4 May 2023 sent from Montgomery

"The Note"…sharin' what I'm thinkin' about with you

Y.5 N.4 - It's Not Goodbye, I'll See You Soon

Inspirare Vigent 

Why I'm leaving LDC, the job I moved to Montgomery, Alabama …and the role I've loved the most in my first 51 years on planet Earth.

I will forever remember the 23rd of January 2019: the day I first took the oath as a civilian in the United States Air Force.

Here I am, Day One "on the job."

Over the next 1,222 days, I called myself a Big “A” Airman, a Leader Development Course team member, and a friend. I dedicated myself to the regular "Red Flag" missions we chair flew through the human domain of leadership.

As my time with this organization ends, I reflect on the journey I have shared with thousands of Airmen and Guardians, Active Duty, Reserve, Guard, and Civilians…

 …the Total Force.

Working alongside every one of you has been an honor, and I cannot fully express my gratitude for the camaraderie, support, and wisdom you have imparted to me during our time together.

Leadership is about trust, respect, and influence. Teaching leadership requires letting go of HOW I think all of that is done and offering a blank canvas to those who will lead. People follow leaders they can trust, who will respect them in return, and who realize that leaders and followers influence one another.

I have witnessed the power of this sentiment in theory in our classroom and across the MAJCOMS I've visited, sitting with our Airmen as we share our stories of connection, as we have united under a common purpose and understanding.

Inspirare Vigent 

To inspire to thrive.

In January 2019, Jodi and I moved to Alabama from California, from the mountains of Santa Barbara to Montgomery, the birthplace of the civil rights movement. We closed our coaching and consulting business, stopped selling our books and programs, and moved almost a couple thousand miles away from the community we knew and our family.

We did so for you.

For over four years, I sat in the "front row," leaning into the human domain as we all watched magic emerge. In a way that would make Walt Disney proud. We entered not the "happiest place on earth" but instead the "most important classroom in PME." We imagined what could happen when we closed the seminar doors and welcomed our students and faculty to the small auditorium of building 803.

Now, it is my time to clear my desk and make room for the next awesome level to emerge.

I didn't Course Direct anything and barely wrote up lesson plans. I didn't contribute to the academic prowess of our program, and I just kinda helped a few people build their stories…and storytelling skills. While I look around and feel like I didn't do that much, I simultaneously accept that we did so much together!

With 51 full years on this planet behind me, I am getting ready to start (about) my 51st job. But THIS one - job number 50 - "Assistant Professor at Air War College and Instructor of CSAF's Leader Development Course - Squadron Command" is the one that has been the most meaningful to me, my marriage, my family, my community, my country, my world.

Now, I can't and won't speak for anyone else…, but to ME, this was the most important thing I've done…yet.

From the morning I joined this team, I was challenged and embraced, pushed to excel, and supported in my growth. The leaders I have served have made me better. Years ago, I read a book by Sheryl Sandberg. She said, "Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and ensuring that impact lasts in your absence. My goal was to LIVE that quote.

Iron sharpens iron.

My memory is clear: After I took the oath that January morning, I read the story of Chester McBride, an Airmen who had his life cut short down range. This was my first - real - introduction to the "life-and-death" nature of the work I had chosen to take on. I could not have known how the next 1,222 days would unfold, how close I'd grow to my colleagues and students, and how I, too, would be impacted by the loss.

As much as caring can hurt, I will continue to do so. You have my word.

Our academic cohort researched, tested, and improved the teaching and learning philosophy and activities that made LDC what it is today. I never imagined that together, over the span of 4 years and five professional cadres of graduated Squadron Commanders, we would affect the Department of the Air Force. The most senior leaders would celebrate – and often brag about – our course. Now, I hear that students compete to attend and participate in our 8-day experience.

As Admiral William H. McRaven said, "You can't change the world alone; you will need some help. And to truly get from your starting point to your destination takes friends, colleagues, the goodwill of strangers, and a strong coxswain to guide you." As I reflect on each 67-hour course I was a part of - and the hundreds of hours I spent TDY around the Air Force - I am awed at just how right Admiral McRaven was.

I will always strive for excellence, raise the bar, and elevate the quality of my work. I will do so while leaning into the process AND products of collaboration and support. I will forever talk about "what we did at LDC;" you are the benchmark until I build a new one! Nowhere exists the potential to jump into the arena like what you have here. As I evolve (and pack up the collection of challenge coins presented to me over the past 4 years!) I challenge to "make it better."

Not because it should be (no "shoulding" here!); because it COULD be.

The decision to leave LDC and join the United States Space Force ranks in the top five most challenging choices I've had in five decades. But, it's what's best… for me, for you, for the Air Force, for my marriage, my health, my family, my country. I will continue to serve at this next level to the best of my ability and full potential.

I reread a few quotes in my leader book recently. At the bottom of one entry, I found this:

 "I need to believe in myself and constantly up-level my abilities - skills - in the human domain. I must follow my dream, even if it means doing what's hard, leaning in when I'm ill-equipped, working with few resources, under the pressure of deadlines."

What I promise myself is this: I will show up prepared.

To the current - and future - cadre at LDC, I am confident that your unwavering dedication and determination will continue to make a significant impact. Of course, I'll follow along, cheering from the sidelines, and I'm in the stands; what you do is essential.

When you get to that auditorium, look to your left. Look to your right. Make awkward eye contact and engage someone in a meaningful conversation… remember, a meaningful conversation is one that THEY find meaningful…to them.

By getting someone to tell their story, we empower them. You empower them by challenging their biases, their "starting points," and what they expect as they head toward the next leadership level.

This is how I intend to “get after” the causes of a stronger - more resilient - force. I want resilience to be the CAUSE, not the symptom. I want people to Always Be Ready…

Instead of teaching resilience as a response to adversity, I will continue to focus on caring, empowerment, inclusion, pride, and professionalism as the causes of resilience.

It is in this spirit that I bid you farewell.

Thank you for your service, friendship, and commitment to excellence. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors, and I will always cherish the memories and lessons learned during our time together. Our paths WILL continue to cross.

And, when they do, we will talk about how we are living, leading, and loving.

Inspirare Vigent

With my deepest respect and love,

JW

As my friend Doug reminded me, a baseball is meant to be thrown, hit, caught, thrown, and put back into play.

Ready?

I am...