Leadership tips for success Published Nov. 17, 2008 By Chief Master Sgt. Terry Carroll 305th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron McGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. -- Throughout the years, I've found leadership lessons in some unlikely places. Books like "Winnie-the-Pooh on Management" and "The Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun" are good examples of unlikely leadership learning opportunities. As I read these books, it struck me that these are factors that help leaders and supervisors succeed as well. Rather than waxing philosophical about abstract theories, I'd like to list the factors and provide some very practical ways in which a leader can apply them. The first is continuous communication. I tell my new senior NCOs that about 80 percent of their success won't be due to their intelligence, striking good looks, witty humor, dynamic personality, or impressive chevrons - it'll be due to their ability to communicate. They need to be able to understand and help their subordinates understand expectations. They need to learn and be able to help me and the commander understand the needs of their subordinates, so that we can better organize, train, and equip them for success. They need to do this all the time and it's best done face-to-face, to take advantage of nonverbal queues. "Uh ... I sent them an e-mail" just doesn't cut it for good communication. Communication doesn't occur without a sender, a receiver and feedback. The second factor is informed judgment. You only make informed judgments if you are, in fact, informed. You must stay involved with your subordinates and all aspects of your unit so you really know what is going on. You won't get all of the necessary information by reading e-mails all day. Get out and talk to people. One of my early supervisors introduced me to the miracle tool of MBWA -- Management by walking around. For years I thought the guy spent a third of his day sampling coffee from each of the pots in the squadron. Little did I know, he was gathering critical information to better make informed decisions. Once I got to know him better, I realized he didn't even like coffee; he just used that as an excuse to make informal visits to the different sections. The more information he had, the greater the possibility of him making the correct decision. The third factor, setting appropriate standards of conduct, ensures that your subordinates know what is expected of them ... assuming you communicated this well. The best way to establish and communicate these standards is through initial formal feedback. It's not just a good idea, it's the law. We are required to provide expectation feedback to our military and civilian employees early in each rating cycle. Don't waste this opportunity or your subordinates' time by just going through the motions. Tell them, verbally and in writing, what you expect. Of course, setting the appropriate standards of conduct means nothing if you don't have the fourth factor -- ethical behavior. We, as leaders, must adhere to a high code of ethics. Fifth, practice fairness and consistency. Fairness and consistency doesn't necessarily mean you treat everyone exactly the same, using a cookie-cutter approach to every situation, but that you treat everyone as a unique individual and use the same set of criteria when making decisions. These criteria should be communicated through the standards of conduct you set and the ethical behavior you exhibit. The sixth and final factor is shared understanding. Well-communicated standards, fairly and consistently applied by an ethical and informed leader, help build that vision. Both you and your subordinates need to be singing off the same sheet of music. When the entire unit has the same vision, it's amazing how much that group can accomplish ... it's the difference between a bunch of dogs barking and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.