Barskdale showcasing leadership in 2015

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Joseph Raatz
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  2nd Bomb Wing is shining the spotlight on leadership development in 2015.

"2015 is the Year of the Leader," said Col. Kristin Goodwin, 2nd Bomb Wing commander. "We're focusing on developing leadership strengths not only in our active, reserve and guard personnel, but also in our civilian Airmen.  By cultivating more effective leaders, we actively enhance our force and significantly increase our capabilities."

Over the course of the year, a variety of events will be held here that aim to encourage development of leadership skills, beginning with the "It starts with you" workshop, Feb. 26-27. Other events will include a leadership seminar and a working dinner.

"These events will be open to everyone, including civilians and spouses" said Senior Master Sgt. Latoya Edwards-Morgan, 2nd Security Forces first sergeant. "Anyone who wants to attend can come, because leadership is not unique to the military. Leadership is leadership, across the board. Whether you're working at a Fortune 500 company or coaching a little league team, leadership is leadership because people are people."

The seminar and other events, hosted by the Barksdale Total Force Development Council, will focus on various topics. Attendees will receive skill training ranging from communication fundamentals to writing performance reports to becoming an effective mentor.

"You're not necessarily a leader just because you're in a leadership position or are the most senior ranking person," Edwards-Morgan explained. "Leadership is something that has to be cultivated over time. That's what we want to focus on this year... We don't want to just know what the regulations say a leader should be; we want to see what leadership really looks like in the real world, and we want to learn how we can become one of those real-world leaders."

The Year of the Leader series aims to develop leaders holistically, going beyond simply giving people skills training by encouraging conversation that explores the foundational concepts of leadership.

"You can look up the definition of leadership, but that doesn't really tell you much," Edwards-Morgan said. "That's why we're focusing on developing leaders through both skill training and deep discussion. Having the skills is all well and good, but if you don't know what it truly means to be a leader, what leadership really looks like, those skills aren't going to do you much good.

"You often hear phrases like 'battle-ready' and 'warrior ethos,' but we don't want leadership to be a collection of buzzwords," she continued. "We want to really get into the meat of what leadership truly is and then give you the tools to accomplish that. At the heart of it, that's what these programs are designed to do."

Sign up for the "It starts with you" workshop at https://cs3.eis.af.mil/sites/OO-DP-AC-30/default.adpx beginning Feb. 9. Participants can choose to attend the entire workshop, or choose from an 'a-la-carte' style selection of discussion topics and times to better fit their schedule. The workshop is open to Team Barksdale civilians, spouses and active duty, guard and reserve Airmen of all grades.

"No matter your rank or position, leadership abilities are universally beneficial," Goodwin said. "That's really what this year is about. We want to give our team members the tools to hone their skills and to make positive impacts in the lives of our Airmen and their families.  Trained leaders ensure focused Airmen accomplish the Air Force mission effectively and efficiently."