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The leader within us

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. John Sawyer
  • 325th Operations Support Squadron
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  So here you are in your new deployed area, sitting in a leadership position with Airmen working for you with very little infrastructure to work with. You have to find a way to motivate your Airmen into a highly-effective team, which can take on any task at a moment's notice. Where do you begin?

The role of a deployed leader is much like the role leader back at the home station. Your role can quickly take on several different characteristics. You are a motivator one minute, a disciplinarian the next and a life counselor right after that. Building a team is not easy, and building one in a deployed environment can be overwhelming. Doing so takes patience, understanding, good communication skills and true leadership.

First and foremost, you need to remember that people are human. People make mistakes, have bad days, have problems at home and get frustrated with leadership. This includes you. The leader is not immune to being human. The key to dealing with these circumstances is to focus on the person and what you can do as his/her leader to assist with the issue...even if you are also having a bad day! Taking the time to show Airmen you truly care and are willing to help builds the bond of trust, which is essential to being an effective team.

Next, you need to stop asking all the usual questions you hear leaders ask: Are you going to re-enlist? What are your career plans? Are you taking classes?

These questions are drilled into our heads in professional military education. Don't get me wrong, those things are important. However, if you really want to engage with your Airman and let them know you care, ask more immediately relevant questions, such as some of these: What do you think we do around here that isn't effective? What can I do to make your life easier? How am I doing as your leader? How are things at home? If you were in my position, what would you change about our shop?

Be prepared for truly honest feedback. Feedback is a two-way street. Give your Airmen the opportunity to express their true feelings about how things are going. You never know...they may have a better way to run things. Remember most people have to be asked at least three times before they really open up about personal issues. Don't let them brush you off with "It's all good" when their body language is screaming "I need help." Ask a few more times to see if they open up.

Also, don't forget what you learned in PME about team building. Those principles are tried and true. Your team will go through the storming stage of team development no matter how good of a leader you think you are. Being in the military, members are constantly arriving to new location either due to deployments or permanent change of stations. It's important to integrate with those already there. Remember anytime you introduce new members to a team, you have to go back to the forming stage. You have to do all the introductions and spend time getting to know one another.

As a leader, you are also responsible for making sure every team member understands their role on the team. Role ambiguity can often lead to turmoil within the team and keep you in the storming stage until you take action to fix it. You may have to go back and clarify roles and responsibilities from time to time. The most important thing to remember about moving your team out of the storming stage is to re-focus the team on the mission goals. When you start to see the team working together on team goals instead of their own personal desires, your team is beginning to perform well.

Being an effective team leader while deployed requires one last technique that is often overlooked. Most people look at leadership as a pyramid with the leader at the top and the subordinates making up the base or foundation. I challenge you to turn the pyramid upside down. The leader is actually the foundation who is responsible for providing the support to the team. Of course an upside down pyramid requires a delicate balance to keep it upright. That balance is achieved by the support you provide to be successful and get the mission done. It may be an extra day off, an opportunity to vent, actual tools, computers, a comfortable work environment, someone they can talk with about things at home, etc. You may not always be able to give them what they want or need, but if they see you trying, they will respect your efforts and understand that some things just aren't possible.

Be the type of leader who doesn't see themself as being on top of the pyramid, but rather the solid foundation who supports the rest of the team members. That may require you to jump in and get your hands dirty from time to time.

Deploying can be difficult. Leading Airmen in a deployed area is even tougher. Putting the Airmen first and asking the right questions while at our home stations as well as during deployments will go a long way. It'll help show your Airmen you are a leader who truly cares about them as people, humble enough to receive feedback, smart enough to use what you learned about team building, and wise enough to view leadership from a different perspective.