People as the end, not the means to ....

Nov 18, 2024

3 min read

'Erkenne immer, dass menschliche Individuen Zwecke sind, und gebrauche sie nicht als Mittel zu deinem Zweck.'

— Immanuel Kant

“Always recognize that human individuals are ends, and do not use them as means to your end.”

— Immanuel Kant

Engaged Leadership

Who has inspired your leadership the most? In what ways did they stand out from the crowd of leaders in your life? Two leaders who greatly inspired my leadership come to my mind:

At an Air Force-wide "Caring for Families" Forum, filled with a veritable constellation of generals, high-ranking civilians, and others who might have benefited his career better, Chaplain, Lt Colonel Dave Terrinoni intentionally sought out junior-grade chaplains and offered to mentor us throughout our Air Force career. I later worked for him at Tinker Air Force Base, and he exhibited this same humility as a natural part of who he is. We knew that Chaplain T cared for our careers, our personal development, and our families, and encouraged us as the ones who would eventually take his place in leadership.
Having just put on Major General, Chaplain Dondi Costin walked into his reception and spent the time thanking each person for their attendance. This included my teenage daughter. He came away from their conversation, knowing her name, age, and life goals. She walked away feeling seen and heard by a very high-ranking military officer. In fact, that relationship continued, and Chaplain Costin later arranged connections for her in Denton, TX, when she left home to attend college.

Why do these stand out for me? These two men viewed people as the end, not the means to an end. So often, I have observed senior leaders walk into a room and flock together with those of similar background, rank, seniority, or education while completely ignoring others in the room. These two recognized the value of even the lowest-ranking members and made them feel ... seen. They were and remain to this day ready to engage with and invest in others.

Transformed Leadership

How did these two examples affect my leadership?

I learned that relationships build trust. As Dr. Phil once taught, "rules without relationship equals rebellion." However, when the time is taken to build relationships, subordinates can trust that the boss has their best interests in mind.
A previous boss once told me we could not be friends because he might have to fire me someday. Chaplain Terrinoni and Chaplain Costin proved that axiom to be bunk. I discovered that a mature leader (and follower) recognizes the boundary between leader and follower but also recognizes that a relationship of mutual care and concern can be had within that boundary. In fact, I learned that an effective leader views discipline as rehabilitative in nature, not punitive, and rehabilitation is able to occur only within a relationship of mutual care and concern.
I found that leadership is most effective within a construct of living life together. Recognizing birthdays, death days, and other significant moments (I recommend you calendar them so you are reminded annually) creates an atmosphere of family and authenticity among the team as a whole.
Chaplains Terrinoni and Costin discipled me in the art of creating value through engagement. This engagement must begin from the very first step into a new position. This was brought home to me when I started at Base X. I walked into the building, fully expecting to be welcomed in some manner. Instead, I was forced to wander through a mostly-deserted building until I eventually stumbled onto the office of my sponsor, where I found him chatting it up with a member of the team. "Valued" was not how I felt ... I was absolutely a means to an end. Consequently, I have coached my team to welcome new team members with a gift and to gather and greet that person upon first arrival, thereby fostering that sense of family from the beginning.