Photo By Master Sgt. Becky Vanshur | A selected panel of military and civilian leaders inspired hundreds of Idaho Air...... read more read more
GOWEN FIELD, Idaho – A selected panel of military and civilian leaders inspired hundreds of Idaho Air National Guard enlisted supervisors and officers with new and innovative ideas on leadership.
Brig. Gen. Michael Nolan, the Idaho assistant adjutant general-Air, hosted the event on April 7 at Gowen Field, by delivering his leadership philosophies and answering questions throughout the event.
Airmen learned about ATAG priorities, heard perspectives on guardsmen from civilian employers, and were introduced to two new programs—Educator’s Day and the Federal Women’s Program. The event wrapped up with two presentations of the Idaho National Guard’s Lt. Col. Clinton R. Taylor Integrity in Leadership Award.
The panel included Boise Fire Chief Denis Doan, Fisher’s Technology President and CEO Mr. Chris Taylor, 124th Operations Group Commander Shannon Smith and 124th Mission Support Group Superintendent Chief Master Sgt. Steven Kober.
When asked to describe the attribute of a good leader, Taylor said, “Keep a beginner’s mindset. I do that by surrounding myself with amazing people and hiring brilliant people. Also, invest time in learning how to facilitate effective meetings.”
Taylor added that one of his favorite meetings is called a cross-functional meeting, which asks employees a few questions. Two sample questions included, ‘what about Fisher’s do you never want us to lose?’ and ‘what could we change about Fisher’s that would make you more excited to come to work each day?’
When asked how to empower employees at the lowest level possible, Smith replied, “Build a trusting team. If you do a good job, you’re in the best position ever and get the most freedom. Once that trust is there, you can let things go.”
Throughout the panel discussion, a common thread of themes repeatedly appeared during both civilian and military responses that included trust, empowerment and communication.
“Empower subordinates through trust and support, give them a safe environment,” said Kober. “Give clear expectations and intent, but allow them to take calculated risks to accomplish the mission.”
Doan responded to questions about how to help guardsmen balance their civilian and military careers. He explained that the Boise Fire Department is a recipient of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Freedom Award, which recognizes employers who go above and beyond in supporting guardsmen. They take interest in their employees’ roles as guardsmen by participating in events like Boss Lift and Leadership Boise and encourage their employees to share stories about their military roles, responsibilities and the training they receive.
Chief Master Sgt. Sid Brown, representing the Joint Diversity Executive Council, presented the crowd with Educator’s Day. This new program will be an event similar to Boss Lift, but focusing on teachers, counselors and administrators with the intent to familiarize more faculty and students in rural areas of Idaho with the National Guard.
Lt. Col. Elizabeth Sumner introduced the newly formed Federal Women’s Program with related initiatives including the Family Medical Leave Act and a possible childcare center on base. With women making up around 21 percent of our force and male service members likely having a coworker, supervisor or subordinate who is a female, Sumner drove home the point by saying, “It’s not just about women’s issues, it’s quality of life issues.”
Nolan took the stage to offer strategic vision, guidance and perspective that provided continuity with earlier themes. He presented leadership traits including confidence, charisma, empowerment, compassion and the importance of building relationships. He recommended surrounding one’s self with a network of individuals geared for success. Another essential concept Nolan shared was that of ‘failing forward.’ He said, “How you handle a setback shows more about your character than a win.”
As the afternoon wrapped up, two Airmen were presented with the Lt. Col. Clinton R. Taylor Integrity in Leadership Award for their exemplary leadership. Capt. Jeffrey Dehaven and Tech. Sgt. Reannon Haskins were presented awards by Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Michael Garshak and Mrs. Clinton R. Taylor.
“Skill sets evolve as the mission evolves but good leadership based on positive attributes never gets old or stale,” said Mrs. Taylor. “That’s the heart of the engine of the organization, and we’re happy to recognize individuals that exemplify this on both the Air and Army side.”
Given annually, the award recognizes two Soldiers and two Airmen for their achievement and integrity—one of the top attributes of a great leader.
| Date Taken: | 05.01.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 05.02.2019 15:05 |
| Story ID: | 320463 |
| Location: | BOISE, IDAHO, US |
| Web Views: | 108 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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