COMMENTARY >> Traits for successful Airmen

By Chief Master Sgt. Rick Sowell
189th Airlift Wing command chief


It seems to me that we spend a lot of time in our wing talking about mentoring. If we’re spending as much time mentoring as we are talking about it, then we must be doing one awesome job.

I have a feeling that isn’t necessarily so. As a good mentor, we have a responsibility to our subordinates to let them know our expectations to be successful. I was very fortunate to have a great mentor during my tenure as a group first sergeant. My group commander was always sharing his leadership thoughts with me.

One of the best tools he ever gave me was a paper written by a wing commander from Texas, Col. Don Harvel. About once a month, I’d read back through this paper because it’s a great practical guide for leaders at all levels. It always reminds me of what I should be doing in my service to take care of my fellow Airmen. One section of the paper talks about what the colonel respects and admires in people. In my opinion, sharing our expectations of the traits that we respect and admire in our Airmen should be a top priority in our mentoring. I want to share some of these “traits” from my point of view.

I Respect and Admire: 1. Airmen who admit they messed up. We all mess up. Some won’t admit it. No one respects a whiner. When things go wrong, look in the mirror first.

2. Airmen who give honest feedback. We, as leaders, deserve to know. If you don’t like what’s going on, tell me face to face, and have the courage of your convictions.

3. Airmen who use the chain of command but are wise enough to know when “skip echelon” is required.

4. Airmen who are sharp and look sharp.

5. Airmen who take care of their troops. By doing so, the mission gets done.

6. Airmen who know the difference between a mistake and a crime. Honest mistakes are part of learning and being human. We all learn from them and drive on.

7. Airmen who know when to call “knock it off.”

8. Airmen who spend the government’s money like they spend their own (in most cases).

9. Airmen who treat their facilities like their homes (again, in most cases).

10. Airmen who take care of and spend quality and quantity time with their families.

11. Airmen who start meetings on time and limit them to 45 minutes maximum.

12. Airmen who do the right thing, even when no one is looking.

13. Airmen who work hard because it’s the right thing to do.

14. Airmen who use words like “we”, “us” and ”team”…not “I”, “me” and “mine.”

15. Airmen who don’t discriminate, harass or assault.

16. Airmen who are great followers, which is a prerequisite to being an effective leader.
17. Airmen who make a difference in someone’s life every day.

18. Airmen who look for ways to recognize their people for the great work their people are doing every day.

19. Airmen who cultivate a warrior spirit. Being a warrior is not a career field; It’s a condition of the heart.

And last but certainly not least: 20. Airmen who “Lead by Example.”

I hope each of you will take a look in the mirror and see if these “traits” are reflected in what you do as an American Airmen. They apply to all of us, including our civilian Airmen.

If you want the respect and admiration from your leaders or from your subordinates, be the example that these “traits” describe.  We have the distinct honor of serving in the greatest Air Force in the world. Show your pride in all you do.