Commentaries

  • What is 'purpose?'

    In a recent study, 57% of younger Americans said when developing their career priorities, the most important is to do work that is enjoyable and meaningful, as this is what keeps them most engaged.

  • On an island, leading adaptive Airmen…ready to execute

    My leadership philosophy wasn’t developed overnight; it is rooted in my parent’s investment in my childhood, sharing in my father’s 30 years of service to the Air Force, nurtured with my own life experiences and mentored by a handful of fine general officers.

  • Crisis in perspective

    Living in the time of pandemic has been a draining exercise for us all, but if we take a step back for a moment there are some truly useful observations to be garnered.

  • Core leadership attributes

    “What is your leadership philosophy?” This was the question put to me shortly after I found out that I would be taking over as the Staff Judge Advocate for the 86th Airlift Wing.

  • Balancing accelerated change with resilient Airmen

    For years, “do more with less” was the refrain heard throughout every career field in the U.S. Air Force. As missions expanded and global security requirements remained high, we have continually asked our people to push themselves further.

  • Anytime is a good time for tea

    Having tea can mean sharing joy and sorrow, solving familial or business problems, or simply being present and experiencing life completely. Although a seemingly simple act, sharing a cup of tea is anything but. It is intentionally taking the time to connect and address something important.

  • Leading through grief

    “Why am I so sad today?” a leader remarked in the middle of a meeting. We were discussing the updated pandemic restrictions, how to lead in this challenging environment and how to instill some hope. His comment reflected a common emotion; this feeling of sadness and hopelessness, despite that

  • Ascending to spiritually mature leadership

    Imagine for a moment a four-tiered fountain. The bottom basin is broad, but shallow, and each next higher level of the fountain gets progressively narrower, but deeper, until the narrowest and deepest tier at the top of the fountain. Representing stages of spiritual maturity, each next tier up the

  • Flip the script

    What may appear to some as merely semantics, the way we frame our thoughts dictate how we live, how we treat others, how we see the world, act and react.