The Airman’s Creed

I am an American Airman. I am a Warrior.

I have answered my Nation’s call.

I am an American Airman. My mission is to Fly, Fight, and Win.

I am faithful to a Proud Heritage, A Tradition of Honor, And a Legacy of Valor.

I am an American Airman. Guardian of Freedom and Justice, My Nation’s Sword and Shield, Its Sentry and Avenger.

I defend my Country with my Life. I am an American Airman.

Wingman, Leader, Warrior.

I will never leave an Airman behind, I will never falter, And I will not fail.

I speak often of the principles of leadership encouraging leaders to lead with heart felt service. Let’s take a moment and look at an organization that protects our freedom on a daily basis.  The Air Force and the Airmen who serve us, who we may never know or meet; yet they have made the commitment to protect us.

Reviewing the core values of the Airforce –

Integrity First – An Airman is a person of integrity, courage and conviction. They must be willing to control their impulses and exercise courage, honesty and accountability in order to do what is right even when no one is looking.

Service Before Self – An Airman’s professional duties take precedence over personal desires. Every Airman is expected to have the discipline to follow rules, exhibit self-control and possess respect for the beliefs, authority and worth of others.

Excellence In All We Do – An Airman strives for continual improvement in self and service in order to propel the Air Force further and to achieve greater accomplishment and performance for themselves and their community.

Imagine what your organization would look like if the people you lead held the core values above?

Airmen attend a boot camp to learn and develop the skill set needed to operate effectively as a cohesive unit.  I am confident the drill captain has no hesitation to have a courageous conversation with anyone on his squad.

The squad must create a strong bond, become a family to be successful in the line of duty.

We as leaders must create the bond with the individuals in our organization.  It is a proven fact the when this is present productivity and retention in the company is high.  Leading with integrity, serving before our self and being the example of excellence in all we do will lead your company to accomplish the vision you created.  We can learn a lot from the Airman’s creed and their core values.  Just envision your company living these values.

I am thankful to be here in America, the land of the free and express sincere gratitude to the individuals that make this possible.  Find someone you are thankful for and/or grateful to have in your life and let them know.  In fact, contact them and say, “Thank you!”

Greg