Who is Deliberate Development here to serve?

You have been a technical sergeant for awhile now and are an expert in your trade. Supervision has realized your potential and you are now leading your own team. You have always been the go to person for all the difficult problems and you have found a way to succeed using your technical expertise in your field. Your training and career development has set you up well to be that expert in your field; however, you feel very unprepared to lead this team. You feel very pressured to succeed as a leader and to take care of your team and your boss.

If this is you, someone you supervise, or someone you aspire to be; Deliberate Development is here for you. Together we will forge tomorrow’s leaders today.

Still interested? Here is the background story…

The United States military is well known for it’s tactical prowess and ability to respond to any situation with very little notice. There are few organizations who have dealt with constant change on such a grand scale year after year like the armed services. Every two years a new command is gripping the reins at every level and every three to four years the masses are moving on to new assignments. All this considered, the traditions and legacies have been passed like a torch for many years.

As a maintainer, I always found it amazing that no matter where I was deployed in the world or from what base my teammates were from, we all did the job the same way. The reason is the Air Force is explicit with how we are trained and in the standardization of the processes used by all. We are very deliberate in how we operate technically. However, we are not so deliberate in preparing each other for the leadership roles we are chosen for based on those superior technical skills.

I am a Senior Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force and I have always had a passion for self improvement and for passing on what I have learned from others along the way. My father and grandfather poured a lot of wisdom into me that shaped my views on leadership. These same principles learned as a youth have carried me successfully through a military career and have been sharpened through college education, life experience, and strong mentors who went out of their way to develop me.

My philosophy on leadership has always been: people first. The mission is always changing and so are the processes we use to accomplish it. If we only focus on the task at hand, we can perfect it to the point a robot could do it. However, as plans change, it is the people who make us successful. It is the people that took us from canvas wing airplanes to supersonic fighter jets. To be successful, people need to be developed constantly and deliberately.

The Air Force does a great job at providing tools that set the framework for success through the Air Force doctrine, the Enlisted Force Structure, the little blue book (or whatever it’s called now), and all the other literature talking about operating in the perfect system. Nothing tells us how to get there and how to navigate the waters. I think this is intentional because it is up to us as leaders to figure out the “how”and pass that on to those who work for us and with us. Look for the informational bits or techniques that ring true to you. Together we will grow one another in a deliberate way.

Are you looking for ways to become a more deliberate leader? Let us know where you are struggling or what questions you may have at the email address below. Any and all feedback is deeply appreciated!


We are always looking for those willing to provide content or share their wisdom. Let us know if you are interested in developing leaders.