Commentary: Commander’s Corner -- Technological leadership is vital, dynamic

  • Published
  • By Col. Bradley J. Smith
  • Space Vehicles Directorate, materiel wing director
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, New Mexico --  From the first flight of the Wright Brothers nearly 105 years ago, airpower and technology have always been intertwined. The ability to fly, fight and win in the three domains of air, space and cyberspace all depend upon a core foundation of technical leaders at all levels pushing the state of the art. 

Kirkland AFB hosts two of the 10 directorates of the Air Force Research Lab. The Phillips Research Site at Kirkland AFB includes the Directed Energy and Space Vehicles directorates, with over 100 facilities and over 1,600 men and women focused on the AFRL mission of leading research in support of tomorrow's Air Force. Leadership is a key ingredient, as our mission is to lead the way with future technologies, innovative concepts and war-winning ideas. 

People are the heart of the lab. Creating new technology is an intellectually challenging business requiring creativity, imagination, and persistence. So while some may see us as just geeks in white lab coats, the reality is that the lab's engineers and scientists are some of the most creative and dynamic people you will ever meet. Many are exceptionally talented or even gifted leaders - for without vision and leadership, no great task is ever accomplished. 

I happen to be a fan of the late, great Green Bay football coach - Vince Lombardi. What does football have to do with leading a laboratory? More than you might think. Having spent much of my adult life studying the art and science of leadership, some universal truths apply equally to leading people off the gridiron. 

Vince Lombardi once called the essence of leadership "character in action." This included mental toughness, the Air Force values of impeccable integrity and self-sacrifice, and "a perfectly disciplined will that refuses to give in." The corollary to this statement is that great character produces great action. Men and women of character, founded on solid core values are capable of great things. 

If you consider, for one moment, the challenge of creating a truly new technical idea or vision from nothing, and then overcoming the thousands of obstacles needed to make that vision a reality, you will have some idea of the challenges we face. New technologies are often built from the ground up, rather than the top down - a product of the vision and drive of the researcher as much as a draw from the field of battle. 

At the lab, teams work problems ranging from fundamental physics between the earth and sun to single isolated Bose-Einstein atoms. From the foundations of adaptive optics, space electronics, highly efficient solar arrays or plug-and-play parts, we build entire spacecraft like TACSAT-2 and TACSAT-3 that deliver pictures directly to the warfighter. Failure is always an option in new research, but people of character are not deterred by failure, and find another way. 

Lombardi also stressed the importance of service to others, the so called "servant-leader model." He said, "It is essential to understand that battles are primarily won in the hearts of men. Men respond to leadership in a most remarkable way, and once you have won his heart, he will follow you anywhere." 

If you lead from the heart, and understand that you serve the people you lead, and not the other way around, then your people will follow you no matter where you go. 

While I've only been at the Phillips site for a few months, it is clear to me that the men and women of the lab understand service to the people they lead, and also to the Air Force and nation as a whole. Many have the education and experience to take higher paying jobs elsewhere, but make a conscious choice to serve the Air Force and nation because they value the work and understand its importance. 

When you see the dedication of teams doing cutting edge imaging at Starfire Optical Range, building the foundation of plug-and-play satellites downstairs from my office, exploring high power microwaves or pushing the state of the art in space situational awareness, it is clear to see that these teams are led from the heart. A love for what they do drives them forward. 

Which brings me to my last point - and that is teamwork. Lombardi says that, "Teamwork is what the Green Bay Packers were all about. They didn't do it for individual glory. They did it because they loved one another." 

If you spend just a few minutes reading accounts from those in combat, you will hear many of the same words. Men and women in combat are willing to risk life and limb or even death because they care about the person next to them. 

Technology has evolved to a point where one person acting alone can rarely advance the state of knowledge very far. Today's advancements are made by teams of people working in concert to successively knock down individual barriers, often maturing a large number of contributing technologies in parallel to build a single system. Satellites, spacecraft, lasers and directed energy systems are among the most complex systems ever created by man. The coordination and teamwork needed to build such systems staggers the imagination. 

Every day, here at Kirtland AFB, we design new satellites, envision new concepts in directed energy and turn ideas drawn on the back of a napkin into reality. At the heart of each new system is a team of flesh-and-blood people dedicated not only to a shared vision, but also to each other. They go the extra yard not only for the young man or woman serving overseas, but also because they care about the person working next to them. Leadership here at the laboratory translates into leadership in air, space and cyberspace for the Air Force and our nation. 

I'm honored and humbled to serve these people - be it on or off the gridiron.