COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- As I near the completion of the 14th month of my 24-month command tour of the 14th Communications Squadron, I have learned a lot about myself and leadership.
Leading in the communications or cyber field is very frustrating since nearly 95 percent of information technology services Airmen use on a daily basis are not under local control. From email, to web surfing to even connecting an external hard drive, my unit does not have the rights to manage.
This has been a tough pill to swallow because I serve in an environment where we strive for excellence. Additionally, I am a results driven person that likes to get the job done and move on to the next challenge. As a professional Airman I take it personal when a capability I am charged with providing to mission partners is unavailable.
So what do I do? I spend roughly 30 percent of my day pushing organizations that control enterprise-level systems. The remaining 70 percent of my day is focused on improving Columbus Air Force Base at the local level. Regardless of who controls what, the mission continues and my team and I must improve and support operations where we can. Everyone will have a different balance dependent upon assignment and scope of responsibility. There is not a magic formula to figure out the balance and it is not in a continuity book, one must develop it on their own. My lesson to those frustrated by situations outside of your control is to invest more time, energy and resources on items within your span of control while continuing to push external change.