COVER STORY
CMSAF Wright shakes hands with Sgt. Brandon Choo at the 407th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron during his visit to the 407th Air Expeditionary Group April 8, 2017. Choo was recognized for his leadership as one of many U.S. Marines integrated into the 407th ESFS to enhance the installation’s security mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Benjamin Wilson)
TAKING THE PULSE
“As a senior leader, it’s hard to figure out how to get the unvarnished, ground truth feedback from Airmen,” Wright said. “When I go on a base visit and I say I want to have breakfast with Airmen, they send the sharpest, most profes- sional Airmen with questions that have been vetted through their leadership—even when we stress not to. So it’s hard to get to the ground truth. Tat’s why I like going to the gym or the dining facilities—to hear directly from Airmen and to know what’s on their minds.” To get out and get that feedback from Airmen, Wright
recently completed a trip to Southwest Asia and the Horn of Africa, meeting with deployed Airmen at multiple locations in Qatar, Afghanistan, Jordan, Djibouti, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. He was able to witness many of their missions firsthand. He said he felt one of the most important things he could do early in his tenure was to go directly to the deployed Airmen and hear how they’re doing—directly from them. “What we saw is a great, great example of how atti-
tude reflects leadership. Airmen here are motivated, they’re energized, they have a lot of pep in their step, they seem really proud of what they do,” Wright said. “So, I would say this is the model for how great leadership impacts how well our Airmen stay connected to the mission and how moti- vated they stay about what they do. Leadership makes all the difference.” Less than 36 hours after returning from his first overseas trip as CMSAF, Wright brought more than 350 total force
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Airmen together for a senior enlisted leader summit. Te group was made up of combatant and major command, num- bered Air Force, center and wing command chiefs (active and Reserve), Guard state command chiefs, career field manag- ers, EMPE commandants and major command first sergeant functional managers. During the summit, he sought to provide opportunities
for those in attendance to connect with other senior enlisted leaders, hear from a variety of Air Force and Department of Defense experts, and learn about current and future initia- tives shaping policies affecting Airmen and their families. “My intent was that the information we provided, cou- pled with their significant knowledge and experience, would give them added tools to continue doing remarkable things for our Airmen,” Wright said. “Our Airmen are the reason we continue to stand as the world’s greatest Air Force, and it’s their leadership our Airmen will look to as we continue moving forward.” Wright said he is a firm believer that attitude reflects
leadership, and providing that right attitude and that right leadership starts with him. “Leaders set the tone for how their organizations function.
I really believe the amazing work being done by our Airmen is empowered by great leadership up and down the chain,” he said. “My job is to continue to give them the resources they need to be successful or to remove any barriers for success. With the right attitude and the right tools, we’ll continue to develop the caliber of leaders our Airmen deserve as they carry out the mission their nation has entrusted to them.”
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