Leadership — A culture in today’s Air Force Published March 23, 2007 By Lt. Col. Donald Cole 305th Medical Support Squadron MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, NJ. -- Today, leadership in the military is found in every aspect of our lives. We are challenged each day to find opportunities to become more efficient, manage programs, motivate people and take care of families. In many ways, leadership is a culture in today's Air Force. Growing up in Connecticut, I had many examples of leadership. It first start with my parents who were great leaders in the community as well as firm, but compassionate leaders at home. What I learned from them is to be fair to others, get all of the facts before making a decision, be true to yourself and others, and make the tough call when necessary. The other community leaders were members of various occupations such as school teachers, coaches, police officers, ministers, etc. They all had their approach to teaching, mentoring, and guiding others. I learned from them to be patient, listen, and approach things from various angles. The principles we've been able to learn from our effective leaders, the process of internalizing them is a lifetime challenge. Internalizing leadership principles -- the transforming of leadership knowledge into leadership practices -- is a challenging habit all leaders and aspiring leaders should have if they wish to be considered noteworthy. The path to effective leadership is a journey, and should not be considered a destination. The leadership journey is that too many people are comfortable talking about leadership without clearly defining their own understanding of it. Leadership requires: - Awareness of self -Reaching deep down, understanding the leadership lessons you learned as a child from your parents and community leaders -Taking that foundation, building on it -Embracing the leadership culture of the Air Force and recognizing it to be an everlasting journey that allows us to forge ahead and mold our very being into "respected" leaders of tomorrow -Belief in yourself and recognizing the gifts you have to share with others -The ability to serve, because a good leader knows how to be a great servant. Service is what we do so to be a good leader you learn how to take care of your people, protect this country, and follow the guidance of your senior leaders and sage advice of those more experienced than you. A good leader listens and has the ability to distinguish between the rhetoric and valuable points to consider along his or her leadership journey. Yes, it is a daunting task, but one worth pursuing because it gets to the very core of our being. How you develop as a leader is up to you! Being a great leader requires knowing oneself, commitment to others, communication skills and good judgment. It's our culture!