Lessons in leadership Published June 3, 2009 By Lt. Col. Pat Davis !st Air and Space Test Squadron commander VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Who we are, what we believe, and how we act and lead are all products of our life's experiences. We began learning on the day we were born, and we don't ever stop. Although each of us learns best in slightly different ways, I think we can all agree that we certainly learn very well from observing those in positions of authority. Our parents, teachers, coaches, and bosses all lead by example, whether they intend to or not. And so do we. Whether or not we choose to believe it, there is always someone looking up to each and every one of us. I guarantee you that every Airman here at Vandenberg is admired, respected, and even imitated by someone, whether it's a sibling, a friend, a co-worker or simply someone on the street who sees us in uniform serving our country every day. I'd like to share with you a few of the most important lessons in leadership that I've learned from others in my 40 years on Earth and 17 years as an Airman so far. These ideas are neither revolutionary nor complex. Rather, they are all very simple, and many are well-documented in the innumerable articles on leadership we study during PME. But if you're like me, most of the lessons that are carved in stone in your mind are those that you've experienced first-hand. We have all encountered our share of good leaders and poor leaders in the course of our lives. While we certainly learn volumes from the skilled leaders, I would argue that we may very well learn more from those who aren't as gifted in this area. Although most of the concepts below are written in a "what to do" format, I personally experienced many of them in the reverse and thought, "I'll never do that when I'm in charge." I'm sure many of you can relate. The following is intentionally not a numbered or prioritized list, as concepts that are very important to certain people and situations may not necessarily be so for others. I think we should understand them all and apply them, as appropriate. - Follow all the rules and lead by example. Followers will always pay much more attention to what a leader does than to what he says. In today's Air Force, personal fitness is a great example of this that immediately comes to mind. - Be courteous ... say "please" and "thank you." Never be too busy to remember these all-too-uncommon common courtesies. President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said on this subject, "You do not lead by hitting people over the head. That's assault, not leadership." How true. - Be approachable. Your people will never be willing to bring their personal or mission-related problems to you otherwise. - Accomplish all required feedback sessions, and be honest. Your Airmen will truly appreciate your candid, thoughtful assessments. And never end a session without soliciting and listening to a subordinate's feedback on your own performance as a leader. - Be respectful of other people's time. Start and finish meetings on time. And every once in a while, end a meeting early! I know that's a totally foreign concept to some folks, but you really should give it a shot. Putting time back into someone's day is always a much appreciated gift. - Listen to the advice of your people, especially the NCOs and SNCOs. They're almost always right. - The old adage "praise in public and punish in private" has gotten to be an old adage because it works. Just do it. - Achieve a balance between mission and people. While both require a good deal of attention, don't focus so much on one that you ignore the other. If this happens, both will suffer. - Don't micromanage. Today's Airmen are smart - much smarter than we often give them credit for. Let them think and act on their ideas. They will surprise you. In the words of President Theodore Roosevelt, "The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it." I sincerely hope that at least one of the concepts above will resonate with each person reading this, and that you will attempt to incorporate it into your service as a leader in our Air Force. And I certainly wouldn't be following my own advice if I didn't solicit feedback from the members of my own squadron on how I'm doing in these areas ... so let's hear from you!