Think straight, lead great! Published Sept. 7, 2012 By Lt. Col. Lawrence King 30th Space Wing Plans and Programs VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On a Monday morning, I was eastbound on Florida Highway 524 headed for "The Cape." I was scheduled to present a briefing for Apollo 11 astronaut "Buzz" Aldrin and I was running late ... stuck behind a smoke bellowing, slow moving 18-wheeler. I remember thinking, "please don't take the ramp onto the Beeline; just get out of my way!" Sure enough, you guessed it. That semitrailer took the same exit I was preparing to take. How dare that inconsiderate trucker hold up traffic! Does he think he's the only one on the road? Well, as the truck began to curve around to the right and maneuver up the ramp, I caught a glimpse of the driver in the passenger side-view mirror. What I saw in the glass became a watershed event for me and forever changed my perspective on life, and on people. What I saw in the mirror that morning was a lanky young man in his early twenties. He was wearing a white t-shirt with a stretched neckline, had greasy hair, a scruffy goatee and cigarette dangling from his lower lip, up on top of his Eaton-Fuller ten-speed stabbing like crazy to find the right gear. He was trying everything he could to get that "rig" out of the way. He knew those behind him had schedules to keep and places to be. He wasn't some inconsiderate self-centered product of 21st century selfishness. You see, the reality of the situation was nothing like I'd imagined. I'd allowed my emotions to take control of my thinking and lead me down that often travelled irrational path to aberrant thinking. My mind had been operating in an imagined reality; no place to be for a leader tasked with making decisions that affect peoples' lives. All of us are leaders, whether formal or informal, and we all represent the United States Air Force. Whatever level of leadership we may find ourselves, we have decisions to make. It's vital that we see through the initial emotional response, rest our emotions, and grasp the reality of each circumstance to make the most effective decisions we can. As great leaders we analyze each situation carefully before making a decision or taking action. We take in all aspects of the event and analyze them from an objective perspective and then identify the reality. By thinking rationally and objectively we keep emotion from clouding our thought process and are better prepared to make sound and effective decisions. Such patience and wisdom inspires confidence and earns respect from our subordinates. Most importantly, it maximizes the effectiveness of our role in completing our assigned mission. So, fellow leaders, I challenge you, as I do myself, to "think straight and lead great!"