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Leadership Archive

All the old garbage you can handle!

Note: Entries are sorted from oldest to newest.

Barking Dogs Never Bite April 2001 Well, it seems that many of us believe that as we get promoted our basic job seems to change. That we go from being good role models and leaders into being “Old Salts” and managers. We get the idea that we can sit in the corner and bark orders and things will get done. This cannot be further from the truth. Continue reading

Dance? I'll show you a dance! Fall in for drill! May 2001 Let’s talk about fun activities. I hear a lot of people from different units talking about how we need more “fun” activities because morale is low. They say we need more pizza parties, canoeing outings, and dances. Well, I guess I’m old school, because when someone mentions a dance, I immediately think, “I’ll show you a dance, fall in for drill!” Continue reading

Personnel Inspection May 2001 Inspecting your people is a basic part of being a leader. Inspections will not only show who doesn't care about regulations, but will also let you know who doesn't know enough about regulations and needs more training. At activities, inspecting your people can also tell you if someone is ill, tired or unclean. Part of leadership is taking care of your people; you should know personally if any of your Cadets is having problems. Finally, inspections are a good way for a commander to get some face to face time with his people. Continue reading

Yelling is Not Leadership June 2001 Never mind what you learned watching "Gomer Pyle, USMC" and "Full Metal Jacket", leadership is not about yelling at people. Yelling at your people doesn't accomplish anything and usually does more harm than good. Continue reading

Pushups as a Leadership Tool July 2001 As an NCO and a leader, you may be a member of a unit or know of a unit that uses pushups or some other exercise as a discipline or leadership tool. There have been debates for years about the value of this leadership tool in the Cadet Program. In late 1998 and again in 2001, the National Cadet Programs office stated simply that pushups and other types of exercise were not available as leadership tools for Cadets. This should have ended the debate, but hasn't. Continue reading

Informal Counseling July 2001 Counseling comes in two flavors: formal and informal. Of the two, you are likely to do informal counseling far more often than formal. As a general rule, if you are doing anywhere near as much formal counseling as informal counseling, you have a problem. Either you have the worst behaved Cadets in the history of CAP or you are far too eager to create paper on someone. Continue reading

If It Ain't Broke - Break It! August 2001 Part of leadership is questioning the "hows" and "whys" of the things we do. In every thing I write concerning leadership, I always make an effort to clearly explain WHY something should be done a certain way as well as explaining how it should be done. Understanding what's behind a decision is a key part of being a leader. Leaders should NEVER do something simply because "we've always done it that way", they must have a definite goal in mind and be sure that what they do helps reach that goal. And be prepared to make a strong case justifying your decisions. Continue reading

The Cadet Who Roared September 2001 In Yelling is not Leadership I tried to show that a lot of the time when your people make mistakes it's your fault, not theirs. And when it is your fault, yelling at them won't help - and will often hurt. I unfortunately had an opportunity to see this happen... Continue reading

The Cadet NCO as Follower September 2001 Every leader is also a follower. From the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the newest Cadet staff sergeant, everyone with a leadership position is someone else's follower. The role they assume depends on the situation and it is important to behave appropriately. Continue reading

How to Instruct October 2001 One of the basic jobs of all leaders is teaching. A good leader is a good instructor. Training is a big topic, but there are a few ground rules for effective teaching. Continue reading

How to Be Counseled November 2001 Counseling, feedback, constructive criticism, a chewing out Whatever you call it, it's going to happen. No one is perfect! When it does, try to make it a positive experience. Positive? Absolutely! If you handle the situation correctly, you may actually come out smiling. Continue reading

The Legend of Gunny Hartman: Considering the Idea of a Career Cadet NCO November 2001 Almost every Cadet over the age of fifteen has seen the movie and the image is burned into his brain: Drill Instructor Gunnery Sergeant Hartman swaggering into a squad bay full of empty-headed, slack-bellied, undisciplined losers with the full intention of turning them into United States Marines. Continue reading

Rank: What It Is and What It Is Not December 2001 I like to start with the end in mind, your responsibility and your rank: Rank is simply the authority to serve other people. The more military rank you have, the more people you have the authority to serve, but more importantly, the obligation to serve, support, and mentor. This is your primary responsibility that comes with your rank. Continue reading

Don't you ever get mad? December 2001 I slipped the WonderBar under the handle and pulled up - hard. After a few seconds the lid came up. The resulting suction caused by the partial vacuum behind the lid splashed about a half-gallon of scalding hot soup all over the stove top and all over my hands. Happily, I snatched my hands mostly out of harm's way, ending up with minor burns on the tips of a few fingers. A little aloe took care of it nicely. Continue reading

The Value of Competence January 2002 This week's leadership moment is on the value of competence. If you are going to be a leader, the key element starts with competence in your primary duty and expands from there. Leadership is influence, and if you want to start influencing others, you have got to start with all the elements it takes to learn your job, consistently do your job, teach others your job, and then be an advocate for your job, duty or mission. Continue reading

Personal Views and Experiences in Creating a Successful Composite Squadron February 2002 In January 1996 I transferred to a squadron that was struggling. I wasn't happy in the squadron I was in anyway, so I didn't have anything to lose. When I transferred it was with the understanding that I would assume duties as their Deputy Commander for Cadets (DCC) and try to salvage what was left of their dwindling cadet corps, which consisted of about five active cadets. With this in mind, what follows is some of the ideas and rules that I used to make this unit a successful, vibrant, and professional squadron. Continue reading

Developing Your Cadet Staff March 2002 So, you joined a Squadron four years ago that had twenty members “on the books” but really had five cadets showing each week, and the Commander’s dog, “Fuselage” an eighteen year old mutt. Well, Fuselage has gone to that big airport in the sky and you somehow have found yourself assigned as the new Cadet Commander. Even better, your Squadron has recruits coming out of the woodwork, and a pretty large selection of senior cadet NCO’s and a couple Cadet Officers. You have two flights but you discover as you grow that there are more deserving cadets then positions available for them. What’s a commander to do? Continue reading

Leading the Way X: "He has a Gift": The Myth of Charisma June 2002 What is Charisma? You've seen them: The person that just inspires others. Perfect hair, perfect uniform, intelligent, articulate, he wins people to his side by word and action. One phrase I like to use for this is "Motivation By Walking In The Room" - the theory being that people "perk up" just because they are in the presence of this person. Last time, we talked about Charisma and how it helps influence people, but isn't absolutely essential. This month, we'll examine two instances where overly relying on Charisma is dangerous: The True Believer and The House Of Cards. Continue reading

Who's the leader of the club? June 2002 I attended a weekend activity recently where I saw the Cadet staff go out of their way to dream up piddly little things for their students to do. At least, that's the way it seemed to me. We're talking about standing at attention in front of their racks while the staff figured out what was going on, teaching 'exhibition drill' to Cadets who barely know left from right, insisting that everyone stand interior guard (Six men at a time for 45 minute shifts - why?), an overly complex guard log book and a zero-five-hundred PT session on Sunday morning. Continue reading

Once upon a time in NCWG... July 2002 A few years ago, and once upon a time, there was a cadet grade of cadet sergeant. My new assignment was to become our Alpha flight's soon-to-be flight sergeant. What was really going on was my entrance into the world of leadership. Among other things needed for leadership, keeping the crowd motivated and interested is one of the hardest battles to fight in the cadet program. As I stood in front of a flight of cadets, I lost count after ten, the staff stood afar amused at the lack of knowledge I actually had towards this job I was supposed to master in five seconds. Continue reading

Cadet Commander - How To Do It Part 2 July 2002 So you’ve survived being C/CC for a while now. Hopefully you haven’t gotten the world all mad at you and you still have cadets to lead. If that’s the case, then you’re doing a bang up job. Now, on with the show Continue reading

Leading the Way XI: Staff Revisited July 2002 Back in issues 5 and 6 I took a look at the meaning of a staff officer. The other day, I read great article on Management by Joel Spolsky that explained his experiences in the Software field. Not suprisingly, he came to the same conclusions as I did. (No, he didn’t come up with any cute phrases like Commander/SuperHero, but he’s pretty close ) So, this month, instead of running my typical column, I’m just going to re-print his. Continue reading

Leading the Way XII: Saving a Life Cadet Programs-Style August 2002 Have you ever looked carefully at the Cadets that “succeed” in our program? Many of them have good grades in school, are taking college prep courses, and already have a roadmap to the future that may include military service. Without CAP they might not make it to the Academy, but they would probably go to college, if not get a scholarship to go to college for free. Continue reading

If not pushups, what? September 2002 ... pushups (and other forms of exercise) are forbidden in the Cadet Program. There is no room for debate on this topic; it has been made crystal clear many, many times by NHQ/CP. So, what can you do when Cadet Snuffy forgets to salute? Or when Cadet Bagadonuts doesn't button his pockets? Or when your flight at encampment has completely failed inspection? Continue reading

Leading the Way XIII: Making "Be an Good Example" Real September 2002 At Boulle-Norman, when Cadets go before a board for Cadet A1C, they are confronted with a reality: Everyone is an example. More so, the “just slightly superior” Cadets can have even more of an impact than the older Seniors. Every Cadet can seem themselves advancing a rung or two up the ladder, and may want to be like their superiors. Very few Cadets have a desire to be, say, the Senior Member Finance Officer. That job is so removed from where they are now that they just don’t see it happening. Continue reading

People Skills Pt 1 - Fundamental Techniques in Handling People September 2002 This article is the first part in a series of articles reviewing the book How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie (1936. New York: Pocket Books, 1994.) All part titles, chapter titles, and principles are from the book and written by Dale Carnegie. This article takes those principles and applies them to the Cadet Program. Continue reading

Leading the Way XIV: The Myth of "But I was told" October 2002 What happens next can split in two directions. If the Cadet learned the wrong thing in Phase I/II, in Phase III the Cadet Officer will teach the wrong thing at encampment. His Cadets go home and teach the same thing. Ten years later, it’s a Tradition, and everyone in the entire wing is doing it wrong. If the Cadet Officer learned the right thing, he will teach it "right" [or close enough], but he will also teach his people to rely on memory instead of referring to the regulations. This will essentially encourage the next generation to do the same thing. Continue reading

Attention To Detail: Why We Preach It October 2002 As I got closer, I realized that a) that's not silver paint, that's raw unpainted aluminium; and b) there is a "bonney" wrench laying next to the driveshaft with its handle perfectly inline with the 3/4" stripe. The realization of what I was looking at hit me like a rotor blade at operating RPM. My knees got weak and I felt nauseous. I had to kneel on the non-slip to to keep from falling off the top of the aircraft. Most of the next thirty seconds of what I said is completely unprintable here. Continue reading

Leading the way XV: The Myth of Command = Leadership November 2002 Cadet Colonel Smith is a legend. He attended eight National Cadet Special Activities, IACE, was Cadet Commander of a Squadron, Wing Cadet of the year, Commanded an Encampment and Chaired a CAC. He earned every ribbon the Cadet Program Offers, as well as a Commander’s Commendation and Meritorious Service Ribbon. He is a great leader. Continue reading

Top Ten Things I Wish I'd Done Differently as Cadet Commander December 2002 On October 30, 2002, I officially relinquished command of Gretna Cadet Squadron. Although this decision was voluntary, it was an abrupt decision, so afterwards, I began to feel regret for making this decision. I also spent a lot of time thinking about things that I would have done differently if I could re-live the part of my life where I served as Cadet Commander. Continue reading

Civil Air Patrol Cadet First Sergeant's Guide January 2003 Okay, you've been appointed the squadron First Sergeant. You've pinned the diamond on above your chevrons. You've been given an in-box and maybe a drawer in a desk in the Cadet Programs office. And now you stand in front of the formation and report to the Cadet Commander. So what are you going to do now, First Sergeant? What are your duties? What should your duties be? How should you interact with the Cadet Commander? What should be your relationship with the other NCOs? How should you be in front of the Cadets? How do you get along with the Leadership Officer and Deputy Commander for Cadets? This document is not just for the new First Sergeant. It is also written for the Cadet Commander or Deputy Commander for Cadets who’s not quite sure what to do with that new First Sergeant. Hopefully, this will help them to utilize the new resource they have to call on. Continue reading

Hey, Chief! Cough up the articles! January 2003 Hmm... Let's see. The Cadet Program requires every Cadet Chief Master Sergeant to pen an essay examining some aspect of leadership. And - how convenient! - CadetStuff has an entire department devoted to articles (essays, if you will) about leadership! I think I smell a synergy!

On Leadership February 2003 Although history at times, is more or less, out of sight, out of mind, our past has a large influence on both the present, as well as our future. A part of what makes a good leader, or more specifically, a supportive part of any group or team, is being informed. Continue reading

Situational Leadership and the Cadet Program February 2003 I recently read, for the first time, Leadership and the One-Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard. It explores situational leadership, and how it relates to the three secrets of one-minute management (one-minute goal setting, praise and reprimands). Although you do not have to read this book to appreciate this article, having the background information will help. Interestingly, situational leadership, as described in the book, also correlates very well with the CAP cadet program. Continue reading

Leadership vs. Followership February 2003 Leadership and followership differ in one fairly discreet way. Basically, everyone is a follower, but not everyone is a leader. No matter how high up the chain of command one goes, there is always a step higher. On a more basic level, however, a leader is following no matter where his position is. This comes from following his people, the ones who are following him. First, however, will be the definitions of leadership and followership. Continue reading

CAP's Core Values March 2003 Integrity, volunteer service, excellence and respect, every cadet knows the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) core values, but few understand their importance. Former United States Air Force (USAF) Chief of Staff, General Ronald Fogleman said, “Core values must guide our daily actions—even when no one is watching.” Continue reading

Cadets are not Shoes! April 2003 It's coming up on encampment time again, and that means encampment staff training, and that means that it's almost certain that some bonehead at your staff training weekend is going to make some sort of noise about 'breaking down' your Cadets. Continue reading

Aerospace Power Vital To America's National Security May 2003 Ever since America was attacked by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor, command of the air has played a vital role in our National Security. The United States has grown to be a leader in aerospace technology and development since the end of WWII. When the war ended, the German and Japanese scientists were divided among the winning countries, and several came to America. The allies also discovered that the axis powers had several prototypes of working jet engines, long range bombers, and the delta shape wing. Had the war gone on much longer, the outcome might have been very different, simply due to aerospace power. Continue reading

Ten Rules of Good Followership June 2003 It occurs to me that there is a subject more relevant to the men and women of all ranks who populate our Air Force: how does one become a good follower? This is a responsibility no less important than that of leadership - in fact it enables good leadership - yet it is often ignored. Moreover, it is likely that all of us will be followers more often than we will be leaders. For my part, I have had 23 years of experience in taking orders, implementing policy guidance, and serving as an intermediate supervisor. Here are my Ten Rules of Good Followership gleaned from those years. Continue reading

A Tale of Two Teams: Leadership and Teamwork at a Drill Meet June 2003 One of the most valuable lessons I learned about leadership and teamwork since I have been at the Air Force Academy did not come from an experience in Combat Survival Training, it did not come from a Senior NCO or Officer mentor, and it did not come from the football field it came from a couple of high school kids in a JROTC program. Continue reading

The Power of Documenting Everything June 2003 Say that the problem has escalated and has still not been fixed by Cadet Smith. Now a Letter of Reprimand should be written and submitted. The Letter or Reprimand (LOR) should be written in the same form as the LOC (a formal memorandum) and state that whatever consequence for the continuance of the problem given in the LOC is now going to be implemented. Continue reading

"Leadership" by Rudolph Guliani -- A Summary July 2003 It just doesn’t happen. Leadership has to be taught, learned and developed. Since many of you may not have the opportunity to read this book I thought it would be beneficial to present a few of Mayor Guliani’s ideas to you in short form. I have tried to follow the chapters in his book and present some key concepts for you to think about. I have also taken the liberty of slipping in some of my views of the concepts as they may relate to your life as a leader, now and in the future along with a couple examples. This is short and certainly only covers a very small part of the book. If you find these concepts interesting I am certain that “his honor” would appreciate you picking up a copy of the book at you local store. Continue reading

The Differences between “Leadership” and “Followership” October 2003 As time progresses, imitation gives way to reasoning, opening the door for this person to start influencing others. The contrast between followership and leadership is analogous to this; once an individual is established as a follower, he or she can become a leader. Continue reading

A 10 Step Guide to Problem Solving December 2003 As a leader, you are the go to guy (gal) to get things done. You soon discover that a large part of your job is solving problems. President John F. Kennedy once said “The day before my inauguration President Eisenhower told me, ''You'll find that no easy problems ever come to the President of the United States. If they are easy to solve, somebody else has solved them.'' Continue reading

Espirit de Corps - The Secret Ingredient for Successful Units January 2004 For followers, commitment starts with the individual. Leaders must get them involved with the high stakes outcomes right away. Don’t let them sit around and not get involved, or they will have a harder time committing. Give them projects with delivery times and expect results. From the basic cadet to the most experienced senior, everyone wants to do something, doing nothing is a morale killer. Continue reading

Tools of the Trade February 2004 When I joined CAP, I was not quite sure I knew what I was getting into, or what I was going to get out of it. After a while, the program really had put it's hooks into me; I wanted to be a part of it and do well as a member. Now, looking back, I am grateful for the time I was in the Cadet Program. It gave me focus during a period of my life when having focus was crucial. The most important thing I gained from being in the Cadet Program was the ability to develop as a leader. Continue reading

Dynamics March 2004 If you don’t like something, don’t start cussing and yelling about it. We have a guy in my bagpipe band who does this. Instead, think “WWJBD?” What Would James Bond Do? I know it sounds kind of funny, but think about it. He’s a very smooth guy. Smooth as glass. When he disagrees with something in a meeting he doesn’t immediately start yelling, “YOU FOOL! What are you thinking? That’s horribly wrong!” No, he’d probably say something like, “Well, I don’t know about that. Perhaps we can do this?” And he always keeps his cool. Continue reading

Leading the way XVI: Quantity Versus Quality March 2004 You are innocently telling Sergeant Smithy, from the Squadron across the county about all the great stuff that’s been going on in your unit lately. After a few minutes, he looks at you, almost sneering, and says “Yeah, at my Squadron we focus on quality, not quantity.” ...make no mistake – you’ve just been insulted Continue reading

Tools of the Trade: Part II March 2004 During this same time at Ft McCoy, I had my own leadership challenges to deal with. Being new to the unit, I was an unknown to my subordinate leaders. I knew they would try to find my weaknesses and limitations. One problem I was having was getting my troops fed. Army policy was to provide (whenever possible) a hot breakfast and hot dinner for soldiers. MRE's would be for lunch.... Continue reading

Earning Respect May 2004 Forced respect comes in a couple of forms, as well. First, there's rudimentary respect. That's the respect your followers owe you as a human being. Second, there's regulatory respect, which is the respect your followers must show to you in accordance with regulations. Voluntary respect is the kind of respect you earn from your followers which makes them want to follow you. Obviously, as a leader, the voluntary respect of your followers is crucial. Continue reading

Leading the Way Part XVII - Two Philosophies of Management May 2004 In my travels and experience, I have come across two fundamental ways of thinking of management. Most "management styles" are, in fact, just a choice somewhere between these two polar opposites. However, before we get into those styles, I'd like to tell a short story. Continue reading

One Person's Evolution May 2004 Goals have a way of changing in time, the plans for a building generally stay the same, but on the inside, there are many changes that happen during the construction. As I started as an Airman I never wanted to be an officer, but now here I am. What changed? Continue reading

The Power of Leadership July 2004 Thus, the proof of leadership exists in the power of the individual to change the course of history. Based on this proof, leadership is one of the single most powerful tools, if not the most powerful tool, in the history of the world. Continue reading

Leadership 101-Part Two Changing Minds August 2004 Want to be really effective in changing someone’s mind? Remember the adage: “What’s in to for me?” Give your audience a reward for taking your advice. It doesn’t have to be a bribe (wait a second this is CadetStuff .it shouldn’t be a bribe). Continue reading

The Art of Following February 2005 In order for people to complete the things that they are trying to do in that environment – whether it be for pleasure, for work, or for other purposes – they must adhere to the guidelines and be a follower. If that relationship of follower-leader trust is broken, the follower has chosen not to follow, and thus choosing not to continue with their business. Continue reading

Where To Begin? You tell us! May 2005 We have all experienced good and bad leadership. It doesn't matter where; school, CAP, ROTC, or the Girl Scouts, we all knew who we thought was a good leader and who couldn't pour water out of a boot with the instructions printed on the heel. Continue reading

Leading the Way: XVIII - Who lost Gettysburg? May 2005 The first major breakdown actually came well before the battle; in fact, it was chain-of-command problem. So let's start out with a discussion of the Confederate Chain-of-Command. Continue reading

Which Comes First, The Chicken or the Egg (I mean: Leader or Follower)? May 2005 Leadership and followership are essential to each other. Without the skills and qualities that a person gains as a follower, they could not lead effectively. But with the development of such qualities as self-discipline, responsibility and motivation, a person will be able to develop their leadership and become a competent leader that will be looked up to and willingly followed. Continue reading

Who Won at Gettysburg?...The Rest of the Story June 2005 I'm sure many of you are wondering if Cadetstuff has fallen into a time warp and gone back to the 1860's? In one of life's ironic twists I had just returned from a camping vacation in Pennsylvania the week before Matt's article came across our desk. Continue reading

How I Learned to Lead July 2005 In Civil Air Patrol you run into all sorts of people. Some can be good influences and teach you everything there is to know like Lt Gen Searock did for me and then some can be bad and teach you what kind of person you shouldn't be. The words, I order you, should never be uttered by a true leader. Continue reading

Lewis And Clark (Leadership and Courage) August 2005 The facts are that real life, most of the times, is not like the movies. The endings are not always happy and the good guys don't always win. While there are more modern tails of courage and leadership available, I cannot think of one more fascinating and full of danger then the not so modern true story of the expedition of Lewis and Clark. Continue reading

In the words of Yoda... August 2005 More and more, I find myself going back to the core of the program and trying to set goals and write a schedule that will really help accomplish our goals. Far too often, I've come to find that cadets and seniors alike misinterpret the program. Some think that it's a program to "straighten" kids out. Others feel we should be paramilitary and get to wear berets or carry guns. Still others take this to the opposite extreme and treat the program like a social event where we can sit and build little airplanes out of popsicle sticks to take home to our parents. Continue reading

Leading the way: XIX - The keys to Cadet retention August 2005 Years ago, on the porch of the Frederick Composite Squadron's building, I once had a discussion with Maj. William F. Duke about what it takes to retain Cadets. Taking the number of Cadets in the wing vs. the following years retention of cadets, and factoring the awards they had listed on the Monthly Membership Listiing, he found that: Retention rates are bad (Most Cadets don't renew membership after 1 year)... Continue reading

On Sabbaticals September 2005 I have nothing to do right now. At least, I have nothing CAP-related to do. There are plenty of other things to occupy my time, but right now, nothing to do with Civil Air Patrol. Continue reading

Leading the way: XX - Dealing with human nature September 2005 The best advice I can is to ask yourself, each day: The actions I take define the person I am. Do I want to be the person that did [this bad thing]? It's the same for failing to get up in the morning to run PT as it is in failing to study as it is in lying to make yourself look good. If you don't want to be the person that did that, then don't do those things. Continue reading

On Cadet Sabaticals November 2005 While we are on this subject I want each of you cadets to think about the best Senior Member you have ever worked with or the ones you've "met" through things like CadetStuff and came to admire. What is the most common thread between them? Continue reading

The Sabbatical Not Taken (with apologies to Robert Frost) February 2006 Two runways went on over the horizon And sorry that I could not taxi down both And be one flyer, long I gazed on And looked down one as far as I could To where it seemed to turn south; Continue reading

Leading the way: XXI - Does grade matter? February 2006 Lately on Cadetstuff we’ve been going around and around this question of should grade (stuff on your collar) be used to determine position, or should position be based on capability alone? Continue reading

Thoughts on Leadership February 2006 How do you learn the basic facts of leadership? They've got to be written down somewhere, right? Sure, they are. There are literally thousands of books dedicated to the subject. If one was so motivated (and if you ever are, you might be crazy), they could probably read most of these books cover to cover and memorize every thing in it. Continue reading

Understanding Cadets March 2006 Consider a definition of the word "Cadet." Back in my cadet days, one of our seniors (whom I happen to respect a great deal) gave us this definition: "A cadet is a leader in training." This definition always stuck with me, and today it shapes how I view our cadets. I think it best describes what we're trying to do with the cadet program. We're building tomorrow's leaders! Continue reading

Surviving Encampment (Staff Edition) Part 1: The ABCs of Encampment March 2006 So you've marched across that parade deck (or tarmac, or grass field), and you've earned that pretty red, white and black ribbon. You've endured a week of hardship and harassment from a C/CMSgt who's never picked up a Drill and Ceremonies manual in his life, and a 13 year old C/2d Lt who's a Gunny Hartman wannabe. You think to yourself on the ride home, "Hey, I could do that!" After all, how hard could it be to spend a week yelling at cadets and marching them around? Continue reading

Leading the way: XXIa - The ignorant, the lazy, and the dangerous March 2006 The ignorant person isn't bad, per se. He just doesn't bother to read the regulations, and relies on what other people told him. This is the guy that, when corrected, responds with "but I WAS TAUGHT..." Who cares how you were taught? If you were taught to drill differently than AFR 36-2203, then, guess what, you were taught WRONG. Continue reading

Surviving Encampment (Staff Edition) Part 2: The Support Staff April 2006 In Part 1, we went over the basics of well .looking over basics. Now we’re going to talk about some jobs where you won’t be interacting with the first-time attendees, at least, not nearly as often as the flight cadre. Continue reading

Everything I Need to Know About Being an Executive I Learned as a CAP Cadet April 2006 When I entered the cadet program as a khaki wearing, thirteen year old I had the distinct privilege of being in a Squadron commanded by an outstanding leader. Others, outside my Squadron would disagree with you about him, but that was mostly due to petty jealousy. Captain Hicks molded us into hard working, dedicated cadet leaders. Continue reading

Leading the Way XXII: What’s the deal with ribbons? April 2006 Over 200 years ago, Napoleon pointed out something I've mentioned in previous columns: People have the desire to be important, and ribbons and recognition fulfill some of that desire. Ribbons can be used to make individuals feel appreciated for doing a good job, but when they are used as the sole motivator to get something done, you're treading on thin ice. Continue reading

Surviving Encampment (Staff Edition) Part 3: How to Plan an Encampment May 2006 Finally, after many sleepless nights, you get to the big day: In-processing. As a Cadet Commander (or deputy or exec), you have to have faith in your cadet staff, as it isn't your job (at least not directly) to ensure the intensity level for the first day is "too hot, too cold, or just right" (though obviously if you see something out of regs, or if you see a cadet staff member doing something that would be considered hazing, you'd want to snatch up that NCO/officer in a heartbeat). Continue reading

You Don't Know Squat! (and neither do I) June 2006 When you start out at something, you usually have a good attitude about it. You know you don't know squat. After some time, training, and experience, you reach a point where you think you know everything there is to know (known in life as the "teenage years"). You have basic skills at this point, and you're probably pretty good at what you do. But you're not the best there is, you just think you are. Continue reading

The Cadet Whisperer June 2006 I made my latest discovery while reading book ten of the long-running "Magic Treehouse" series by Mary Pope Osborne to my daughters. The title of the book is "Ghost Town At Sundown" and, as you might guess from the title, it is set in the West. The Old West, as a matter of fact, since the Magic Treehouse can travel through time and space. Continue reading

Will Work for Content... September 2006 It seems like everyone wants content these days. Just look around the Internet and you'll see the various and sundry blog sites and E-zines that want your thoughts. Heck some will even pay. Then look at what's actually offered up out there - some if good, very good in fact, but much of what's available to the www faithful is just a random collection of thoughts and mutterings. Continue reading

Groupthink means 'no think'! September 2006 Other leadership principles, no matter how reasonable, are rejected. This is how groupthink becomes self-perpetuating. Cadets rising in the ranks emulate the groupthink because that's all they've seen. They justify their actions by saying, "That is how we have always done it." Continue reading

Leadership Lessons from 'The Apprentice' October 2006 ...don't claim to be the best thing in the woods since Les Stroud when you can't make a fire with two pounds of white phosphorus, a blowtorch and a Bic lighter. While you're screwing around rubbing two sticks together, it's getting dark and your team is getting cold. Continue reading

We Don't Promise You A Rose Garden November 2006 Leadership is not for the faint of heart. Being a leader means more than receiving salutes and getting a special reserved parking space. Being a leader means facing unfathomably difficult decisions and indescribable loneliness. Continue reading

CAP: Serious About Leadership November 2006 Despite all of the anger, frustration, and outright hatred I, and many others, have had directed towards the Civil Air Patrol, I will be forever thankful for the lessons that I have learned through its Cadet Program. Continue reading

Everything I Need to Know About Being an Executive I Learned as a CAP Cadet Part II - The Art Of Delegating March 2007 Great leaders learn early on that they have to trust and support subordinates to take on tasks and accomplish the mission. They need to provide support, take the blame is the wheels come off, and publicly heap large amounts of praise on the people who made it happen. Counsel the subordinate privately if they screw up and help them to learn from their mistakes. Continue reading

Armstrong Essay - Micromanaging, not Motivating March 2007 A great leader once said "Leadership should be more participative than directive, more enabling than performing." This statement summarizes both the traits most often found in a good leader, and the mistakes many poor leaders often make. Continue reading

Leading is FUNdamental! June 2007 You have to motivate the person you are trying to lead. That gets tricky because every person is motivated by something different. Some people are motivated by money, some by professional gain, some by recognition, some by fear of embarrassment or punishment. Fortunately for us, most cadets are motivated by bling. Continue reading

The Wizard of Oz School of Leadership June 2007 What I discovered is a pretty good lesson for everyone in leadership. I've labeled the management style of the guy I replaced as "The Wizard of Oz School of Leadership". You may remember from watching the movie that when Dorothy ventured to visit the Wizard to ask for help getting home she found a very large imposing door and heard the words "No one gets in to see the Wizard, not now, not ever". This pretty much summed up how he dealt with subordinates. Continue reading

Fundamentals of Leadership 2: Long Term Leadership September 2007 Mentoring is an intensely personal thing, it is based on a bond and trust between an instructor and a student. Mentoring is tailored to the individual, it is meant to teach the student all the little lessons you can't learn in class. For example, my favorite mentor once told me: "Naugle, the first rule of looking cool in the Air Force, is... Continue reading

Leading the Little People September 2007 What wasn't so cool was the air of superiority that some of the folks sitting at the tables up front seem to have about themselves. For most leaders in CAP being selected as a Wing Commander is the highlight and the twilight of their career. Continue reading

SMEAC - The Five Paragraph Order February 2008 The key to an OPORD is that it is always in the same format. This common format means that no matter who is giving the order, you know what kind of information you're going to get next. This common format – known as SMESC or SMEAC – is used to develop and deliver orders for missions of any size. Continue reading

Taking Care of Business February 2008 Allow me toss out one of those broad statements that writers should avoid. All normal people like being rewarded when they’ve worked hard and done a good job. This includes cadets (not that cadets aren’t normal but we all know some .) Pavlov taught us all about operant conditioning and that giving a reward causes an animal (humans are animals too) to repeat the act that got them the reward. Continue reading