. But instead of thinking it is about the magical land of the military and the ability to get it done that only a military member can envision, think of how you should first do what is right. Through getting to know the echelons of leaders above you, you will learn what they will ask for next. What follow-up questions will accompany the tour, what memorandum will need to be signed to push the package through and the potential for that office call to help clarify the position of the unit?

Second, as a leader, you should be looking to your sides ("them" as your peers). There will be times when your peers require something from you or you need something from them. Because of this, it is important not to burn bridges amongst your colleagues. When tensions rise in the deployment line or when you really need the aircraft part from supply, it is easy to "go off" on them because it seems that your mission or tasking is being held up, but understand they have a job to do too. Maybe it is ensuring your paperwork is in order for the deployment, or the wickets that an aircraft part goes through from MICAP (Mission Impaired Capability Awaiting Parts) to issue, either way there is a reason for everything.

Last, as a leader, you should be looking behind you ("them" as subordinates). This is where the real meaning of a leader comes from. Like I mentioned earlier, you can do all of the reading in the world on leadership. You can conduct interviews of all of the leaders from past and present, but where you will win "them" is right in front of them. As a leader we are expected to lead from the front. In formation, who is at the control? The leader is. As a commander, nothing could have prepared me for the issues that came up. Those stories from other commanders, from others professing that they have unlocked the key to leadership will not amount to anything when you have an Airman in front of your desk being served an Article 15 for government travel card misuse or a staff sergeant crying in your office because she was told she would never be able to have children, the 14-year senior master sergeant select who comes in your office to tell you that he is separating instead of finishing out 20, or the irate parent complaining that their son is being asked to deploy again. Realistically, there is nothing that can prepare you for those things. 

Every leadership challenge is different. Every person's situation is different. Some of the issues are known situations: members do dumb things, deployments happen, medical issues come up, divorces happen, "fastburners" may separate. As a leader, how can you refocus that person or group of people to understand the gravity of what they are about to experience? That is what leadership brings to the table. As a leader, you explain, you chart out, you provide resources and give guidance to those in need. How can you rehabilitate the Airman who just got the Article 15, or should you cut your losses and separate them? How can you refocus that young person who just had their whole focus of her existence (to become a mom) ripped out from her grasp? How do you show that fast-burning senior master sergeant select that "pulling chocks" may not be a wise move because of all that he has worked for and would be throwing away if he separates?  Or, how do you best explain to the irate parent that in the volunteer Air Force, their son was free to walk away from the responsibility they signed up for or they can commit to the deployment and make the best of it? These aren't the things they teach you in any leadership school.  But as a leader you are expected to take every situation, not at face value, but at the knowledge of what that person is worth, what they are capable of contributing to the organization and expecting nothing but the best thing from that person. 

So to the men and women of the 403d Wing, consider these words and good luck and please remember that once, before you were in a leadership role, someone reached out to help you, whether you knew it or not.