Page 148 - Never Fly Solo

WALK THE FLIGHT LINE | 121
eyes lit up. They liked Jim because they knew he genuinely
cared about them.
When I asked Jim how he managed to memorize all that
personal information, he simply said that his job was to serve
his staff. If he was not committed to serving them and
acknowledging them for all they did, then how could he
expect them to sacrifice, put in the long hours, and go the
extra mile for him? It was obvious he knew a thing or two
about leadership.
A true leader is a servant. To lead, you need to have influ-
ence. To have influence, you must command respect, and you
gain it through your actions, your commitment, and your
integrity. These are the fundamentals of establishing wingman
relationships.
How your wingmen perceive you is just as important as
your philosophy. What you say, how you dress, and how you
treat others is being judged all day, every day. It doesn’t end
when you leave work.
I didn’t show respect for Airman Tyler through my actions.
He had done his best to serve me and the other men and
women of the 79th, but I didn’t show him that I valued him.
I didn’t serve him or appreciate him. In this respect, I failed to
check Airman Tyler’s six. Guess what happens when people
don’t feel that their six is being checked? They check out. I
couldn’t afford to have Airman Tyler, or any of my crew
chiefs, check out. After all, they had my life in their hands. If
they became complacent while inspecting my jet and missed a
critical safety item, I could be in trouble.
In business, if you don’t check your wingmen’s six, your
wingmen may check out. They may get complacent. If this
happens, then they won’t go the extra mile to double-check
the accuracy of their work, provide above and beyond cus-