Three tips to be a good supervisor Published May 14, 2008 By Lt. Col. Travis Harsha 60th Security Forces Squadron commander TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- With our country at war and the fewest people we've had since the creation of our service, we need good supervisors to lead today and to develop our leaders for tomorrow. Being a good supervisor is not easy. It takes time, dedication and patience to gain a subordinate's trust, respect and loyalty to achieve and sustain high performance. There are many leadership books and courses that discuss how best to supervise. But from all the books I've read and courses I've attended, three leadership tips stick out: follow the golden rule, lead from the front, and set and enforce high standards. First, follow the golden rule. Treat others as you'd want to be treated. Take the time to genuinely know and care for people. Be respectful. Listen. While listening, shut off your internal voice that's rushing to judgments and not allowing you to truly listen. Seek to understand first, then to be understood. If your subordinates are not coming to you with problems, find out why and address it. As retired Gen. Colin Powell once said, "The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership." Be a servant leader. Take care of your people so they can take care of the mission. Visit them where they live. The condition of their living quarters is often a barometer for how things are going with the rest of their lives. Finally, be open and honest to inspire trust and teamwork. Second, lead from the front. Be a role model. Your example, for better or worse, will influence your subordinate's thoughts, actions and behavior. To illustrate this tip, Gen. George Patton would push spaghetti with his finger then pull (lead) it and ask which method got better results. Follow the golden rule and walk the talk. Know and do your job. Always do the right thing, put service before self and strive to be the best in all you do. Finally, be mentally, physically and spiritually fit and balanced to handle stress and carry out your job better. Third, set and enforce high standards. Aim high. People will generally live up to your expectations. Enforce standards. If you don't, you'll set new ones (lower ones), create more work for your supervisor and potentially set up the weak link that in the future could kill someone. For those unable or unwilling to perform, get them the help they need (training, resources or tough love) to get on track or find another job. Don't pass the buck. By following the golden rule, leading from the front and setting and enforcing high standards, you'll elicit trust, respect and loyalty from your subordinates to do what you want with commitment and enhance your organizational climate and mission accomplishment. It's not easy, but anything worth accomplishing never is.