Combination coach, cheerleader and mentor develops top resource, completes mission Published Nov. 3, 2006 By Master Sgt. Joe Lawley 71st Operations Group Vance Air Force Base, Okla. -- One of my old chiefs had a large sign on his wall with the following saying, "Lead, Follow or Get the H*** Out of the Way." This saying has been repeated by practically every officer and noncommissioned officer. It is a simple phrase communicating a very powerful message, lead the team, be part of the team or just leave. A great deal has changed over the years but the basic principle of leading or following everyday has not. What has changed is we no longer have the extravagance of allowing any Airmen to get out of the way. Each day we become a leaner Air Force, now more than ever Airmen and America need you leading and following daily. The responsibilities of our newest Airmen have grown rapidly over the past years, and they have exceeded expectations. We need to build on that. Being a leader in today's Air Force requires a study of your Airmen just like a coach stands on the sidelines and studies their players. We should study our Airmen to see where they shine. Just like in football, some Airmen do extremely well at everything. Those are players we would all like on our team, but we don't always get the star players. A coach works more with the team members who need help. A good coach knows how to find the right tool, when to use it and delivers results. He cheers them on when they do well, but he also corrects them when they're wrong. I get told almost daily we are a kinder and gentler Air Force. I believe this is true, but it does not mean we can't have discipline or correct our Airmen when they are wrong. For every event in our Airmen's lives the outcome depends on the Airmen's response. Let your Airmen know it is just a bump in the road and you have the confidence in him or her to get past it. Keep them focused on the positive. Set goals, players on a football team know what the goals are and work extremely hard to score and win the game. We as leaders need to make sure our Airmen know how to achieve goals in the Air Force and how we can win the game. It needs to be clear cut. In the past I have seen goals on the walls of the squadrons I have been in that were vague and dealt with issues way above the Airmen level. This would be like telling a high school football team to focus on winning the Super Bowl when they really need to focus on the next game. Set a goal like 100 percent customer satisfaction or all performance reports on time. Ask your Airmen to help with setting the goals. Connect their goals with the overall mission. Make sure they know how they fit in to the overall mission. Remember to cheer your Airmen when they score. United as a team we will accomplish both mission requirements and take care of each other. Mentor Airmen and give them areas to excel. Each quarter you should plan on your troop winning your squadron, your group and your wing quarterly awards. The key things for you Airmen are leading, developing and creating. Most Airmen just need a direction or a checklist to follow. Sit down with your troops at the beginning of the quarter and plan their success. What makes a good player (follower) in today's Air Force? To me, most importantly a follower should be willing to tell the truth. If he or she thinks something can be improved, say so. On the other hand if something is wrong, they should also say so. Just remember if you tell the parent the baby is ugly the parent will get mad and won't listen to you anymore. But if you use a different approach ,the parent will be more receptive to change. Remember you volunteered to be in the military and after you explain your concerns be ready to press with what ever decision your boss makes, salute sharply and press on. The world situation requires all Airmen to stand as one, completing mission requirements and developing our No. 1 resource -- our people.