Podcasts about command chief

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Best podcasts about command chief

Latest podcast episodes about command chief

Bold Breakthroughs: Unstick Work & Life!
Command Chief of 8,000: Own Your Career & Life, Rochelle Hemingway

Bold Breakthroughs: Unstick Work & Life!

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 72:08


Join Rochelle Hemingway, CEO, SLAY To Success. Learn how Rochelle's S.L.A.Y. formula—Stay ready, Lead out loud, Access community, You are built to last—took her from 18-year-old Airman to Command Chief guiding 8,000 people, and how one daily ritual fuels her momentum.See more: MarkSpencerCook.com/Podcast.Everyone faces stalled careers when confidence, health, and image misalign. Tune in and start slaying your leadership image today.Secret: Discover Rochelle's non-negotiable ritual for unshakeable presence…“Stay ready to be ready.”“Show up in excellence.”“You are built to last.”Find your unexpected “Y-switch” born in your “deployment”:Website: https://slaytosuccess.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rochelle-hemingway-slays/See more at: MarkSpencerCook.com/Podcast/Links for Mark S. Cook: MarkSpencerCook.com | WindfallPartners.comLinkedIn for Mark S. Cook: LinkedIn.com/in/@MarkSpencerCookOther Social Media: @MarkSpencerCookQuestions Explored in This Discussion:• Why does SLAY beat imposter syndrome?• How to lead 8,000 airmen?• Which habits anchor presence?• What turns critics into allies?• How can image speed promotions?Lessons Learned:• Audit your digital footprint before strangers shape your reputation.• Prepare obsessively; unexpected chances favor those mastering basics.• Model excellence daily; visible example persuades faster than directives.• Voice your perspective early; self-advocacy gets decision-table seats.• Cultivate allies & critics; community multiplies grit, feedback, & reach.• Commit to one power ritual; repeat daily to recharge momentum.• Design image intentionally—posture, attire, eye contact, readiness.• Persist through slow promotions; breakthroughs follow the determined.Chapters00:00 Introduction02:49 Early Life05:47 Civilian Transition09:08 Service Challenges & Triumphs11:59 Leadership Lessons15:11 Identity & Presence18:01 Beating Imposter Syndrome21:02 Building Trust23:56 Communication26:55 Managing Difficult People29:48 Leading Crisis & Change33:07 Creating Community35:56 Key Takeaways36:21 Navigating Military Life38:02 Journey to Parenthood46:42 Reinventing After Service50:32 The S.L.A.Y. Philosophy1:03:32 Practical Tips to ThriveKeywordscommand chief, SLAY method, leadership, image consulting, personal branding, women leaders, military leadership, resilience, presence, community, imposter syndrome.

Tinker Talks
Tinker Talks Podcast: Chief Christopher Gradel, 72nd Air Base Wing Command Chief

Tinker Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2025 50:26


Chief Christopher Gradel, Command Chief Master Sergeant of the 72nd Air Base Wing, is the latest guest on the Tinker Talks Podcast. The Texas native has the important task of leading and mentoring all of the enlisted Airmen in the Airbase Wing. Gradel's job is a balancing act of gruff, no-nonsense chief, to a softer approach of listening and providing sage guidance. But the most important task is to lay out his priorities, instill a warrior ethos and prepare his Airmen for whatever challenges they may face. It won't take long for you, the listener, to understand why Chief Gradel was selected as the Command Chief. He leads with a laser focus and is truly an Airman's leader.

Real Talk with Caleb
Advice for SNCOs, from Chief McCool, PACAF Command Chief

Real Talk with Caleb

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2025 32:40


Candid conversation with Chief McCool, the Pacific Air Forces Command Chief about her advice to SNCOs and their importance to our Air Force's lethality!

The Patriot Cause
Dave Nordel, Retired United States Air Force Command Chief Master Sergeant

The Patriot Cause

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2025 60:26


Dave Nordel is a retired United States Air Force Command Chief Master Sergeant with over 30 years of service. He is a registered nurse who specialized in Emergency Medicine and an emergency manager who served as a medic in areas of operations including Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South America, Iraq, Korea, Japan, and Hungary. He has a vast knowledge of leading a variety of different teams ranging in size. Dave grew up in rural Northern California in a dairy farming community and experienced all that brings to a young man raised in the late '60s and '70s. Dave left home at 19 to join the Air Force and ascended through the enlisted ranks to culminate as the senior enlisted leader for all nuclear missile forces in the United States. He has lead city government activities and large organizations as an emergency manager for multiple communities through Covid-19 and other disaster situations. He is a mentor and speaks to young leaders to aid their development and future successes. He is passionate about veteran transition and offers authentic perspectives on PTSD, moral injury, and other mental health challenges. He continues to give back the gifts he has collected along the way. Dave has also written a #1 best-selling book Giving Back! Life and Leadership from the Farm to the Combat Zone and Beyond that dives into the journey of how to become a leader through his years of learned experience. DaveNordel, CMSgt, USAF (ret), RN, BSN, MS, CHEP Military Transition Coach, Keynote Motivational Speaker & Leadership Coach CEO ofVet READY, a veteran-owned nonprofit (501c3)Give Today! CEO ofMaxFab Consulting,(A veteran-owned proprietorship) Phone:(307) 757-6310 getvetready.org maxfabconsulting.com Visit The Patriot Cause Today
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Ready, Set, Airlift!
Ready, Set, Airlift! Ep. 18 Meet Command Chief Jonathan Birk

Ready, Set, Airlift!

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2025 42:33


Chief Master Sgt. Jonathan Birk took over responsibility as the 433rd Airlift Wing command chief in October 2024. In this episode, he shares his Air Force journey, some of the lessons he's learned along the way, and his expectations as the new Alamo Wing senior enlisted leader.

Lessons From The Cockpit
Episode #95: AMC Command Chief Jamie Newman: Security Policeman and Ranger!

Lessons From The Cockpit

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2024 71:01


Welcome to the ninety-fifth episode of the Lessons from the Cockpit Show! I am your host Mark Hasara, former KC-135 pilot and Airplane Nerd! I'm really excited to bring this episode to you! Air Mobility Command's Command Chief Master Sergeant Jamie Newman and I met at the Airlift Tanker Association convention in Dallas earlier this year. Coming up through the Air Force Security Police ranks, Command Chief Newman was not only selected to become an elite Air Force Phoenix Raven, but go through the Army's grueling Ranger School returning later as an instructor at Fort Benning! Command Chief Newman shares with us his leadership lessons at the cutting edge of battle from the land, sea, or air. A note of gratitude to all of you as the ‪@MarkHasara‬ YouTube page passed 201k subscribers last night and views of my podcast and shorts are now over 145 million views since we started on 2 February 2024!  Support the Lessons from the Cockpit show by subscribing to the @markhasara YouTube channel or better yet, join my Patreon group at the All Ranks Club. Membership ranges from free to $50 a month. Those of you joining at the Designated Driver ($15) and By The Bar ($50) tiers enjoy virtual Bar Night Live and Q&A sessions via Zoom, your questions go to the top of the list, and each month receive one of ten seven inch stickers, a profile drawing of a famous aircraft you can peel off and stick to any flat surface like a water bottle or laptop. The link to join the All Ranks Club on Patreon is: https://www.patreon.com/lessonsfromthecockpit/gift You can see all ten stickers on the All Ranks Club Discord channel, my daily journal on aviation at: https://discord.com/channels/1285369634329202840/1288163956246057071 If you want to financially support the Lessons from the Cockpit show by just contributing to help keep us going the PayPal link is: https://paypal.me/MRHSolutionsLLC?locale.x=en_US Or on Venmo at https://account.venmo.com/u/Mark-Hasara Thank you for making this channel what it is! I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  

Lessons from the Cockpit
Episode #95: AMC Command Chief Jamie Newman: Security Policeman and Ranger!

Lessons from the Cockpit

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2024 71:01


Welcome to the ninety-fifth episode of the Lessons from the Cockpit Show! I am your host Mark Hasara, former KC-135 pilot and Airplane Nerd! I'm really excited to bring this episode to you! Air Mobility Command's Command Chief Master Sergeant Jamie Newman and I met at the Airlift Tanker Association convention in Dallas earlier this year. Coming up through the Air Force Security Police ranks, Command Chief Newman was not only selected to become an elite Air Force Phoenix Raven, but go through the Army's grueling Ranger School returning later as an instructor at Fort Benning! Command Chief Newman shares with us his leadership lessons at the cutting edge of battle from the land, sea, or air. A note of gratitude to all of you as the ‪@MarkHasara‬ YouTube page passed 201k subscribers last night and views of my podcast and shorts are now over 145 million views since we started on 2 February 2024!  Support the Lessons from the Cockpit show by subscribing to the @markhasara YouTube channel or better yet, join my Patreon group at the All Ranks Club. Membership ranges from free to $50 a month. Those of you joining at the Designated Driver ($15) and By The Bar ($50) tiers enjoy virtual Bar Night Live and Q&A sessions via Zoom, your questions go to the top of the list, and each month receive one of ten seven inch stickers, a profile drawing of a famous aircraft you can peel off and stick to any flat surface like a water bottle or laptop. The link to join the All Ranks Club on Patreon is: https://www.patreon.com/lessonsfromthecockpit/gift You can see all ten stickers on the All Ranks Club Discord channel, my daily journal on aviation at: https://discord.com/channels/1285369634329202840/1288163956246057071 If you want to financially support the Lessons from the Cockpit show by just contributing to help keep us going the PayPal link is: https://paypal.me/MRHSolutionsLLC?locale.x=en_US Or on Venmo at https://account.venmo.com/u/Mark-Hasara Thank you for making this channel what it is! I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  

Home Base Nation
Brain Health Summit 2024 Conversations – Marine Veteran and Chief Programs Officer of Navy SEAL Foundation Alison Messick, Command Chief Master Sergeant (Ret) Greg Smith

Home Base Nation

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2024 20:46


Home Base Brain Health Summit 2024 Conversations: Marine Veteran and Chief Programs Officer of Navy SEAL Foundation Alison Messick, and Command Chief Master Sergeant (Ret) Greg Smith. On September 11th 2024, Home Base held its first Brain Health Summit. Spearheaded by Home Base Senior Directors Dr. Sofia Matta and Retired Navy Captain Dr. Joe Bonvie – The Summit highlighted brain health but at the same time aimed to cover the whole person: Mind, body, and soul – Targeting not just longer lifespan, but living well longer, or… HealthSpan.First Up: Chief Program Officer of Navy SEAL Foundation Alison Messick. Alison is a Marine Veteran, and has been a leader in the Special Operations space for 15 years including her time at Naval Special Warfare prior to the Foundation. When Alison took the mic at the Brain Health Summit, she gave a captivating talk about Collective Impact when it comes to doing right by this community as collaborators not competitors. Alison Messick networks for success and listens to her fellow leaders in order to work together for all things – as she tells us - energy giving… Second Up: Command Chief Master Sergeant (Ret) Greg Smith – looks back at the time he was called to lead the first team deployed after the twin tower attacks, while at the same time reflects on military and civilian medical “wins” over stigma and addressing invisible rounds. From operator to senior leader at USSOCOM, to his current work at the Pentagon with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, he has been a trusted voice in the Special Operations community - And we are honored to now have Greg as a member of the Home Base Honorary board.Many thanks to Greg Smith and Alison Messick for your years of service and leadership, and ongoing partnership – Humans are more important that hardware is a driving core principle of USSCOM and something you both not only believe in, you walk the walk in every day. Special thanks to Sofia Matta and Joe Bonvie for all your work in putting together the first annual Brain Health conference at Home Base.Please go to homebase.org for updates, programming, and of courses if you or anyone you know is struggling in anyway. Home Base Nation is the official podcast for Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families – Our team sees veterans, servicemembers and their families addressing the invisible wounds of war at no cost. This is all made possible thanks to a grateful nation – And if you want to learn more on how you can help, visit us at www.homebase.org, or if you or anyone you know would like to connect to care, you can also reach us at 617-724-5202.Follow Home Base on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedInThe Home Base Nation Team is Steve Monaco, Army Veteran Kelly Field, Justin Scheinert, Chuck Clough, with COO Michael Allard, Brigadier General Jack Hammond, and Peter Smyth.Producer and Host: Dr. Ron HirschbergAssistant Producer, Editor: Chuck CloughChairman, Home Base Media Lab: Peter SmythThe views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials. 

The O2X Tactical Performance Podcast
105.) Jason France | USAF Command Chief Master Sergeant (ret.) + Author

The O2X Tactical Performance Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2024 62:36


-Jason France is a retired Command Chief Master Sergeant with over thirty-one years of dedicated service in the United States Air Force.-A proven leader with extensive experience across the Department of Defense, he has led and mentored service members at every level. He began his career in the USAF Security Forces career field, serving in nine operational and special duty assignments and deploying ten times before being selected for Command Chief duty. As a Command Chief, he led at the wing, center, major command, and combatant command levels.-In his final role, he was the principal advisor to the Combatant Commander and senior staff on all matters concerning joint force integration, readiness, professional development, and effective utilization of the enlisted corps. He coordinated with the headquarters staff, component commands, and subordinate organizations on the development and implementation of command policy and ensured the strategic focus and synchronized efforts of more than 122,000 military and civilian warfighters providing global air, land, and sea transportation for the Department of Defense.-He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Management from Ashford University and an Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice from the Community College of the Air Force. He is a graduate of the United States Army Ranger School and National Defense University's KEYSTONE Command Senior Enlisted Course. He is an International Coaching Federation-accredited Leadership Coach and a certified Resilience-Building Leadership Professional Trainer.-He retired in April 2021 as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader of the United States Transportation Command. Since retirement, he has become a published author who shares his insights and experiences from his five-month hike from Mexico to Canada in his book Five Million Steps—Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail after Three Decades of Service to Our Nation.Check out Jason's social media:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-l-france/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JayFAdventuresInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jay_f_adventures/Buy Jason's book:Amazon - https://a.co/d/8tlxxPdSigned copies - https://www.elevateleadershipsolutions.com/my-bookFirstNet Built with AT&T:http://www.firstnet.com/healthandwellnessBuilding Homes for Heroes:https://www.buildinghomesforheroes.org/Download the O2X Tactical Performance App:app.o2x.comLet us know what you think:Website - http://o2x.comIG - https://instagram.com/o2xhumanperformance?igshid=1kicimx55xt4f 

Raven Conversations
Raven Conversations: Episode 125 - My Journey in the Washington Air National Guard, with SSgt Ciara Love

Raven Conversations

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2024


In this episode of Raven Conversations, Chief Master Sergeant Allan Lawson, Command Chief for the Washington Air National Guard, hosts his first airman-to-airman podcast. Tune in, as SSgt Ciara Love talks about her journey in the Washington Air National Guard.

Blacksnake Bytes
Blacksnake Bytes Ep. 22 - State Command Chief Mike Dixon

Blacksnake Bytes

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2024


Enjoy this interview with State Command Chief Master Sergeant Mike Dixon, who started out as one of our own Blacksnakes, and now serves as the senior enlisted leader of the Indiana Air National Guard.

The Jedburgh Podcast
#141: The Role Of The Special Forces Warrant Officer - USAJFKSWCS Command Chief Warrant CW5 Gary Ostrander

The Jedburgh Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2024 36:16


Calling all Green Berets! This episode looks deep into the critical role of the Special Forces Warrant Officer. Host Fran Racioppi sits down with USAJFKSWCS Command Chief Warrant CW5 Gary Ostrander – a legend in the Regiment – to unpack the history, responsibilities, and the future of this essential position. Get ready for insightful stories, honest discussions about the challenges of recruiting the next generation, and a look ahead at how Special Forces are adapting to a world with peer-to-peer adversaries. Buckle up and get ready to learn why America's unconventional warriors will continue to be a dominant force.The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation. Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

HeroFront
Great Leaders Are Great Teachers: The Euphoric Highs and Crushing Lows of Your Career w/Brent "Chip" Chadick

HeroFront

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2024 99:22


In this captivating podcast episode, Josh White and Brent "Chip" Chadick delve into profound discussions encompassing leadership, career development, personal growth, emotional intelligence, and resilience. The episode unfolds with candid conversations, where both share very personal stories, insights, and lessons learned from their diverse experiences in the hopes even one listener can avoid some of these pitfalls and gain some leadership philosophy and motivation. Chief Chadick's career spans over two decades of dedicated service, from his humble beginnings as a farm kid to his current role as an Instructor at the Chief Master Sergeant Leadership Academy, Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Alabama. With responsibilities that include shaping the next generation of strategic-level leaders, Chief Chadick embodies the principles of leadership, mentorship, and perpetual development. Throughout his illustrious career, Chief Chadick has served in various capacities, from Security Forces duties to senior leadership roles, including a pivotal Command Chief assignment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His deployments and contributions to critical combat operations underscore his unwavering commitment to service and excellence. In today's episode, we'll delve into Chief Chadick's insights on Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Regulation, Leading from Neutral, and Perpetual Development, as he shares wisdom gained from his diverse experiences and leadership journey. Talking Point Time Stamps: Leadership, Mentorship, and Personal Growth (7:41) Parenting, Emotional Intelligence, and Loss (11:43) Miracles, Faith, and Perseverance in Military Life (22:48) Emotional Intelligence and Regulation in Leadership (45:04) Mental Health and Trauma in the Military (56:02) Leadership, Communication, and Decision-Making (1:01:23) Overcoming Adversity and Reinventing Oneself (1:16:45) Personal Growth and Self-Improvement (1:21:55) Parental Divorce, Personal Growth, and Honest Communication (1:29:28)

Chevrons
Chevrons - Ep 033 - Sully, Out!

Chevrons

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2024


On this episode of Chevrons, Chief Sean "Sully" Sullivan, one of the creators of the podcast, bids farewell upon his retirement from the Air National Guard. We spend some time and talk about his career, the thoughts behind the creation of the Chevrons podcast and we even get to kick around some of the topics we've covered on the program.

THE LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP PODCAST
Alison '15 and Paul '16 Yang - 5 Things that Make Great Leaders

THE LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP PODCAST

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2024 55:32


What are the top five characteristics great leaders share? Academy graduates, Alison '15 and Paul '16 Yang, discuss that answer — and more! ----more----SUMMARY Alison '15 and Paul '15 Yang discuss their backgrounds, experiences at the Air Force Academy, transition to the corporate world, and key qualities of successful leaders. Their leadership lessons and takeaways?  The importance of caring about people, having humility, being resilient, managing stakeholders, and leading through change.   LEARN.  ENGAGE.  LEAD! Read Veterans in Leadership: How Military Careers Can Shape Corporate Success including the contributions of Alison and Paul Yang.    DOWNLOAD THE VETERANS IN LEADERSHIP PDF HERE  |  SPENCERSTUART.COM   OUR FAVORITE QUOTES - "Care about people, whether that's, you know, asking about how their day was to participate in the flightline and solving everyday problems." - Paul Yang - "You have the humility to set yourself aside. You have a leg up, which enables you to have teams that perform under pressure and operate well through change." - Alison Yang - "I truly did [enjoy the YC advice]. I think sometimes Alison is very good at telling you what you need to hear." - Paul Yang - "Folks that come out of the military have no quit. If when we asked him to expand that out, he talked about how, when someone is asked whether or not they're willing to potentially make the ultimate sacrifice for this country, any other ask following that, in and out of the military becomes, I don't want to say easy, but it's going to fall short of it, right." - Paul Yang - "Care about people. And if you care about people, your interpersonal skills are likely decent, you have the humility to set yourself aside, you have a leg up on stakeholder management, which enables you to have teams that perform under pressure and operate well through change." - Alison Yang   SHARE THIS EPISODE FACEBOOK  |  LINKEDIN  |  TWITTER  |  EMAIL   CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:47 Childhood and Influences 07:04 High School and Leadership 10:51 Air Force Academy Experience 14:47 Career Choices: Maintenance Officer and Intelligence 20:30 Leadership Skills from the Military 24:03 Transitioning to the Corporate World 29:40 Transitioning as a Couple 35:13 Mistakes and Lessons Learned 46:23 Key Qualities of Successful Leaders 53:20 Advice for Future Leaders 58:02 Closing Remarks and Contact Information 59:05 How They Met 01:00:09 First Impressions 01:01:52 Working Together 01:02:52 Thoughts on Wise Advice   OUR FAVORITE TAKEAWAYS - Caring about people is a key quality of successful leaders. - Humility and resilience are important traits for leaders. - Effective stakeholder management and leading through change are crucial skills. - Transitioning from the military to the corporate world requires support and networking. - Continuous learning and self-improvement are essential for leadership development.   BIOS Alison Yang '16 I lead the delivery of global executive searches for US industrial companies and specialize in engineered products, distribution, and aerospace & defense. Spencer Stuart is the world's leading leadership advisory firm. Founded in 1956 and privately owned, we are the adviser of choice among organizations seeking guidance and counsel on senior leadership needs. We work with clients across a range of industries, from the world's largest companies to medium-sized businesses, entrepreneurial startups and nonprofit organizations. Spencer Stuart today has 56 offices in 30 countries. Our global reach, leadership in CEO and senior executive searches, and status as the premier firm for board counsel give us unparalleled access to the world's top executive talent. CONNECT WITH ALISON - Copy and image credit:  www.linkedin.com   Paul Yang '15 Spencer Stuart is one of the world's leading executive search consulting firms. Founded in 1956 and privately owned, we are the advisor of choice among organizations seeking guidance and counsel on senior leadership needs. We work with clients across a range of industries, from the world's largest companies to medium-sized businesses, entrepreneurial startups and nonprofit organizations. Through 56 offices in 30 countries and a broad range of practice groups, our global reach, leadership in CEO and senior executive searches, and status as the premier firm for board counsel give us unparalleled access to the world's top executive talent. CONNECT WITH PAUL - Copy and image credit:  www.linkedin.com LEARN MORE ABOUT SPENCER STUART     ABOUT LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP Long Blue Leadership drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Spotify and all your favorite podcast platforms. Search @AirForceGrads on your favorite social channels for Long Blue Leadership news and updates!        FULL TRANSCRIPT SPEAKERS Our Host is Dr. Doug Lindsay '92 | Our Guests are Alison '15 and Paul '16 Yang   Paul Yang  00:08 It's real lives and young airmen and enlisted folks that you're put in charge of, and really making a true impact in people's lives on a day to day basis.   Alison Yang  00:16 The one theme, if we could say, captures all of this, is care about people.   Paul Yang  00:24 Whether that's, you know, asking about how their day was to supporting flightline and solving everyday problems.   Alison Yang  00:31 You have the humility to set yourself aside. You have a leg up, which enables you to have teams that perform under pressure and operate well through change. And it's also the difference between having people who just get the job done because they have to versus the people who get the job done because they want to. They believe in you.   Doug Lindsay  01:19 My guests today are Allison and Paul Yang, USAFA class of 2015 and 2016, respectively. Allison and Paul are a married couple based in the Washington, DC area and both work at Spencer Stewart, a global executive search and leadership advisory firm as associates in executive search. Both served in the Air Force with distinction winding up their careers in 2022 as officers in intelligence and maintenance leading large teams.  They are accomplished students of leadership and writers, which is how we met Allison and Paul. The pair recently contributed to an article on veterans and leadership in a Spencer Stewart publication. The article featured profiles of 10 prominent CEOs, three of whom are USAFA graduates and currently lead United Airlines, McAfee and Johnstone Supply.  We'll spend the next few minutes getting to know Allison and Paul, and we'll talk about their work with Spencer Stewart. Then we'll focus on the top five qualities they believe make the best leaders. And finally, we'll ask them to share one or two bits of advice they would give to those who want to be leaders and leaders who want to become even better. Joining us from the DC area, Allison and Paul, welcome to the Long Blue Leadership podcast.   Alison Yang  02:31 Thanks, Doug. We're happy to be here.   Paul Yang  02:32 Hey, Doug, happy to be here as well.   Doug Lindsay  02:34 Glad to have you. As we get started, if you don't mind, would you give us a little bit of a backstory on your lives as children before you got to the Academy? What was that like? And what was your growing up experience like?   Paul Yang  02:46 Sure, I could start. So I come from an immigrant family. My parents moved to the United States in 1993. When I was about two and a half years old, they moved to Queens, New York. My mom was a pharmacist and my dad was a truck driver. And so it was an interesting sort of startup story is what I'd like to call it. In the sense that I spent my weekends teaching my parents the English that I had learned during school and spent the weekend doing that for my parents. It was also a little bit of a challenging household as well. Maybe it's a little too much. But my dad was a bit of an alcoholic. A lot of stress growing up in this country and not knowing the language and trying to navigate it being in a completely different environment. So that led to sometimes an unsafe environment, but heavily influenced how I operate and how I think, being a problem solver paying, attention to detail, facing adversity, etc.   Alison Yang  03:44 I had a bit of a different childhood. I had what you would describe as an all-American childhood. My mom was a first grade teacher, my dad was an Air Force officer and had two younger brothers close in age. We were all best friends, all loved sports and we had to be best friends because we moved every few years or so but that really taught me how to be resilient, how to adapt to a lot of change in life. And I ended up growing this love for people. I loved meeting new people everywhere I went. I know sometimes it can go the other way where you hate moving. But for some reason I really clung on to that.   Doug Lindsay  04:20 So very different kind of origin stories there. But with those kinds of influences, and Paul, you mentioned that some of the challenges you had with that home dynamic and but also, Alison moving around a little bit. How did that translate into wanting to go to the Academy and doing that kind of opportunity? Was that something that's always kind of part of who you were? Alison, you said you like people and was that just part of that idea of service? Or how did that all come to be?    Alison Yang  04:47 Yeah, sure. I think I'd always been a very outgoing kid always driven to be an achiever. So, this passion for people, I would say it especially started in high school and I prided myself on knowing everyone in the in the class so I was class president. And you know, I was friends with the dorks and was friends with the popular kids. And my proudest moment in high school was actually, I was a benchwarmer on the varsity basketball team. And I was voted captain of my varsity basketball team. So, I would go up against, you know, the star player on the opposing team. I'd come off the bench, flip the coin and go sit back down on the bench, you know, it's sort of like a Rudy story. They throw me in the last few minutes of the game. But anyway, really proud of that. And then also saw the service aspect from my dad, and then saw a lot of women in leadership and knew that that's something I could totally do that I would love to do that I'd love a challenge. And so yeah, I would definitely say that all stemmed from my childhood.   Paul Yang  05:51 And then for me, I'd say my parents really encouraged me to kind of go out there and learn what's out there and get involved as much as I can. We kind of had this rule where in the house, we would speak Korean. But then when you're outside of the house, you're speaking English all the time. Which is interesting, you know, because my parents wanted to learn the learn the language and get familiar with it. But that made that basically kind of ingrained in me this idea that there's this whole world of knowledge out there, and there's all these things to do, especially being in a brand new country. So, throughout my childhood and growing up, I spent a lot of time getting involved in different clubs, in different sports, just because I wasn't familiar with it and be because I wanted to learn it and figure it out. So, I did a varying range of things. I did Model UN, I tried out the robotics club. I wasn't very good at it, but I tried it, I can say that, and a couple of different sports. That influenced me when I got to the Academy because I tried out for a sport that I never played before. And I ended up playing the whole, season, which is, you know, pretty interesting. And it was a great, great time to do that. But I, didn't really know that the Air Force Academy existed. I just kind of knew, hey, I want to give back to this country. I want to give, I want to be able to serve, I want to be able to give back. And so I always knew I wanted to give, join the military. And I guess that's what kind of led me down the path of going to the academy and listed first out of high school. And I was really, really fortunate and lucky to be surrounded by some key mentors of mine that told me that this place called this the Air Force Academy existed in Colorado Springs. You should apply. So much so that they were like, “Hey, don't have to work until you finish your application”, you know. So, I was very fortunate to have those folks that champion me, again, kind of further shaped my view of leadership later on in life.   Doug Lindsay  07:52 And then Allison for you in terms of the Academy itself, was it something you were familiar with? Because of your dad? How did you come to know about the Academy?   Alison Yang  08:02 And so yeah, he was not an Academy grad. So, for me, I, you know, my junior year of high school was considering the options. And I heard about the Air Force Academy, knew about it from my dad, who had friends who had gone to the Academy, and I've stepped into the Junior ROTC in my high school and said, “Hey, I'd love like a pamphlet on the Air Force Academy”. And they're like, “Sit down”, you know, “what sports are you in?” I was like, “What? “Whoa, I just want a pamphlet”. But, but anyway, that sort of started the process. And once I started the application process, which is, as a lot of listeners know, it's just an intensive application process, and you feel like you've achieved something when you submit it. So, I was really excited, you know, to have that opportunity. And yeah, I just, I knew it was right for me, especially as someone who was an achiever.   Doug Lindsay  08:54 So, what was that like when you got here then? So, you kind of very accomplished in high school, a lot of activity really busy. And then you kind of… that meets reality, when you actually kind of get here on in-processing and do that. What was that? Like, once you kind of got here in terms of that? Was it confirming or affirming of what you were doing? Or, were there some questions about, “What did I get myself into?”   Alison Yang  09:16 I loved it. And I had watched a lot of videos about basic training. But I have a really funny story. In my in-processing day, I was ready to conquer it, you know, got through all the screaming on the footprints. And I was like, I just got to make it to my room and I'll have some roommates and I can commiserate. We can do this together. And I get to my dorm room. And my two roommates one of them wouldn't speak to me. She was too nervous to talk. The other one had started hyperventilating. And she couldn't calm down. And so I will say both of them are incredible officers still in the Air Force today. Both made it through but in that moment, I said to myself, I'm gonna have to do this. This is gonna be me. We're gonna, you know and so it was a little bit of a reality check once I got to that moment.    Paul Yang  10:03 Yeah, for me, I would say I-day in-processing and basic training at the Academy felt in an odd way familiar, right, because I had gone through enlisted basic training. And then I went to the prep school and went through basic training there. So by the time it came around, I kind of knew, Okay, I'm gonna get yelled at, they're gonna break us down and go through this whole process. But I felt this need or this kind of calling to help my other classmates, because many of which were coming, many of whom were coming straight out of high school. And so even as simple as rolling socks, and cleaning your room, and hospital corners, those are things that I would say I've been doing every day, right, once you get out of basic training, but something I was familiar with at the very least. And so that desire to kind of share what I had known, even if it's something as simple as rolling socks, and folding your t-shirts in the right way to meet the measurements, I figured, you know, this is something that I know this is something that could be helpful in some way, shape or form. Let me go ahead and share that. And so my whole like early stages, or the early days at the Academy, that's what I felt called to do. Sharing that knowledge.   Doug Lindsay  11:14 Both of you (had) different kind of unique experiences as you work through the 47 months of the Academy, right? You're exposed to these new things. What would you say are kind of the couple of maybe crucible moments or the important moments or impacts that the Academy had on you during that time in terms of your development, not just as a person, but as a leader?    Paul Yang  11:37 I had never played a game of soccer in my in my entire life. Maybe it's because I grew up in New York, and there's not many fields. Maybe that's the reason why but I never played it. And so when I got this was during the prep school, when I got to the prep school, one of my buddies and my unit, or my squadron said, “Hey, you should try out for this team. You seem athletic, you'd like to run, why don't you come out to the field and try it out.” I did. And I enjoyed it. I didn't know how to kick a soccer ball the right way. But I knew how to run. And I knew that I was competitive and sort of headstrong in that way. So, I would say that was a highlight. And I got lucky because the person that would be starting in the position that I was in as left back ended up getting injured. And so I found myself in this situation of okay, I basically know how to play this sport. I can listen, I can listen to my coach's advice. But I have now I found myself in a starting position. I wasn't again, one repeat, like I wasn't very good. But I felt like what an opportunity to be able to play this sport at this level, having never played it before. And the Academy, certainly, you know, only a place like that, where you're given an opportunity like that, right? So that was like a pretty big moment, for me. A very proud moment. Maybe like a low-light for me, it was about halfway through the Academy, I was going through some personal things that I maybe lost sight of and I let it affect my academics, particularly one class, and I ended up failing a course. And at the end of the semester is you know, when you fail the course you go through the board process and you kind of go through, hey, you're gonna make it through. And I almost got disenrolled and I had my act advisor, someone you may know, Doug, but he really championed me. And he said, “Hey, it's okay, this these things happen”. Kind of brought me back down to earth and went through the board process ended up obviously not getting disenrolled. But it was a big, it was a big, tough pill for me to swallow of, hey, there are things in life that you need to focus on and make sure they're squared away and good to go. And ensure that it doesn't leak into other areas of your life is particularly if if there are high stakes involved, right, like enrollment at the Air Force Academy. Yeah.   Doug Lindsay  13:57 And I think that's an important part, right? Because that we tend to focus on maybe the positives, right? And we don't realize that without those kind of crucible moments, those kind of lower points that, you know, that helps frame out who we are, our perspective and who knows that opportunity. It sounds like it kind of change your trajectory a little bit about kind of reassessing. What am I doing here? What do I really want to get out of it? Right?   Paul Yang  14:19 Yeah, certainly a while I certainly cared more about academics after the fact. But it was it was a good lesson of, hey, this is real, you know, and I think to your point of, sometimes you could be flying high and in a really good place and you don't realize these little areas of your life that may be taking a toll and maybe require your attention and I think it's a good leadership theme as well. Of their different areas. It takes a lot of bandwidth. And so, making sure you take the time to take a step back and a lot your effort and your capacity in the areas that require it so that you are healthy and you're good to go. So that you can be present.   Doug Lindsay  15:01 Had a similar experience one of my semesters, my first semester sophomore year, I came in at a 2.0. And it was really close enough to the sun, so to speak, that that was my crucible moment. I'm like, that was a real evaluation moment for me to go. Okay, I need to, I need to do some things differently if I want to keep making this happen. Allison, how about you maybe some high and low point for you as well?   Alison Yang  15:25 Yeah, one of my favorite things about the Air Force Academy is just the incredible opportunities that it affords cadets so, I did the jump program, I did an immersion trip to Poland, I did a language trip to Morocco, a DC trip for a history class, I was on the lacrosse team and got to travel all over the place, marched in an Inauguration Day parade. So, all of those were just incredible moments. I would say the biggest thing that had an impact on my leadership is I was able to be the cadet squadron commander, my senior year. I'll say that peer leadership is the hardest thing. And I think that being a cadet, anything, you know, as a leader of cadets is harder than any officer leadership position I had, probably because there's, you know, formal structure within the military, there's, there's a natural chain of command, but when you're leading your peers, you know, you have to live with them every day too. So, it's a total exercise in dealing with people interpersonal skills. You know, in your, it was the greatest leadership gift I think the Academy afforded me. And then the low-light for me. So, I was the wing Command Chief, which was, you know, the top junior position, my junior year, and I did something called Weiss Advice. My last name was Weiss at the time, and I would go up on the staff tower, and I would give everyone morning advice at 6:00 a.m. before their breakfast, you know, something like, “Be a good friend today”. You know, you never know what your team your teammate is going through. This was at a time where there was social media that was allowed, and people could, you know, talk chat about whatever going on at the Academy. And I would say about half the wing was indifferent, a quarter loved the Weiss advice, and a quarter hated the Weiss Advice. And so, I got that direct feedback. And so, it was a great lesson to me that not everyone's going to love everything that you do. And especially as a person who really, who loves people who wants to be friends with everyone, learning that sometimes as a leader, you have to make tough decisions, or you have to do things that maybe not everyone will be on board with. But that was a, you know, it was a great lesson for me at that time that I carried on throughout my officer career.   Doug Lindsay  17:54 Taking those experiences you had at the Academy, how did that translate into saying, “Hey, I want to be a maintenance officer. I want to be an Intel officer?”.    Alison Yang  18:02 Yeah, and for me, I loved my political science and international relations classes. And that drew me into an interest in the intelligence field and just really synthesizing data about the world, understanding what drives our adversaries what motivates people again, and then ultimately, you know, proposing solutions actionable solutions to leaders to make decisions. So really enabling operations, which I loved, it would get me as close to operations as possible without actually flying in a plane. I tried power flight. Threw up every time so I knew that being a pilot was not for me. But yeah, just that foundation in my classes actually at the Academy drew me into intelligence.    Paul Yang  18:49 Well, I chose to be a maintenance officer. I put that as my top choice. Early in my first year, when we were putting in our preferences, I was thinking through okay, what's the career field where that'll provide me sort of the best opportunity to do exactly what I enjoy doing, which is championing others in solving problems. And obviously, by me gravitating towards leadership opportunities and learning about the world kind of pointed me towards the direction of maintenance because I knew that maintenance is a tough leadership environment, especially as a brand new lieutenant, you're kind of thrown in there, leading dozens plus people and there's a lot of problems to solve from the operational side and so okay, this is I think this is where I belong. I spoke to a number of different maintenance officers at the time there were AOCs some academic instructors as well. And so I knew okay, this is this is where I want to go and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love the environment of being a thrown into somewhere where there's high stakes, it's on, it's on you and your team to figure something out. And it's real lives and real young airmen and enlisted folks that you're put in charge of and being able to be there relying on senior NCOs. And really making a true impact in people's lives on a day-to-day basis for the better, whether that's, you know, asking about how their day was to champion them because they need time off and managing their schedule to make sure that they have what they need to be best supported to, to support in the flightline and solving everyday problems. We don't have to go too much into the details there. But it's a tough group all dapper operationally. And I gravitated towards that.   Doug Lindsay  20:45 And I do want to ask a question about how you all got together. So, class of 2015 class of 2016, both at the academy at the at the same time, and now and you're married. So, can you tell us a little bit about how that started or how you met?   Alison Yang  21:00 I first remember meeting Paul, when he walked into an interview that I was holding, for my second in command as I was a cadet squadron commander, so I was looking for my superintendent and Paul interviewed for that role was the first time I had met him. I was dating someone else at the time. So, I had no romantic interest in him. But that was the first time I remember meeting him and I hired him. So, he worked with me for a semester. And then we became great friends after that.   Paul Yang  21:31 I think we had talked about earlier when Allison at six at six o'clock in the morning was sharing Weiss Advice up on the staff tower, before breakfast, when everyone's just trying to make it through the day. I learned obviously from a distance, and I had a lot of respect for her. I obviously still have a ton of respect for her now. And then when I found out that I was moving into 30, and I was applying to be her superintendent, I was like, “Wow, I would love to get to know this individual. And I'd love even more so to work for her”. So, there's kind of his running joke where our relationship started with Alison being my boss, and she still is today. Very much so and so that's sort of like our, our founding story, if you will.   Doug Lindsay  22:19 And then Paul, a question for you. So, the Weiss Advice that Alison talked about, what was your reaction sitting in, in Mitchell Hall hearing that that information?   Paul Yang  22:29 I personally enjoyed it. I think “Al” (short for Alison) had mentioned that maybe like, maybe a quarter of the people really, really enjoyed it. But I truly did. I think sometimes Al is very good at telling you what you need to hear. And certainly in our, in our marriage. And so, I really appreciated that even at the early waking morning hours of the day, that Allison was getting up there and saying some true hard things, like, “Be a friend. Support somebody. Be there for one another. If you have a tough test, at the end of the day, you'll be done with it”. I mean, just like simple things like that might not sound like a lot at the surface level. But it really hits home because it's just real. And it's true. And it's and it's honest. And so, to answer your question bluntly, I loved it.   Doug Lindsay  23:20 The Academy and the experiences that you've kind of talked a little about really spring-boarded you in those careers, because you obviously had success early on in maintenance and intel. What was it that you think you got out of the Academy that really kind of helped set the stage for you there?   Alison Yang  23:35 I think I would go back to the whole peer leadership thing, the fact that I had already been leading, you know, leading people honestly, as a senior and then went straight into, you know, my job as an Intel officer, I was leading a floor of 75 airmen at DGS Ops Center, and it was just awesome. I just had all these people around me, I knew how to interact with people I knew, you know. And then you even have an operational mission then so then it just becomes even more important. And I think that really set the stage. I mean, all of the character and leadership development that were taught at the Air Force Academy, all of that becomes second nature. You know, that's nothing that we have to learn at that point and, and being that kind of leader for people I think really helped me spring-board as just a second lieutenant into a successful intel career.   Paul Yang  24:34 The wealth of resources that the Air Force Academy has, even if it's just walking down the hallway, and talking to your AOC, who had spent probably 10 plus years in a specific career field and knows people in other career fields. And so, the networking aspect that the Air Force Academy provides is huge and being able to literally just walk down the hallway or maybe it's your instructor for one of your classes that came out of a curriculum to teach at the Air Force Academy. So, utilizing that network, and just knowing the wealth of knowledge and resources there has been huge.   Doug Lindsay  25:11 It's just always interesting to me to see the path that people choose. Because I certainly had my path and I found my way through. But it's just very interesting how personal that is, even though we all kind of go through a similar process, how we personalize that it's just really, I think, interesting as part of our journeys. And so, you're on active duty, you're having a lot of success, and then both decide to transition to something different. So can you talk to me a little bit about what that transition was like in terms of kind of getting into the space that you're in now kind of more the leader development space with, with where you're at right now.   Paul Yang  25:46 So, we decided to transition out at the same time, which, by the way, many of our colleagues and close friends thought we were crazy to be separating at the same time, due to the sheer amount of risk there. But you know, we took a leap of faith, we attended a career conference through a junior military officer, hiring and transitioning company. And when we attended this conference, Allison and I, we really kind of focused on the company culture, and the mission of the company. That's because we're coming out of the military, you know, we naturally gravitate towards companies that had a clear and defined mission orientation or goal, something that is founded on a clear values that aligned with the things that we felt we aligned with. And so, we both came across specially actually, we were, when we attended a career conference, they told us, you know, don't really lead with, hey, you guys are married. Because we were actually interviewed with very similar companies. And there was a decent amount of overlap, they told us to attend as individuals, rack and stack them in your in your brain individually and see where the alignment is with location with career fields and in different areas. And we came across an executive search firm, Spencer Stewart, and we just absolutely head over heels fell in love with the company culture and the type of work that it is, and it's certainly aligned, I guess I'll just speak for myself in this area, but it'll align with how I think and, and how I approach my day to day, which is championing the people, giving people a chance and solving problems. And so being in executive search, that's essentially what you get to do. You're helping your clients solve problems. And in this case, it would be leadership gaps, whether it's succession planning, maybe someone's retiring, etc. And you're talking to people about potential candidates for a role that maybe otherwise wouldn't have landed on their, on their radar in the past. And so being able to learn their story, figure out what their career goals are. And if there's an alignment with where they are trying to go with an opportunity to that a company can offer a great, let's talk about it.   Alison Yang  28:04 I agree, everything that Paul says is accurate. And maybe just to answer just the beginning of your question, why we made the decision. So we were both hard charging on active duty and really loved the service. For us, we just had decided, okay, we're going to be in a position where one of us will have to deploy the other will have to go back to teach. If we had this, we could see our career paths taking a divergent, you know, path, I guess you'd say. And so, we decided, let's just see what else is out there. And let's see what we can do. Paul had some experience that you know, from his dad and the business experience he's had in this country. For me, brand new, had no, you know, didn't even know what corporate life was like. And I said, “If not now, then when?”, and we made the leap and, and everything Paul said about Spencer Stuart so we joined. The culture is incredible. And we've really enjoyed our time so far in the year and a half we've been here.   Doug Lindsay  29:02 What was it that really kind of helped you kind of land successfully on the other side, because we know sometimes people struggle a little bit there sometimes in terms of what do I want to do?   Paul Yang  29:12 We were doing it together. And so, we naturally just had someone across the dinner table championing each other and going through the same experience together. And so being able to talk through ideas, talk through all the different scenarios and just having an ear that would listen was really, really helpful for us. And I wouldn't say that's, that's the only way but just having a partner through that, I think kind of tells a broader story of making sure that you surround yourself with folks around you that that have been through something like this before, or, or is going through it and being able to talk through things and act as a sounding board was really helpful for us.   Alison Yang  30:00 We are also huge proponents of transition companies, especially for junior military officers, we would have had no idea and we partnered with Cameron Brooks, spent a whole year in their program. They helped us translate our military skills into corporate speak, helped us with resumes. And then we had about 20 different companies that were aligned to our experiences that we would have never thought we would be qualified for. And if it were not for a program like that, I'm not sure we would have known and not only that, we had all these different industries we can compare. So, Paul and I got to say, “Alright, do we want to do manufacturing? Do we want to do banking? You know, do we want to be in professional services?” And we ultimately chose that incredible experience overall.   Doug Lindsay  30:47 Any regrets? No, that's great.   Alison Yang  None.   Paul Yang  30:50 No, no regrets.   Doug Lindsay  30:52 You talked about executive search and doing some of that. Can you walk us through a little bit what that looks like?   Paul Yang  30:57 At our firm where we're in executive search. And so that's actually a world we didn't know existed prior to going into the career conference and starting in this firm, but, but basically, we help large, mid to large sized companies on the public side and, and then on the private side, as well, we help leaders sort of make career moves, or we help clients solve their internal succession and leadership planning. What that looks like on a day to day basis, just to kind of maybe break it down, is a lot of calls a lot of internal and external conversations where you're running projects or searches internally, and just making sure we're following the process. And we're making sure we're managing things internally hitting all the dates for the deliverables. And then externally, lots of meetings with clients providing updates on market feedback, it also is probably the bulk of the amount of time that we spend is having conversations with potential candidates to make sure that we go through the full assessment process and doing our full due diligence to ensure that the folks that we would be potentially putting forth on a search on an opportunity are aligned well, yeah.   Alison Yang  32:16 And then Paul and I are both in different practices within the firm. So, I'm in the industrial practice, which means that I help recruit, assess and place executives in any domain within industrial so that could be oil and gas. That could be you know, manufactured products, engineered products, aerospace and defense distribution at large. It could be anything within the industrial sector, anywhere from a vice president level up to CEO.   Paul Yang  32:50 And I'm in, I'm in more of a functional practice, we call it financial officer practice, or basically CFOs. So, most of my work is basically, all of my work is with finance executives. So, CFOs and key deputies, and that's since it's functional. I basically spent a lot of my time across many different industries, because I think CFO-speak is pretty transferable from, from one company to another, from one industry to another, with the exception of a few that are just, they're different. But so, I guess that's like the difference between a focused industry versus a functional practice.   Doug Lindsay  33:32 What you talked about, that idea of being able to connect with people with influence championing others, solving problems. It sounds like you've kind of found your space on the other side in terms of what it is that you really enjoy kind of what your purpose is, is that fair to say?   Alison Yang  33:48 Absolutely, yes, yes. And it's one of the reasons why we, why we love it so much is we really feel that we've landed in a place where we can utilize all these skills. And also, when we're assessing talent, one reason that it's just great at being you know, having been a leader in the military is that when these executives are talking to us about change, management, change leadership within the organization, we don't know it conceptually, we know it practically from our time in service. So, we know if they're just blowing smoke, or, you know, so we found that very valuable and, and it's really cool. I mean, I think, and this is part of you alluded to our veterans article, we're just having access to folks like Scott Kirby, Greg Johnson, who know of these search firms, because that's how, you know, that's how they hire people, basically. So, it's been really neat, not only just being able to practice something that we love, but then also be able to talk to really incredible people.   Doug Lindsay  34:53 Yeah, and you hit on that piece of being able to not just talk about it, but kind of share your experiences. They're being able to kind of really understand, you know, at different levels in terms of what it is that they're looking for, what that means, what change management actually looks like in a large organization. Because even though you may not have been at the, at the geo level instituting those challenges you were at the implementation level of much of that change, and, and what that looks like. And I think that gives a different credibility of being able to say, hey, yeah, kind of been there, done that and talk about it that way, whether it's a CFO or industrial or whatever that is, right?   Paul Yang  Absolutely.   Doug Lindsay  34:53 With that in mind, what are some of the challenges or mistakes that you see leaders making today, just kind of curious in what you're seeing, and what you can talk about, and then we'll kind of talk about maybe some more of the effective things on the other side?   Paul Yang  35:45 Maybe it'll be trends, or sometimes things that kind of speak out to us as being on the search side. So, one of the things that I know that if an individual jumps from one company to another company too frequently, and I think that that could be that could mean a lot of things, right? It could mean that an individual was, you know, kind of in an ecosystem of a private equity firm, and they're buying and selling companies and moving from one company to another, which is fine, and you can speak to that. But if it's not in that situation, then it sort of signals that someone maybe hasn't done their full due diligence on an opportunity before, before taking on that role. And so that's something that I would say doesn't usually reflect too positively. And my advice, I think like springing from that would be, it has been, we've talked to plenty of folks that were where this happens, where maybe they land, they find themselves in a situation, or in a company that they might not like or a specific role that they might not like, it doesn't mean that they'd have to leave the company, right? It's not like it doesn't mean that there aren't other things that they can try. And so, my advice from that particular mistake would be see what else is out there within that company. Because the consistency of moving from one, one scope of responsibilities to another within the same company, I think reflects a lot more positively than, hey, I was there for eight months, and I didn't like and I left. A better story would be, I was there for about a year, I wasn't enjoying my job. I tried, I moved here within this part of the company and that's where I really found my passion for x. And then expanding from there…   Alison Yang  37:35 Maybe some other ones that we see, people getting experience outside of their respective functions. So, as they move up within organizations, you know, Paul's got a better example of this with finance, maybe you can go into that.   Paul Yang  37:53 Yeah, so being I think this is just the product of being in the in a functional practice where one is basically talking to a lot of different CFOs and varying in varying different industries, but finding, I think, has this history of maybe being a little bit siloed so, not the case anymore, right? Where you have folks that maybe start out as an accountant, right, or maybe started in a big professional services firm, and they work their way through accounting and audit, etc. I think the best ones are the ones that maybe expand beyond just their specific functions. So, with that, what I mean by that is, maybe this is someone that is that has an accounting background but takes the time to learn other aspects and areas of the business beyond what they see behind the numbers on finance. So in like a manufacturing organization, that would mean getting close to the business, getting close to the manufacturing floor, getting close to the product, and getting close to the product and really understanding, touching, feeling and seeing the product that their business is manufacturing. Because then it really helps that particular individual really translate what the what the numbers they are working through and managing and what that really means to their client or customer base. And those that are being that are better able to speak to that I have found that are the ones that tend to be more operationally oriented, the ones that can speak more about the business and not just finance.   Alison Yang  39:30 Another big mistake that we see maybe the biggest mistake is burning bridges. And you hear that at the Academy, “Never burn a bridge”. With an executive search, we extensively vet people for our clients. So even people that look phenomenal on paper or people who show up to an interview and they have an incredible interview. Great results on paper. If you've if you've got colleagues or peers or bosses that you have, have, you know, have a bad reputation with that, we will find it, we will hear it. And, and so it all comes back to being a person of character, you know, and we see that does burn people sometimes. And you also see things that the mistakes that leaders make when it comes to interviewing for jobs, which is not being prepared, you know, not presenting in a professional manner. We've had people show up late to board meetings and been completely taken off the list as a possible candidate. So, you see all of those things.   Doug Lindsay  40:30 Alison, you had mentioned something about character and being a person of character with that, are you seeing a more interest in that area as you're going through your executive search in terms of not just about what it is that you do, but it's kind of how you're showing up? Because you both mentioned the idea of not being siloed, being broader about that understanding, jumping around kind of the footprints that you're leaving behind? Or are burning bridges, that kind of speaks to that idea of character? So, sounds like that that's resonating more with folks. Is that fair to say?   Alison Yang  41:02 Yes. Absolutely. And I wondered that when I went into corporate America, if we would see these companies that we work with these client companies, you know, would they focus on? Are they looking for people who can just drive results within a company, and I'm telling you, more often than not, we have calls where most of it is, we're looking for someone who knows how to lead people, they're gonna have to come in here and in, you know, do a lot of change management, in some cases, and to revamp the entire team. You hear that quite a lot. And it's also something we really value at Spencer Stuart. At this firm, we screen for character, that's one of our four, the four things we screen for when we assess people. So yes, there's quite an emphasis on it.   Paul Yang  41:50 And it's often, and I would add that when it comes to just pure, I'll just speak about the practice that I'm in, but like pure finance capability, especially in like a public company, right? Like that is it's all public. So, you can see like the public filings, you could look at their 10-K and look at their proxy and see their company performance and ensure that that performance is there. And it's measurable. But more often than not, what we'll find is someone that could be that maybe potentially be a high performer based off of just pure numbers and pure historical performance, will maybe meet members of the board or meet, maybe meet other members of the team in which they'd be working with on a day to day basis. And the feedback would be, “Hey, not someone that we can see ourselves getting along with and working with on a day to day basis. Or not someone I just can feel a connection or something like that”. And that usually just means that they're good, they're good finance professional, or they're good at what they do. But not really sure that this is someone that they would, you know, that would inspire others of the company. And so, to Allison's point, I think at the end of the day, there will always be like an underlying, like baseline of capabilities. But what brings someone to the next level is, is one's character.   Doug Lindsay  43:07 I kind of transitioned this a little bit to the article that you all worked on, where you look at the top CEOs. And you're, that idea of what kind of sets him apart. I know that the article focuses a lot on the kind of the veterans and leadership, but what is it that you're seeing that you're starting to go, “Here are kind of maybe the top three, four, or five things that we're seeing that really make those effective leaders different than everybody else.”?   Alison Yang  43:31 I can talk to the first two, and then Paul can talk to the last three. So, kind of tying into that article, you'll see that I'll just say broad brush. The one thing, and it's what we've talked about most of this podcast, is just interpersonal skills, how much of an importance that that is. And it's not groundbreaking, but it's very real. And it underpins most, if not all other qualities that, you know, that these top performing CEOs all have. And so, the first one that that was also highlighted in the article is a team first mentality. So, it's about as simple as it gets. It's, you know, having a team with you, like, can you bring the team along? Like is the team a part of, the part of your mission and your story? And sometimes when we talk to people, if they're all about themselves, or if they can't describe how their team, you know, how they've impacted their team, or how they brought the team along? You know, it's very obvious and very clear, and it's not. There's a lot of culture change that happens in these organizations. And if you can't have a team first mentality, that won't necessarily happen. So that would be the first one. The second is humility. Being able to understand that you're not the smartest person in the room, but having the strength to make a decision when you need to, but also making sure you're valuing all opinions and doing that so humilities the second one.   Paul Yang  45:01 Another one, this is actually something that Scott Kirby, the CEO of United Airlines, that he had mentioned when we spoke to him as we're working towards our article, but he basically, he talked about how folks that come out of the military have “no quit”. You know, if when we asked him to expand that out, he talked about how, when someone is asked whether or not they're willing to potentially make the ultimate sacrifice for this country, any other ask following that, in and out of the military becomes, I don't want to say easy, but it's going to fall short of it, right? And so, there's this idea of being resilient and understanding how to perform under pressure when there are high stakes. And so I think that would be the key third thing. There are qualities being resilient in tough times, and knowing how to perform under pressure, when the stakes are high, then the next one is maybe stakeholder management. I think it's a very common thing that we would hear both in the military and out of the military, understanding and having the ability to work with a variety of different people. And I think it kind of goes to that point of being broader than just what your function is, understanding what one decision does to the rest of the organization in the organization and how it affects others around others around you. In the military, there's so much like, connectivity between maybe like the squadron or flight or group or wing level that it naturally just happens, but out in the corporate world I think sometimes you can get siloed, when you might not see like the direct translation of how decisions are affected other people. So being able to understand who are the, in both internal and external stakeholders is, is important. I think the fifth one, Allison already talked about the change management. That's, I don't even want to say it's like a, like a common phrase, because it's almost accepted, or it's almost like, what's the phrase I'm looking for here, it's almost like you have to have it. You know, in today's day and age where there is so much change, things are moving faster than ever before, especially with AI and just incredible technologies that are out there. It's a very fast moving world. And so being able to understand that that's happening, and being able to understand how that will how that translates internal to internally to one's organization is important.   Alison Yang  47:39 When it comes to change management as well, one of the key questions we ask are the people we assess is, “Where was the business when you came in?” And, “What have you achieved since then?” So, it's since that where was it? Where is it now? And how did you do it? And so that's one of the ways that we assess for change management.   Doug Lindsay  47:59 What I'm encouraged about is that those are all things that I can get actually better on understanding humility. It may be difficult to kind of step back and do that. But each one of those five are things that I think you can actually get better on, right, you can sit or invest some time in and go, I'm not where I want to be. But I can do that. Is that fair to say?   Paul Yang  48:19 Yes, no one is perfect in any of these areas. It takes practice and it takes time. And often-times, we'd be speaking with folks, or we're on the phone or in a meeting, where we realized someone will maybe have that introspection to look back and say, “Okay, this is an area that I'm not good at, maybe it's team building”. And they maybe they're 15-20 years in their career, and they're like, “You know what, I need more experience building a team. What's an opportunity at this company, in my respective company, where I have the opportunity to do that?”, and then seeking that out and putting it into practice is a key thing of just understanding, maybe it just kind of stems from the humility piece of, I'm not the best at everything. And there's all these areas that I need to improve on. But to your point, Doug, these are all things that that can be practiced in real time.   Doug Lindsay  49:10 As you are assessing them, and as you're looking at it, whether it be from the industrial side, or the CFO, are you finding that these leaders are receptive to the feedback that you're giving them in terms of maybe some of those areas where they're, where they're not where they need to be? Are you seeing an openness and a willingness to lean in and learn about that?   Alison Yang  49:30 It's interesting, you say that, because if when they are open to hearing it, they're showing humility, you know, you assess that just in the way that they interact with you as a person, you know, are they too busy for you? Are they you know, we do often get people ask us questions, you know, “How can I be better?” I mean, you talk to executives all day, you know, what, you know, how can I be better how, you know, what, how do I present myself better, et cetera? I think, you know, if you meet a real stinker then they, it's probably they're probably not going to be as receptive to things like that. But that's just my experience.   Paul Yang  50:08 There are candidates for particular roles. You know, on any given day, there's a there's a high volume, right? So, what that means is not everybody's going to be able to get the job that they that they want. And that's just the fact of life. And so, the ones that come back and say, “Hey, I know I was a finalist, or maybe I wasn't a finalist, what feedback do you have for me? How could I have done better?” Speaking to Allison's point about being having that level are having that ounce of humility to say, “Okay, I didn't get this, but there's got to be a reason why. What are those areas? Is it the team building? Is it, did I not share enough about change management? Did I not, you know, talk about certain results, or maybe it was how I presented myself and showed up to the meeting”. They asked for that feedback. And I think that also has to do with our firm and being in our company, because we have the agency and both our clients and our candidates put that trust in us. And they look to us for that advice. And we'll be transparent a because we have to be because they need it. And it's all about uplifting others and providing the feedback to others so that they can get to where they're trying to go.   Doug Lindsay  51:15 That whole idea of humility, just kind of really resonating. I do a lot of executive coaching and there's a really fundamental difference when someone shows up wanting to learn and you know, “Hey, this is wrong. That, you know, that's not, that's not how I really am”. And so that kind of that humility to be able to sit back and go, “What is this information telling me that's going to help me as a as a leader?”   Paul Yang  51:35 Maybe I'll start by saying if you're currently a cadet working towards graduation, or you're an alumni and already graduated, you, you're likely already a leader, and probably a good one. And so maybe that's like a good baseline to start. But Al and I, we kind of went back and forth thinking about this one and trying to figure out how do we distill both our personal individual personal lives, our combined military experience and our combined experience in the corporate world and executive search. And we thought about a little bit further, and I'll let Al share here.   Alison Yang  52:15 We're a little bit like a broken record here. But the one theme, if we could say, captures all of this is care about people. And if you care about people, your interpersonal skills are likely decent, you have the humility to set yourself aside, you have a leg up on stakeholder management, which enables you to have teams that perform under pressure and operate well through change. And it's also the difference between having people who just get the job done because they have to versus the people who get the job done because they want to. They believe in you. And they believe in the mission. And so, if you are good at caring about people, if you just care about people in general, you'll get there. And that's, that would be our advice.   Doug Lindsay  53:04 If folks want to find out more about what you're doing, or about the article that we referred to in the podcast, where can they go to find out that information?   Paul Yang  53:13 Simply just go to spencerstuart.com. That's our firm's website. It'll clearly outline different intellectual capital pieces that we've written as a firm in the past, and it's historical as well. So, we'll provide insights on certain industries and certain functional areas in terms of trends or things that we see. And then also tell you how our firm is broken down as well. So, if there's a particular industry that you're interested in learning about, it'll point you in the right direction in terms of folks that work in that specific practice, or if you want to reach Alison and I individually to talk to us about the work that we do, feel free to find us on on LinkedIn.   Doug Lindsay  53:55 Thank you all for your insights and the work that you're doing in terms of helping to continue to mold and develop leaders and getting them into the right locations. And we appreciate you being on the long leadership podcast today.   Alison and Paul Yang Thanks so much.   KEYWORDS Academy, leadership, company, Air Force Academy, people, leaders, Alison, speak, championing, talk, work, Paul, executive, day, started, understanding, search, meet, good, knew     The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation     

HeroFront
How Dual-Career Couples in the military Make It Work with Senior Leaders Josh and Kristy Wiener

HeroFront

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2024 86:19


Welcome to another insightful episode of HeroFront! Join us as we delve into the dynamic world of military leadership and relationships with our distinguished guests, Command Chief Master Sergeant Joshua Wiener and his wife Chief Master Sergeant Kristy Weiner. In this episode, titled "How Dual-Career Couples in the Military Make It Work," this power couple shares invaluable experiences and lessons learned from their extensive military careers. From the crucial role of communication in working couples with a family to navigating leadership positions. The episode unfolds a narrative of perseverance, teamwork, and mentorship, offering a glimpse into this unique couple life and past experiences that shaped them to include candid reflections on career success, work-life balance, and gender dynamics in the workplace, this episode is a treasure trove of insights for both military and civilian audiences. As we explore the intricacies of managing careers, marriages, and families, the guests impart valuable advice and strategies, creating a compelling narrative that culminates in a reflection on transformational leadership and teamwork. Don't miss this engaging conversation that captures a remarkable couples applied strategies for keeping it all together, or at least doing the best you can to. Joshua Wiener is the Command Chief of the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing, which provides battlefield and expeditionary Airmen to combatant commanders and is capable of responding to humanitarian and contingency operations throughout the world. The wing has more than 1,400 personnel at 26 operating locations in Germany, Italy and from the Baltics to the Balkans. Chief Wiener is responsible for the health and welfare, development, training, combat readiness, recognition, discipline, and effective utilization of the organization's multi-capable force. He enlisted in the Air Force in September 1998 as an Aerospace Propulsion Apprentice and has worked at various levels in the Air Force. 
Kristy Wiener is the Aviation Resource Management MAJCOM Functional Manager for United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa. She is responsible for the training, development, and assignment of over 130 military and civilian 1C0X2s. She oversees a $35 million annual flight and parachutist incentive pay budget and a $520 million annual flying hour program. She advises leadership on all matters concerning Aviation Resource Management training, operations, and manpower. Wiener enlisted in the Air Force in December of 2002 as an Aviation Resource Manager Apprentice. Talking Points 1. Introduction (0:00) 2. Reflecting on past career moments (4:45). 3. Leadership and Communication in Military Couples (19:47). 4. Military Careers and Relationships (22:24). 5. Career Paths and Life Experiences (24:09). 6. Leadership, Perseverance, and Teamwork (31:02). 7. Dealing with Negative Feedback (34:25). 8. Leadership, Self-awareness, and Decision-making (37:29). 9. Managing Careers, Marriage, and Family (41:38). 10. Work-life Balance and Competitiveness (47:23). 11. Gender and Other Challenges in the workplace (54:59). 12. Balancing Work and Family Responsibilities (57:27). 13. Self-care and Exercise Routines (1:03:42). 14. Career Success, Networking, and Personal Branding (1:09:26). 15. Teamwork, Mentorship, and Personal Growth (1:11:58). 16. Transformational Leadership and Teamwork (1:14:26). 17. Conclusion and Recap of key insights from the podcast episode (1:18:01).

Ones Ready
Airlift/Tanker Association: Empowering Airmen - Insights from AMC Command Chief Newman

Ones Ready

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2024 8:45


Dive into the world of Air Force logistics and strategy with "Empowering Airmen: Insights from AMC Command Chief Newman," a podcast that offers an in-depth look at the vital role of the Air Mobility Command (AMC) in global military operations. This episode features the experienced and knowledgeable Command Chief Newman, who shares his perspectives on the indispensable role of mobility in the Air Force.Chief Newman discusses the continuous efforts and challenges faced by the AMC, emphasizing its crucial role in transporting fuel, personnel, and medical supplies worldwide. He reflects on his extensive experience in AMC and as a Phoenix Raven, highlighting the evolution of the command's capabilities and the importance of adapting to changing global demands.Listeners will gain an understanding of the critical nature of logistics in military success, with a spotlight on key exercises like Bamboo Eagle and Mobility Guardian. These discussions reveal the massive scope and coordination required for successful operations.The podcast also delves into initiatives aimed at strengthening airmen's warfighting capabilities. Chief Newman talks about the multi-capable airmen initiative and the importance of empowering airmen and non-commissioned officers to meet the challenges of modern military engagements.Tune in for a thought-provoking session that not only highlights the strategic aspects of the Air Force's operations but also underscores the importance of leadership and training in shaping an agile and effective military force.Collabs:Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: 1ReadyAlpha Brew Coffee Company - Promo Code: ONESREADYATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLeteCardoMax - Promo Code: ONESREADYDread River - Promo Code: ONESREADY Eberlestock - Promo Code: OR10Hoist - Promo Code: ONESREADYTrench Coffee Company - Promo Code: ONESREADYThe content provided is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The host, guests, and affiliated entities do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided. The use of this podcast does not create an attorney-client relationship, and the podcast is not liable for any damages resulting from its use. Any mention of products or individuals does not consti...

Tinker Talks
Tinker Talks Podcast: Col. Abby Ruscetta and Chief Sipos, 72nd ABW Leadership

Tinker Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2023


Col. Abby Ruscetta, the 72nd Air Base Wing Commander, and CMSgt. Jeffery Sipos, the Command Chief of the 72nd Air Base Wing, are guests on the latest edition of the Tinker Talks Podcast. The Tinker Talks Podcast, hosted by Mark Hybers, is a podcast dedicated to the latest events and happenings on one of the largest Air Force bases, “Tinker Talks” features various perspectives from the 5,600-acre installation. Ruscetta is no stranger to Oklahoma, being assigned to Tinker Air Force Base since July 2018 at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex before becoming Commander of the 72nd Air Base Wing in July 2023. Together, Ruscetta and Sipos discuss their background, priorities and everything Tinker Air Force Base in the latest edition of the podcast.

Ready, Set, Airlift!
Ready, Set, Airlift! - Ep. 2 Command Chief Takesha Williams

Ready, Set, Airlift!

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2023


In our second episode, we sit down with 433 AW Command Chief Takesha Williams for her perspective on the unit's readiness, and guidance for all enlisted Airmen looking to advance their careers. Plus, the Wing CC's holiday message for all Alamo Wing members.

Chevrons
Chevrons - Ep 028 - First Shirt Roundtable

Chevrons

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2023


In this episode, we speak to a few First Sergeants and a wing Command Chief about everything there is to know about making a career as a ‘Shirt'. If you've ever thought about sewing on a diamond, this is the episode to listen to!

Sword and Shield Podcast
Sword and Shield Podcast Ep. 107: Resiliency Integrators

Sword and Shield Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2023


Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Howard, Command Chief of the 960th Cyberspace Wing, is joined by First Sgt. Shatasha Estes, 960th Cyberspace Wing, and First Sgt. Delbert Templeton, 433rd Airlift Wing, to explore the role and duties of Resiliency Integrators in the Air Force Reserve at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas on September 29, 2023. Resiliency Integrators are first sergeants that operate as liaisons between wing leadership and higher command in order to provide community support, guidance, and resources to Airmen and their family members. (US Air Force audio by Alex Dieguez)

Chevrons
Chevrons - Ep 025 - Three Command Chiefs

Chevrons

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2023


In this episode of Chevrons, we speak to the three Command Chiefs of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Chief Sean Sullivan from the Massachusetts Air National Guard, Chief Christopher Hirl of the 102nd Intelligence Wing, and Chief Stephen Jeffers of the 104th Fighter Wing join the panel to discuss the many enlisted development opportunities available in the Commonwealth. From next month's TIME conference, to the newly created FIRST program and other great opportunities - tune in for a great discussion about enlisted issues.

Before I Forget…
Retired Command Chief Master Sergeant Dave Nordel

Before I Forget…

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2023 75:44


Hey! In this episode of "Before I Forget", join Kevin and Tyree as they chat with Dave Nordel, Retired Command Chief Master Sergeant with the United Stated Air Force (with exactly 30 Years, six months, and five days in Service). David is also the owner and operator of MaxFab Consulting, a service that provides Basic and advanced leadership coaching and development services with an emphasis on executive growth. Max Fab Consulting – Max Fab Consulting Beforeiforgetthepodcast.com Please Like, Listen, Share, Subscribe, and Watch! SHARE!! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/beforeiforget/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/beforeiforget/support

Sword and Shield Podcast
Sword and Shield Podcast Ep. 105: The Value of Airmen

Sword and Shield Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2023


Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Howard, Command Chief of the 960th Cyberspace Wing, speaks with 10th Air Force Command Chief Christopher Bluto on the transformation of expectations, values, and mindset of Airmen during their early experiences to the modern environment at Joint Base San Antonio-Chapman Training Annex, Texas on May 8, 2023. In addition, Chief Bluto provides insight on exercising resourceful agency, developing Total Force relationships, the importance of Connectedness, and fostering understanding of the Air Force mission with the local community. (U.S. Air Force audio by Alex Dieguez)

Blacksnake Bytes
Blacksnake Bytes Ep. 3 - Servant Leadership Mindset with Command Chief Hoopingarner

Blacksnake Bytes

Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2023


Senior Master Sgt. Leslie Keiser interviews the 122nd Fighter Wing's own Command Chief Master Sgt., Kyle Hoopingarner. This episode digs deep into Chief Hoopingarner's leadership philosophy, his journey to becoming Command Chief, and his strategy to stay connected with Airmen despite a busy schedule. He talks about the true purpose of promotion boards, why recognizing Airmen with awards and decorations is so important, and how he helps Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO's) pursue personal and professional development. Don't miss our rapid-fire questions at the end to find out which Air Force Instructions (AFI) Chief Hoop would change and why! Time Hacks: 00:45 Intro 01:35 Experience of being a new Command Chief 04:22 History of the Chief (E-9) rank 08:23 Leaving behind a legacy 12:03 "Who inspired you?" 16:27 "How do you stay engaged with Airmen?" 20:30 First speech as Command Chief 24:37 "Why is a promotion board important?" 26:45 "Why are awards and decorations important?" 31:14 Chief Hoopingarner's favorite award 37:57 "What is the Triad?" 39:50 Developing NCO's 43:00 "What is your proudest military moment?" 47:12 Rapid-fire round 50:53 Final remarks

Ones Ready
EP: 215- Project OVAT w/ Combat Control Command Chief Will Markham!

Ones Ready

Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2023 45:27


Will Markham has an extensive background as a Combat Controller and Command Chief Master Sergeant in Air Force Special Tactics. Despite having served for 25 years and seen it all, he remains committed to helping his fellow Special Operators. To that end, he established Project One Vet At a Time (Project OVAT) to educate others about the physical demands of these roles and how to communicate their impact on our bodies.Through Project OVAT, Chief Markham shares his retirement process, lessons learned, and personal experiences to help listeners avoid the same challenges he faced. His dedication to supporting his comrades and providing valuable insights make him a valuable resource for anyone seeking to understand the demands of Air Force Special Tactics.00:00 - Chief Markham's intro and PROJECT OVAT 09:50 - Asking for help... but no one would. So what then?12:50 - Who's in your circle? You can't fly with the eagles if you hang with the turkeys21:50 - The Rental Car analogy, Convincing the team to ask for help33:20 - Don't forget to subscribe to the Podcast on your favorite player! http://bit.ly/2OG2OlfHave a question?  Email us at info@onesready.comFollow us on Instagram http://bit.ly/2OeNoFIAs always, THANK YOU for your support, we truly appreciate it.DISCLAIMER:The content provided is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The host, guests, and affiliated entities do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided. The use of this podcast does not create an attorney-client relationship, and the podcast is not liable for any damages resulting from its use. Any mention of products or individuals does not constitute an endorsement. All content is protected by intellectual property laws. By accessing or using this you agree to these terms and conditions.Collabs:18A Fitness - Promo Code: 1ReadyAlpha Brew Coffee Company - Promo Code: ONESREADYATAC Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADYCardoMax - Promo Code: ONESREADYEberlestock - Promo Code: OR10Hoist - Promo Code: ONESREADYStrike Force Energy - Promo Code: ONESREADYTrench Coffee Company - Promo Code: ONESREADYGrey Man Gear - Promo Code: ONESREADY The content provided is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The host, guests, and affiliated entities do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided. The use of this podcast does not create an attorney-client relationship, and the podcast is not liable for any damages resulting from its use. Any mention of products or individuals does not constitute an endorsement. All content is protected by intellectual property laws. By accessing or using this you agree to these terms and conditions.

It's About The Warrior Foundation
USAF Master Sergeant Michael Sears

It's About The Warrior Foundation

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2023 20:55


USAF Master Sergeant and Silver Star recipient Michael Sears, who is the Command Chief of the 177th Fighter Wing, joins us on this episode. Sears talks about his career in the military, which in addition to the Air Force, has also included an active duty enlistment in the Marine Corps. He also shares the story about his heroic actions during the events of Sept. 29, 2012 when his unit was ambushed in Afghanistan.

Sword and Shield Podcast
Sword and Shield Podcast Ep. 104: AFRC Command Chief Timothy White

Sword and Shield Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2023


In honor of his 34 years of service, the 960th Cyberspace Wing presents a podcast episode featuring AFRC Command Chief Master Sgt. Timothy White. In this episode, Chief Master Sgt. Billie Baber, then Command Chief of the 960th Cyberspace Wing, joins him in discussing personal and professional growth, talent management, and the progress of career development at Joint Base San Antonio-Chapman Training Annex, Texas on Jul. 26, 2022. The 960th Cyberspace Wing thanks Chief White for his wisdom, guidance, and support, and wishes him well on his next journey! (U.S. Air Force audio by Kristian Carter)

Sword and Shield Podcast
Sword and Shield Podcast Ep. 102: An Airman's Perspective

Sword and Shield Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2023


Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Howard, Command Chief of the 960th Cyberspace Wing, takes the opportunity to discuss multiple aspects about serving in the Air Force Reserve with Senior Airman Jeremy Wilson of the 426th Network Warfare Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Chapman Training Annex, Texas on February 28, 2023. The topics Howard and Wilson explore include community impact, career development, education, and work-life balance. (U.S. Air Force audio by Alex Dieguez)

Kodiak Shack Podcast
Ian Eishen

Kodiak Shack Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2023 53:45


If you would like to contact our sponsor Atomus Cyber you can email them at:www.atomuscyber.comOn this episode we talk with Ian Eishen. He was the Command Chief at Edwards AFB where he worked with the Wing Commander to keep the base running. He has had some amazing learning opportunities some of which were:Presidential Leadership ScholarAI subcommittee member at the DoD Joint AI Centerand 23 year in the Air ForceNow Ian works Aalyria where they are blowing minds with "atmospheric laser communications." Don't ask because I still don't understand. HahaIf you'd like to contact Ian connect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-eishen/If you'd like to contact us to provide feedback or suggestions email us atinfo@kodiakshack.comor check out our websitekodiakshack.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/kodiak-shack-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ones Ready
Ep 184: 57th Wing Command Chief TACP Tom Schaefer

Ones Ready

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2023 57:34


CMSgt Tom Schaefer lives by the words, "Humble, Approachable, Credible". As the Command Chief of the 57th Wing in Las Vegas, Nevada, Chief Schaefer is responsible for a wide array of Airmen of all AFSC's and capabilities. Chief Schaefer lays out his philosophy as a team guy for his entire career all the way up to his current position. From candidate to active duty operators, there are many lessons learned in this one, no matter what your career is. Make sure to follow the entire 57th Weapons School on IG @57thwing_command_chief and he has an open invite to come back on soon! Huge thanks to Chief Schaefer for coming on; we will definitely get him on again! 00:00 Make Sure to check out Hoist 00:30 Peaches goes hard for no reason to establish dominance01:00 Chief Schaefer's Origin Story 05:30 Aaron phrases a question longer than the answer itself09:00 Aaron does it again, this time about connectedness11:40 Chief wets everyone's beak with a teaser13:14 Check out Hoist and make sure to use the code ONESREADY at checkout! 16:30 Peach and Trent play CSI Vegas and talk Span of Control and Influence19:30 Kraken to the Rescue 23:10 Truly Leading- Knowing the Line 47:14 Advice from the ChiefDon't forget to subscribe to the Podcast on your favorite player! http://bit.ly/2OG2OlfHave a question?  Email us at info@onesready.comFollow us on Instagram http://bit.ly/2OeNoFIAs always, THANK YOU for your support, we truly appreciate it.#tacp #onesready #military Collabs:18A Fitness - Promo Code: 1ReadyAlpha Brew Coffee Company - Promo Code: ONESREADYATAC Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADYCardoMax - Promo Code: ONESREADYEberlestock - Promo Code: OR10Hoist - Promo Code: ONESREADYOut of Regs Pomade - Promo Code: ONESREADYStrike Force Energy - Promo Code: ONESREADYTrench Coffee Company - Promo Code: ONESREADY

COHORT W
CW5 Danny Taylor, CASCOM Command Chief Warrant Officer

COHORT W

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2023 28:50


Episode 17 features a discussion with CW5 Danny Taylor, Command Chief Warrant Officer of the US Army Combined Arms Support Command, CASCOM. CW5 Taylor discusses his work as the primary advisor to the CASCOM commander on all matters pertaining to Warrant Officers. Mr. Taylor then talks about the importance of combined arms support and their multiple contributions to Army operations. Finally, CW5 Taylor comments on simple keys to success for those trying to progress as Army Warrant Officers. Theme music (intro and outtro) composed by SFC(R) Joshua DiStefano. https://joshdistefano.com/ Please visit warrantofficerhistory.org to learn more about how you can help support the Warrant Officer Historical Foundation and programs like this. Ceremonial music is provided by https://www.usarmyband.com/ceremonial-music-guideTotal Episode length: 28:45

HeroFront
Jeff Martin - "Be Awesome At Your Job - Be A Great Wingman" The Foundations of Success And Leaving A Lasting Legacy

HeroFront

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2023 59:23


CMSgt Jeffrey D. Martin is the Command Chief for the 49th Wing, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. (At the time of recording Chief Martin was serving as the Command Chief, 53d Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla) He serves as the principle enlisted leader to the Wing Commander on all issues regarding the training, safety, morale, welfare and quality of life issues affecting a total force of over 4,000 enlisted personnel. The 49th Wing serves as the primary F-16 and MQ-9 training schoolhouse for the United States Air Force, training more than 150 F-16 pilots and 700 MQ-9 pilots and sensor operators annually. Additionally, the wing provides support to more than 21,000 military and civilian personnel to include the 635th Materiel Maintenance Group (Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources) and the 704th Test Group. Chief Martin enlisted in the Air Force in September 1997 and graduated from the Electrical Power Production Apprentice Course at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. He has held a variety of leadership positions at the squadron and group levels in the Civil Engineering and Military Training Instructor career fields. He has deployed in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, and Operation FREEDOM's SENTINAL. Prior to his current position, Chief Martin served as the Command Chief, 53d Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla.

DerryCAM Evolution Podcast
Army Command Chief Warrant Officer: George Munson

DerryCAM Evolution Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2022 53:14


Welcome to the podcast Command Chief Warrant Officer, George Munson. In this episode you'll hear about his 35+ year career in the Army, learning to fly helicoptors, how he met his wife, Ginger, and his love for the service.Follow us on instagram: @Homeland_Heroes_Salute @derry_nhLike us on Facebook: Homeland Heroes Salute @DerryTVFollow us on Twitter: @HHS_Podcast @Derry_CAM

FUEL
FUEL Episode 18

FUEL

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2022


On this episode of FUEL, Outgoing 434th Wing Command Chief chats with the 434th Air Refueling Wing's new Command Chief, Chief Master Sgt. Brian Jensenius

The AirPower Hour
Into the Life of the Air Force Recruiting Service Command Chief | CMSgt Antonio Golstrom

The AirPower Hour

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2022 18:37


Welcome to episode four of The AirPower Hour.  Joining me this week is the Command Chief of the Air Force Recruiting Service, Chief Master Sergeant Antonio Goldstrom. Chief Goldstrom joined the Air Force from Las Vegas, Nevada in 1993.  Throughout his 29 year career, he has held a multitude of leadership positions in many locations around the world, to include proudly serving as a First Sergeant for over six years. As the Senior Enlisted Leader, Chief Goldstrom executes the Commander's intent and is responsible for advising on all aspects of employment, training, readiness, resilience, and development of recruiters and staff operating from over 1,000 recruiting stations worldwide. In our conversation, Chief gave some sound advice for both new Airman and everyone currently serving.  It was an honor to sit down with Chief and I want to thank him for giving me the opportunity to do this. Enjoy this episode of The AirPower Hour!Learn more at Airforce.com or SpaceForce.com

HeroFront
CMSgt Robert C. Shultz - Why Leaders Need To Prioritize Their Team's Mental Health

HeroFront

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2022 65:40


The Air Force Wingman Outreach Team sits down with CMSgt Schultz  - The Command Chief of the Air Force Sustainment Center. We have a candid talk about how to take care of our own Mental Health and how leadership can bring those tools to the workplace.  More on Chief Shultz: Chief Master Sergeant Robert C. Schultz is the Command Chief Master Sergeant, Air Force Sustainment Center, headquartered at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Chief Schultz is the senior enlisted leader and advisor to the commander for the center, leading 40,000 total force Airmen spanning three air logistics complexes, three air base wings, and two supply chain wings which operate from 26 locations around the world. Chief Schultz is responsible for ensuring the commander's directions are carried out to execute the assigned mission of providing mission-essential support to joint and interagency operations, allies, coalition partners, and foreign military sales partners to deliver combat power for America. Chief Schultz enlisted in the Air Force in 1996 and has an extensive background in the Air Transportation and First Sergeant career fields having served in the Pacific, European, and Middle Eastern theaters. He has deployed to various locations in support of Operations IRAQI and ENDURING FREEDOM, New DAWN, and Joint Task Force Horn of Africa. Prior to his current position, he served as the Command Chief for the 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis Air Force Base, Calif.

Lessons From The Cockpit
Leadership Lessons with Command Chief Master Sergeant Dave Nordel

Lessons From The Cockpit

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2022 95:52


Welcome to the fortieth episode of the Lessons from the Cockpit podcast!  Chief Master Sergeant Dave Nordel had the distinction of being the Senior Non-Commissioned Officer for Air Refueling Wings, Numbered Air Forces, and deployed locations overseas. Chief Dave shares his stories of leadership and lessons learned, many written in his International Best Selling book Giving Back: Life and Leadership from the Farm to the Combat Zone and Beyond. One chilling story in this episode... Dave deployed to Somalia three days after the Battle of Mogadishu in October 1993, with helicopter pilot of Army MH-60 SUPER 61 Mike Durrant still a prisoner of the Somalis.  The Lessons from the Cockpit podcast is supported by Wall Pilot, custom aviation art for the walls of your home, office, and hanger. Buying Wall Pilot graphics keeps our show going. Shop the 125 Ready-to-Print images of aircraft from WW II to Fifth Gen fighters, bombers, and airlifters printed on vinyl in four, six, and eight-foot graphics you can peel off and stick to the walls of your home, office, or hanger. Wall Pilot can create custom aviation graphics of your favorite aircraft with your name, tail number, unit markings, and weapons load. These images are great historical records and conversation pieces for your home or office.  Thanks for listening to this and previous episodes of the Lessons from the Cockpit podcast. Please subscribe and share episodes with your family, friends, and loved ones found on my website at www.markhasara.com   

HeroFront
CMSgt Ed Diaz - The Power of Perspective "Toxic Leadership or Toxic Experience?" LIVE! at AFSAPEDS 2022 - Ep 44

HeroFront

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2022 54:21


Chief Master Sergeant Heriberto Diaz is the Command Chief Master Sergeant, Third Air Force, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The Third Air Force is U.S. Air Forces in Europe's Numbered Air Force for U.S. European Command as well as the U.S. Air Forces in Africa's Numbered Air Force for U.S. Africa Command, and is comprised of nine active-duty wings, ninety geographically separated units spanning 104 countries across Europe and Africa. As the Numbered Air Force's Senior Enlisted Leader, Chief Diaz advises the commander on issues affecting the readiness, organization, training, health, welfare, morale, development, and utilization of 30,000 Airmen. Chief Diaz is from Playas, New Mexico and enlisted in the Air Force in 1995. He has served in various duties in Munitions Maintenance, Operations Intelligence, Airman Development, and Senior Leadership positions. The Chief has a vast experience in the joint environment serving in combat with the US Army and Marine Corps, with a background in Security Cooperation. His broad range and depth of expertise includes weapons research and development, 24hr indications and warning operations, targeting analysis, Threat to Air Operations analysis, Airborne Intelligence analysis onboard the E-8C/JSTRS, Department of Defense airborne ISR operations management, and combat operations training in Latin America supporting SOUTHCOM priorities. Furthermore, Chief Diaz served as Commandant for the Erwin Professional Military Education Center, and as Command Chief for Air Mobility forces in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Chief Diaz has deployed on multiple occasions in direct support of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, IRAQI FREEDOM, and ENDURING FREEDOM. (This discussion is not endorsed by the USAF, it is a fun discussion between friends with the hope someone can gain positive insight)

Refuel Team Fairchild
Let's Talk About Leading with Positivity w/Chief Coltrin

Refuel Team Fairchild

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2022 42:10


Listen in as we spend some time with Command Chief of the 7th Bomber Wing, CMSgt Matt Coltrin. Chief spent two days with us during our Key Enlisted Development Seminar. One of the hardest things to do is look for the good when it's so easy to see the negative. Chief gives us some perspective on how he maintains a positive demeanor and also explains his "why."

Chevrons
Chevrons - Ep 012 - Journeys Through Leadership

Chevrons

Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2022


Chief Master Sgt. Denny Richardson, the Command Chief of the New York Air National Guard, and Tech. Sgt. Frederick Freeman, a recruiter at the 109th Airlift Wing, Scotia, New York, talked about adapting and embracing culture shift in the force. Chief Richardson hosts the Journeys Through Leadership podcast which is currently in its second season of bringing in-depth conversations with Airmen from all walks of life. Give it a listen on your podcast platform of choice! Listen to this episode and more by searching for ‘Chevrons' on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

Beneath the Wing
Beneath the Wing – Chief Master Sgt. Maurice L. Williams

Beneath the Wing

Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2022


Special episode this week as the 133rd Airlift Wing's Command Chief Master Sgt. Mark Legvold interviews Chief Master Sgt. Maurice L. Williams, Command Chief, Air National Guard, in Dallas, Texas, April 26, 2022. Williams talks about his journey into the Air Force and the most significant challenges and hopes he has for the Air National Guard. (U.S. Air National Guard podcast by 133rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs)

Journeys Through Leadership
Episode 3, Command Chief Denny Richardson

Journeys Through Leadership

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2022 50:28


The tables have turned!  Get to know the man behind the mic.Chief Richardson welcomes back some previous guests to ask him questions.Learn more about Chief's history, leadership style, and thoughts on what the Air Force could do better.He also talks about who the biggest influence in his life has been, work life balance and his influence and ideas for developing Airmen throughout their career.

Ones Ready
USAF Special Warfare Training Wing Command Team: Col Mason Dula & Command Chief Todd Popovic

Ones Ready

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2022 57:03


On this episode of the Ones Ready podcast, the team sits down with the Command Team of the Special Warfare Training Wing, Col Mason Dula and Command Chief Todd Popovic.  This Command Team has been in the seat shaping what the AFSPECWAR pipeline currently looks like and guiding it into the future.  The Special Warfare Training Wing is contains numerous schools such as Special Warfare Candidate Course, Assessment & Selection, Pre-dive, and more.  The podcast is a way for us to give back, serve each one of you, and build our community up with the most educated and well-train members.  Please enjoy the episode and give us your feedback. If you liked it and feel so inclined, please leave us a review.  If we didn't answer your questions, please let us know, and thank you for your support!Want to watch this episode on Youtube? https://www.youtube.com/OnesReadyHave a question?  Email us at info@onesready.comFollow us on Instagram @onesreadyFollow us on YoutubeFollow us on FacebookCollabs:Alpha Brew Coffee Company - Promo Code:  ONESREADYTrench Coffee Company - Promo Code:  ONESREADYEberlestock - Promo Code:  OR10Hoist - Promo Code:  ONESREADYStrike Force Energy - Promo Code:  ONESREADYCardoMax - Promo Code:  ONESREADYOut of Regs Pomade - Promo Code:  ONESREADY18A Fitness - Promo Code:  1Ready

Have a Tisue
Fairchild Command CMSgt Daniel Guzman

Have a Tisue

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2022 87:02


Today, Command Chief Master Sergeant Daniel Guzman joined me for a 90-minute podcast. It's my 32nd birthday which means it's been exactly one year since I posted my first podcast. Chief Guzman has been the Command Chief at Fairchild Air Force Base for almost 18 months and is set to be the Command Chief at Elmendorf this Summer. He currently has 25 years in active duty and we talk about some of the lessons and experiences he's gained in those years. Chief values being available for Airmen and being the voice for Airmen during meetings with senior leadership. He pointed out that we can't assume everyone has a mentor or coach and we need to coach those people. We talk about how he worked 12+ hours at Lakenheath and burnt himself out as a Senior Master Sergeant and after a PCS to Langley he realized he was the only one working past 1700 and that he needed to rearrange his priorities. He suggested I read the book Go-Giver and that book highlighted that the most successful people are willing to share their secrets with others, I try to get Chief Guzman to share as many of those secrets as I can within these 90 minutes.

Chevrons
Chevrons - Ep 010 - Turning the tables

Chevrons

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2022


We turn the microphone around and interview Chief Master Sgt. Sean Sullivan, Massachusetts State Command Chief and co-host of the CHEVRONS podcast. We talk about his vision for the enlisted force in the state and cover a few of the great initiatives being developed to enhance the careers of the enlisted force. CHEVRONS – a podcast for the enlisted force. From junior enlisted to senior leaders and those in between, we interview notable individuals to address everyday challenges and hurdles the enlisted force faces. New episodes arrive on the last Friday of each month! CHEVRONS on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mKTdhSAHuN9MBbp4GAbxW CHEVRONS on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chevrons/id1570686113 CHEVRONS on Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZHZpZHNodWIubmV0L3Jzcy9wb2RjYXN0LzQ4NA

Chevrons
Chevrons - Ep 007 - Three Airmen and a Guardian walk into a podcast

Chevrons

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2021


Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Hirl, Command Chief of the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts, and U.S. Space Force Sgt. D'Andre Floyd, a non-commissioned officer in charge of the standardization and evaluation shop at the 6th Space Warning Squadron on Cape Cod Space Force Station, discussed enlisted professional development, the qualities and attributes they look for in their peers and leaders, and culture as they each move forward in their new positions.

Living a Maintenance Life
Shogun Command Chief

Living a Maintenance Life

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2021 54:01


Welcome to the first episode of the final season of Living a Maintenance Life. Ronnie "Throwback" Woods came to the lab and we had a candid conversation. Kadena's own ZZ Command Chief offers a perspective that I believe most can relate to. From the west side of Chi-Town this genuine leader opens up about life, leadership, struggles, and successes along the way. Cheers to this professional who cares about maintenance and respects what we do. Enjoy.

HeroFront
Todd Simmons: Airman, Author, and Courageous Leader - Ep 19

HeroFront

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2021 67:14


Todd Simmons is the founder and Chief Vision Officer of Courageous Leadership Alliance. Todd has an international reputation in the field of education and leadership development. Todd served over 25 years in the U.S. Air Force. His final position in the Air Force was Command Chief for Air University where he led the professional development and education for 50,000 resident and 120,000 non-resident Air Force affiliated students each year. Todd is on a mission to create a coalition of change agents to build healthy organizational cultures with courageous leaders. He is the author of Why Not Me (Born to Fail- Destained To Succeed) and 30 Days of Courageous Leadership. He is a sought after coach, business consultant, and speaker for many national and international clients.

Lessons Learned for Vets
Episode 45: Preparing for Post-military Culture Shock with Ryan Thuyns

Lessons Learned for Vets

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2021 33:21


After a USAF career that started in IT and telecommunications, Ryan Thuyns retired as a Command Chief. Ryan leaned into mentorship and accepted Lori's challenge to grow his LinkedIn network from