Those were the words that were uttered to me from the other end of the phone this week by the Chief Master Sergeant who’s my boss. To give you some insight, I’ll back track a little bit. I’m currently a Boom Operator in the Air Force, my job is to refuel planes in the air, haul cargo and passengers, wherever and whenever the nation needs me to. I was two months into a six month deployment when I was told by a friend that there was a Commander’s Directed Investigation on me back at my home base. I was then sent home with a few days to pack and out process and then fired and sent to a desk job and was told I wouldn’t fly for a month.
I called the Chief this past Thursday and asked if I could fly, he said he’d ask the Commander. He called me back Friday and told me the words, “The Commander has made his decision, I’m sorry you’re not going to fly due to the investigation and them wanting to have a final outcome before they make their decision.” I was crushed, however I took the Chief for his word.
I haven’t always got with my Chief. I thought that he displayed the negative qualities of a transformational leader (Northouse, 2016, p. 179) with him trying to change people’s values and goals to align them with his and the Air Force’s. Which I don’t personally have a problem with, it’s when someone is punished or have their career put on “hold” by leadership for not agreeing with their path or decisions. When I landed back at my home station I was met with my Chief at the airport, who didn’t expect to see. He told me, “I know you don’t like me, and I’m also the last person you wanted to see, however please give me a chance.” I told him that I didn’t really care for him, and he was the last person I really wanted to see, however I was raised that first impressions aren’t the only impressions, so I would give him a chance.
I started to analyze the Chief using the Authentic Leadership theory (Northouse, 2016, p. 197) using the practical approach. The five dimensions of a Authentic Leader are: purpose, values, relationships, self-discipline, and heart (Northouse, 2016, p. 197). The Chief has a sense of purpose because he wanted to be at the airport when I arrived to tell me that whatever the outcome of the charges, he will be by my side and in my corner. He realized that I didn’t trust him nor cared for him as a leader, however he was the first one to extend the olive branch to establish a relationship with me and tell me that it was his decisions to move me, job wise, in best interest of all parties.
He has sense displayed his values and behave towards others by picking me up one day in his Jeep and driving around base for two hours while I ranted and listened to me while I told him about all the stress I had been under due to the investigation. He also showed his values when other people have asked him about the investigation and him telling them it’s none of their business and to stay out of it and let due process take its course. The biggest characteristic that the Chief displayed to me during this difficult time is relationships. The Chief opened up to me while we were driving about his own trials and tribulations with the Air Force. He told me that no matter the outcome, there are people in this world that will love me for who I am, even if I’m accused or convicted of a crime. He’s seen too many people make the decision of suicide as a “ways out”, however all that does is leave a family in turmoil over what could’ve most likely been passed.
I believe the Chief was shaped the way he is by life events he’s seen or experienced himself. However he’s still human, and thus not perfect. Bill Geoge’s authentic leadership approach states “authentic leadership pis a lifelong developmental process, which is formed and informed by each individual’s life story” (Northouse, 2016, p. 200). The Chief shared me his story and gave me some advice on how to deal with my situation. Hopefully I pull through enough to be able to do the same for someone else.
References:
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.