Good leaders follow football legend, count themselves third

Published Nov. 27, 2006
By Lt Col Robert Weiland
71st Flying Training Wing

Vance Air Force Base, Okla. -- Gale Sayers, legendary Chicago Bears running back from 1965-1971, and youngest person ever elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, wrote an autobiography in 1970 titled "I Am Third" (The movie "Brian's Song," detailing Sayers' relationship with the late running back Brian Piccolo, was inspired by the book).
The title referred to Sayers' philosophy concerning his priorities in life, which were "The Lord is first, my family and friends are second, and I am third."
How can we apply those thoughts to leadership? I believe a solid foundation for Air Force leadership could well be summed up by the credo "The mission is first, my people are second, and I am third."
1.) The mission is first. Obviously there are times when taking care of people is at odds with mission accomplishment. No supervisor relishes telling a troop they've been tagged for a year long remote to Korea, 180 days to Iraq, etc. The fact is, personal desires often have to take a backseat to performing the mission. I believe most Air Force members are keenly aware and accepting of this fact and are highly motivated towards mission accomplishment. The best you can do as a leader is ensure your folks are highly trained, technically competent and as physically prepared to do the job as possible.
2.) My people are second. Or perhaps more correctly stated, my people are first when the mission allows. How often have you heard a supervisor say "My people come first."? Better question is; what percentage of the time would you say you've seen this policy demonstrated in your Air Force experience? This cliché generally gets more lip service than a tube of chapstick. That's unfortunate because within the constraints of performing the mission, I can think of no more important duty, or any facet of my career that has given me greater satisfaction than being in a position to help and support the folks who worked for me.
Growing up in Illinois, I watched my father run our family-owned business for more than 20 years. He often related to me how customers would quip how lucky he was to not have a boss, or how great it must be not to work for anybody. His answer, he said, was always the same, "What you don't realize is that when you're the boss, you work for everybody!"
That, in my opinion, should be the golden rule for any leader. Of course your people work for you, but more importantly you work for them. You serve them. If you're not spending most of your time pushing for your troops, doing what you can to improve their careers and taking care of them in every way possible, I believe you're not only missing the point but also robbing yourself of a very gratifying experience.
3.) I am third. Have you ever worked for someone who seemed extremely dedicated to their own career but did not take much interest in yours? Did you appreciate the experience? If you've never worked for a boss like that you're either very lucky or very young. If you have, you probably agree the example served as a great template for what not to do when given the opportunity to lead.
Take this simple test the next time you're faced with a leadership decision. Does your thought process consider in order priorities one and two, or does it jump straight to number three?
A former operations officer once told me that if you're not getting thrown out of your boss's office at least once a week, you're not doing your job! Just to be clear, I'm not advocating picking fights with your supervisor on a regular basis. (The Air Force has changed a lot since then!) His point was that sometimes, in order to support your people, you have to take a stand that may be at odds with priority number three.
True leaders have the courage to make that argument. It may take exceptional fortitude if you're in an environment where "going along and getting along" seems to be the order of the day. Does this philosophy mean you're prohibited from considering your own career goals when making decisions? Of course not, no person operates in a vacuum. What is important is to set aside your own self-interests until the mission and personnel considerations are satisfied.
So there it is. As the phrase goes, these are just a few "points to ponder." I believe these thoughts apply whether you supervise 3,000 personnel or three. And if you think it doesn't apply to your rank level or job title, remember that if you're not a supervisor now you probably will be some day. Putting the mission first, then your people, and only then yourself will help ensure mission success, a high degree of morale for your troops, and in return guarantee your place as a leader.