JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
What sparks great leadership? This question alone is a topic of discussion throughout our military community. Sharing experiences, lessons learned and knowledge are specific tools that cultivate the development of our future leaders. Undeniably, the true value of a leadership tool box is the collection of perspectives from many people.
Below are five leadership tips, each collected and written by five different noncommissioned officers whose journeys are different, but equal in value, as they discovered the leader within themselves.
Be driven to motivate your Airmen
Being driven to motivate your Airmen shows them you care about their success. Motivation among your team members can stimulate productivity and innovation. Motivation opens the door to new opportunities and endless possibilities.
Lead by example: attitude
Attitude is essential when it comes to being a leader. According to Merriam-Webster, attitude is “a mental position with regard to a fact or state.” They also say that attitude is “a feeling or emotion toward a fact or state.” Ultimately attitude is the one thing that you can control when it comes to any given situation that you are placed in.
Have intellectual humility
Intellectual humility requires us to stop thinking that every complex issue can be reduced to a principle of right and wrong or black and white. Instead, we must begin thinking in terms of degrees of certainty and shades of grey. Sometimes, “I don’t know” can be the wisest position to take on an issue. Humility is a personal quality where one can modify their behaviors to effectively interact with all temperaments.
People with high levels of maturity will not “force” their temperament on others. Instead, they apply what they know of the other temperaments and modify their own behaviors accordingly in order to effectively communicate with others.
Be an active listener
Within a work center, active listening is essential and can allow for the free exchange of ideas between individuals or groups. The process consists of more than just minimal encouragements by saying “uh-huh” and “Oh, really?”, but that’s a great start. It is being mindful of what your body language is saying and whether or not your facial expressions need to be adjusted. It is stepping away from your desk to face the other person and respond appropriately to the received message.
When you spend time listening to what a person is saying, paraphrase, and provide open-ended questions, it makes them feel valued. A good trait worth improving is silencing those inner thoughts and pausing your agenda in order to receive a message.
Active listening ensures your message is being received and ensures you are receiving the message of your subordinates, peers and supervisors. Despite who you are, you set an example and have the ability to model the kind of skill you want from those within your work center.
Be a well-rounded leader
To be a well-rounded leader you must be willing to trust the people around you. This trust shouldn’t just flow up the chain of command but also down to your subordinates. It will only be through trust that a leader can gain the necessary confidence required to empower individuals with responsibilities that will truly develop and support their growth.
As these individuals continue to mature both professionally and personally, they too will understand the ultimate value and importance trust plays within a high-functioning organization. If you remember that trust is the foundation for every relationship, then you will be on the right track for your subordinates, peers and supervisors to follow you as a leader, not just because you hold a position of power and they have to, but because they trust you and want to follow you.