Page 147 - Never Fly Solo

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ron. Although I thought I knew their job responsibilities,
I didn’t appreciate the sacrifices they made for the mission. I
really didn’t consider them my wingmen.
A day on the flight line changed my perspective forever.

WHO’S ON YOUR FLIGHT LINE?

Are you getting out there with your wingmen and walking the
flight line? Do you know their issues, gripes, and personal
concerns? Do you appreciate the sacrifices they make in
accomplishing the mission at work? And do you know what
gets in the way of their giving their best? In short, have you
connected with your wingmen?
Every day you have the opportunity to get to know your
wingmen on a deeper level. Are you taking advantage of those
opportunities? When is the last time you took a few minutes
out of your daily routine to “walk the flight line”?
A few years back, I conducted a leadership keynote
address at an annual meeting for the Federal Judiciary Coun-
cil in Washington, D.C. As part of my premission prepara-
tion, I decided to visit the federal branch offices for Georgia
in downtown Atlanta. After our pre-mission briefing with his
senior staff, Federal Clerk James Hatten (a retired Army colo-
nel and a West Point graduate) took me on a tour of his office.
What happened next really made me think a little bit differ-
ently about leadership.
We walked through every office and cubicle (about
twenty of them), and Jim personally introduced me to his
entire staff. He called them by their first names, knew how
long they had been with the organization, what their current
projects were, and even the names of their children and
spouses. When he approached them, they smiled, and their