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A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of traveling to the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) for a student leadership consortium. I was excited for many reasons. It was my first
time heading to Colorado and out west in general, so I was excited to see some amazing sights and meet some amazing people. While both hopes came true, I was more excited to learn about how to grow as a leader and what leadership meant to some impressive people. I truly enjoyed my time in Colorado, so I thought I would share my thoughts on leadership, what I learned, and some quotes from the experience.
The first leadership lesson USAFA offered me was “Sometimes you have to be alright with good enough.” At first, this quote from Colonel Brittany Stewart seems to be a weird lesson for a leader. Shouldn’t leaders strive for perfection from themselves and all their team members? This was certainly something I struggled with until I discussed it with her after the speech. She believed that empowering your team is more important than perfection. If a team member can accomplish a job in their own way, sometimes that is better than a perfect job completed. It helps team members realize their abilities, creates more autonomy, and creates a trusting relationship between the leader and the team.
The next lesson I learned was from Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr. as he discussed the importance of self-reflection in leadership. He said, “Leadership and character are often revealed in confronting our shortcomings.” He argued that it is important for a leader to not only understand their strengths but know their weaknesses even more thoroughly. His mentality reminded me of the saying a team is only as strong as their weakest link. As a leader, it is important to address your weakness for a few reasons. Firstly, it is essential to manage your imperfections instead of denying them. Secondly, you must show your team that it is ok to be better in some areas than others and to rely on others to help you.
The most striking lesson I learned was from Medal of Honor recipient Master Chief Petty Officer Britt Slabinski. As the title says, he said “Boy…yeah, sometimes it sucks to be right.” This was an important conversation because it relates to many who are leaders, but they work under others who are out of touch with their jobs and responsibilities. The reason it “sucks to be right” is because the people above you just will not listen, and they force you into a bad decision. The Master Chief learned this lesson in an extremely difficult and painful way (and if you do not know his story, I encourage you to read about him), but this lesson is so important. He told us that in these moments, you must be the encouragement for your team and show them the importance of completing the task and supporting each other.
These lessons may seem basic and self-explanatory to many leaders, but I realized that I do not always practice them as fervently as I should. No one can say they are a perfect leader, but I have challenged myself to become a more reflective, supportive, and better one. The final thing USAFA was able to remind me is that a leader is not about being perfect or striving for perfection. It is about being better than the day before, and it is about helping your team become better alongside you. These basic lessons need to be thought of more, and they can help all of us become the leaders our communities need today.
William VonHandorf is a McConnell Scholar in the class of 2025. He is studying political science.