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Commentary: Airmen should exhibit leadership at every stage of their careers

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. (select) Jennifer Hoag
  • 386th Expeditionary Medical Group
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Can you imagine if everyone had the attitude of a leader? If people did what they said they would do? If there were less "Do what I say" and more "Do what I do"? What we could accomplish!

Throughout my military career, I have heard a lot about leadership/followership. This topic is voiced at each level of Professional Military Education. I have also seen Airmen who display what I consider good leadership and those I wish were better leaders.
As I enter the senior NCO tier, I find myself pondering how I can enhance my leadership skills. What traits do I want to portray?

At each level of our military careers, we should be able to exhibit leadership. A specific rank is not required before a person can become a leader. We do not have to look up to see a leader; rather, it is a matter of looking around and identifying what character traits we admire among our coworkers, and incorporating those into our daily actions. The Air Force instills basic leadership traits through our Core Values. It just takes a little gumption or determination to expand upon it.

I have been told on a regular basis that I belong to the best military service, and I have to agree. Outsiders also say the Air Force really takes care of you. With that statement, I have to disagree. It is our leaders and our fellow Airmen who take care of each other.
I look around and see the outstanding things that everyone is doing. Sometimes it is an Airman enforcing standards, or it could be a person making a stand on an issue they feel passionate about. These are the things that make us stand out as being among the best. All of these things make the rest of us shine.

All Airmen should ask themselves a few questions to help determine where they are on the path to leadership. For example: Am I willing to do the very thing I ask the youngest Airman to do? Am I willing to take someone else's failures as my own? Can I look myself in the mirror at the end of the day and be proud of everything I did? If the answer is a resounding "Yes," then you have the markings of a leader.

If you say "No" to any of the above, it is never too late to change your attitude and actions. Daily, we have the opportunity to shape the Air Force. No deed is too small. Are we merely paying lip service with our actions, or do they prove that we care for each and every one of our Airmen as part of the greatest military service in the world?