Leading more than barking directions

  • Published
  • By Capt. Christopher Eaton
  • 60th Security Forces Squadron Commander
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Travis has provided me with an unparalleled opportunity to be a squadron commander for a Security Forces unit with more than 300 people for more than seven months. This experience has given me many keen insights, but there are two in particular I want to share - ownership and leadership.

Ownership is a concept I was familiar with before my role as a squadron commander. Prior to this duty, however, every process I owned was on a small scale where I could quickly touch everyone it affected. When it failed, it truly was my fault. I had to quickly learn that at higher levels, I could no longer affect processes like I could in a section. There are multiple pieces within the 60th Security Forces Squadron and, often, the processes require actions from units I have no authority over.

My boss and mentor, Col. Robert Eatman, former 60th Mission Support Group commander, was quick to lend a sympathetic ear when I was frustrated at perceived inaction from other organizations I had no control over. But he always challenged me to be the responsible party for the program. With that in mind, anytime a process failed say a late enlisted performance report that had to be explained to the wing commander I always stood tall, said it was my fault and I would get it back on track. By doing that, I not only gained the trust of my leadership, others were willing to lean forward and assist, knowing I would never "throw them under the bus."

My fellow squadron commanders respected that I took responsibility. On more than one occasion, it was another squadron commander who stepped in to give me the right advice at the right time. The lesson is that you gain more from accepting responsibility than playing the blame game.

Leadership is preached every day to airmen, NCOs and officers. At higher levels, there are more pieces that can break. A leader cannot effectively manage each piece and no matter what, or when the piece breaks, it's the leader's fault.

This is a scary concept for a young person given great responsibility. It can drive you and your people mad as you try to micro-manage them in order to avoid failure. However, by talking with my troops, I was reminded that Airmen are proud of what they do every day and a leader must let go and trust Airmen to do their jobs and the NCOs to lead them.

With that in mind, I strived to lead based on a fantastic quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, a famous French poet, aviator and World War II veteran: "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."

Leadership is not about barking orders and tasking troops. It is about challenging yourself and your people to be better than they were and to reach ever more daunting goals.