Just say no!

Work vs family…. The struggle continues.  

Work often becomes addictive.  You don’t even realize it.  You may be one of those folks who can hardly wait to get to your computer to see all those e-mails that someone stayed up all night writing and sending to you to make your day.  You may be one of those folks who complain about the excessive number of e-mails you get every day.  But you sit at your desk all day, watching with great anticipation, as they come up.  You may even get perturbed when you don’t get an e-mail for more than thirty minutes.  You even check your computer’s connections to make sure everything is intact!  “No e-mails?  Man, the server must be down.” 

If I asked you to choose what’s most important to you, work or family, there’s an extremely high probability that you’d choose family.  Yet, if I follow up with asking you where you spend most of your time, you’ll probably answer, “at work, or working.”  What’s up with that?  How can family be more important to you, yet you spend most of your time working?  Oh yes, I know your argument!  You work to support your family.  That’s partly true.   

Why do we work so hard or so much?  Because it’s easy!  “Wait a minute,” you say, “My work is tough!”  You want tough?  Try raising a family!  That’s tough!  Let me tell you why you spend most of your time at work, the real reason.  Again, it’s easy!  At work you know the rules.  You know when you’re supposed to be there.  You know what to do.  You know how to address people.  In fact, you were trained to do what you do at work.  Now, how much training did you get to be a parent or a spouse?  That’s tough!  The rules are made up as you go along, usually not by you, and they get tougher as time goes by.  Work is fun!  Come on, be honest. Yes, you have a lot of responsibilities, but you also have a lot more help than you do at home.

You’re going to have to take care of your family every once in a while, or you will lose them.  If you have kids, don’t blink because when you open your eyes they will have grown into people.  You’ll wonder what happened and the answer is that while you were busy saying yes to your work, they kept on growing and left you behind.

Work can become addictive.  Do what’s right for you and your family. That means going home when you should.  Not taking that work trip that seems like it will be so much fun.  Not going to that function when your son or daughter is graduating from karate school.  It also means taking time for yourself.  An Effective Leader ensures she grows on the inside as well as on the outside.  (I’m not talking about physical growth here.  That will come on its own.)  It’s tough, but so are you!  Your job is temporary.  You’ll always be Dad or Mom.  Effective Leadership is about doing what’s right at work and at home.  You have to strike the balance, which is almost never 50-50.  It will always be easier to say no to your family.  Take courage!  When someone asks you to do one more fun thing at work and you know your family is counting on you to be with them at the same time, just say no to the work.  You won’t regret it in the long term.

Until next time, Be GREAT! You ARE!

 

                                 ¡HEIRPOWER!

 

 

bob vásquez!

 

You don't know what you don't know

 You may have heard the kind-of-a-joke that goes like, “What’s the difference between ignorance and apathy?” the answer being, “I don’t know, and I don’t care.” It’s almost funny, but as my mentor, Dava Flowers, suggested in an email, maybe we should think about those two topics because the Youngsters are looking for a better answer. Dava is a Youngster. She’s twenty. A college student. She’s a leader in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). The email was about Dava and Nicholas Tupper, also a Youngster, and CAP Cadet, had hosted a "Fight Apathy" Meeting “where young people from my school can come together and share leadership stories and humanitarian ideas with other students and the leaders in my community.” Do you see why these Youngsters have become my mentors?

 

I, way too often, hear Old Schoolers complain about our Youngsters, they may be your followers, who live in an “all about me” culture. All they care about is themselves. Maybe. But if that’s so, where did that culture come from? They didn’t create it. They inherited, or assimilated into, it. I’m convinced that our followers, including our Youngsters, care. I think that, by Nature, they have to care. The challenge is what do they care about? That’s where we Oldsters come in. 

 

How many times have you heard that (always others) “they don’t know what they don’t know?” That’s ignorance. We’re ALL ignorant of something! In my case, many things! I’m okay with that. I try to make up for that by learning as much as I can about as much as I can. Maybe you, Leader, should find out what your followers do, or don’t, know (which, by the way, would make you less ignorant) and help them to know!  Interestingly, Dava’s note referred to action as she stated that her goal was to get her peers to “ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING.” One of my most favoritest adages is, “To know but not to do is not to know.” I’m not sure who said it, but it’s a profound thought. As a leader, you’re charged with leading. Duh…! Where? YOU don’t know unless you know what your followers know! And that takes getting to know them. Start there! Once you know what they know, or don’t, you can, with them, set a direction for growth. And you know what you’ll accomplish that’s deeper than you anticipated? They’ll know that you care! WHOA! My leader cares! What a GREAT climate to live and work in!

 

 Your followers care. They do! About what? Find out! Then guide them toward assimilating what they care about with what you care about and what you BOTH care about. There’s power in that! When we all care about the same thing, we’re likely to do something about it, as Dava expects from her peers. But until you make the time to get to know them, YOU won’t know what they don’t know.

 

Notice that I introduced Dava as my mentor. I’ll soon, I hope, write a book titled PowerPact Mentoring, which will be based on a workshop I do. Traditionally, the mentoring processes is an Old Schooler guiding a Youngster toward some end. We live in a new world. Dava and I will soon launch a podcast that we’re calling Creating Leaders of Character. Her main purpose in that project is to help me to know what I don’t know. Help me reduce my ignorance of who our Youngsters are and how they think. I don’t really lead anyone anymore, but as I encourage you to be a leader, I need to know about our followers so that I can give you better advice.

 

So, (as all Youngsters start every sentence) get to know your followers and show them that you care. Life, and leading, is so simple once you understand the complexities! Know and care! That is all!              

 

            Until next time, Be GREAT! You ARE!

 

                                 ¡HEIRPOWER!

 

 

bob vásquez!

They're ALWAYS watching

People may not do what you tell them to do, but they WILL do what YOU do, so be careful and deliberate about what you do. As General George Patton said, “We’re always on parade.”

 

    It’s the very first Black Thanksgiving! You know, when stores started opening up with HUGE (Yeah, RIGHT!) sales Thanksgiving evening. 

 

    My daughter, Elyse, invites me to go with her to Walmart this particular Thanksgiving evening. I love her so much that I accept. Actually, there IS something I want to buy, because it’s “half price!” I never did the research to see what the original price was, but the ad said “half price” so I’m in. ALL IN!

 

    Here’s what was bumfoozling, the sale starts at 2300 (11 PM for you non-military folks.). Got that. But Walmart is open 24 hours. How’s THAT gonna work? Not very well, really, read on….

 

    We figure there will be a lot of folks taking advantage of all the great sales tonight, so we’d better get there early. If nothing else, we can get in line. I LOVE getting in line. I’ve served in the Air Force for 50 years. I KNOW how to get in line. Sometimes, at a store, I’ll see a line and get in it. I don’t have to know what the line is for. It’s a line. I’ve been trained. I get in it. It’s a habit.

 

    SO, we get to Walmart about 2200 (10 PM.) As expected, there are hundreds of people throughout the store. And there are lines. I’m like a puppy on a leash. Let me get in line, PLEASE!

 

    Oh, don’t let me leave you hanging. The item I wanted to buy that was “half price” was a trampoline. My daughter, Tesa, has two daughters and I thought it’d be a great gift for them. It actually was.   And it was “half price!” Where’s the line?!

 

    Elyse heads to find her own line (She’s been in the Air Force ALL of her life. Literally.). She’s watched me get in line all of her life. So, she, too, knows how to do that. I’m trying to figure out where they might have trampolines. AHA! Let me ask. I notice an already-frazzled manager walking by, so I stop her and ask her. She sighs, one of those “I wish I wasn’t here” sighs and tells me to follow her. She takes me way back to near the tire sales in the corner of the store. She points to this big pallet of boxes under a sign that says “Trampolines.” As I turn to thank her, she proclaims to me, and everyone around, that the sale starts at 2300. Please don’t take the boxes until then.

 

    What do people do when they’re told not to do something? What they were told not to do! That’s exactly what happens. The manager leaves and people start putting trampoline boxes on their carts. Now, let me tell you, in case you’ve never bought a trampoline. If you have, you know what I mean. Those boxes are heavy, Man! I’m not sure what the actual weight is, but they have to be several hundred pounds. People are struggling to put their boxes on their respective carts and the carts are barely able to hold them up. And, of course, they don’t fit INSIDE the cart. You just kinda set the box on the cart just to roll it over to the cashier. (BTW, all of the cashier stations are manned for this event! If you shop at Walmart, you know what a surprise that is.) 

 

    I’m watching all of these folks put trampoline boxes on their carts and I get to thinking that I better do the same, before they’re all gone. And it seems to be the American thing to do. I’m ALL IN!

 

    As I huff and puff, attempting to get this incredibly heavy box onto the cart I “borrowed” from someone who wasn’t paying attention to their cart, hence not protecting it, and you know, you snooze you lose, I hear a voice like out of the heavens ask, “How you doing, Chief?!”

 

    Time stops. Like in the movies. I look around and everyone has frozen in their steps. I look toward the source of the voice only to see a couple of my cadets.  At the time I was teaching at the United States Air Force Academy’s Center for Character and Leadership Development. Every cadet had to go through my class. It was a graduation requirement. Which means that they all knew me. “How you doing, Chief?” 

 

    “I’m fine,” is my reply. “How are you?” “We’re good. Whatcha doing?” Okay, so what am I going to tell them? “I’m violating what the manager just admonished us are the rules for tonight’s sale. THAT’S what I’m doing!” Okay, Okay, I think it, but, luckily, I know the difference between outer voice and inner voice. I keep it inner voice. “Just trying to make my granddaughters happy,” is my lame reply. “Oh,” they say as they look at each other, then at me, obviously, not sure what I mean. “Well, have a good evening,” they smile, as they keep looking at me.

 

    Look. I’m on a fixed income. This item is “half price.” If I don’t take it now, I may not get one. You’d do the same thing, wouldn’t you? Don’t judge me. We’re no different. 

 

    Folks, they’re watching! Always! Our followers, our students, our kids. They’re watching us. It’s how they learn. It’s how WE learned. If we’re going to be Leaders of Character we have to live up to, and value, integrity in everything we do. We have to be ALL IN! ALL THE TIME! We have to model what we want others to learn from us. What they see is what they’ll be. (Whew! That was a good sermon, wasn’t it?)

 

    I choose to do the right thing. I put the trampoline box back on the pallet. And I become the sheriff. It’s fun, actually. I stand there and, in my command voice, tell folks who are about to put a trampoline box on their cart that the sale won’t start for another half hour or so and that they are not to take them until then. It’s amazing what people will do, or not, when you act with authority. Oh, I get plenty of dirty looks, but I’m used to that. I’m a Chief!

 

    Finally, 2300 (11 PM) arrives, I put one of the trampoline boxes on my cart, I look over to see my cadets, but they’re gone, and I pay “half price” for my item. The hardest part is getting that stinking box in my Jeep. As I’m about to walk away, that stressed-out manager comes over and thanks me for maintaining control of that pallet, which was empty by 2305, by the way. Kinda makes me feel good to do the right thing.

 

    Integrity is doing what’s right when no one is watching AND when EVERYONE is watching. Someone is ALWAYS watching! Do the right thing anyway. We learn by watching. Make sure that what people are watching you do is BEING integrity.

 

    Until next time, be GREAT! You ARE!

 

                ¡HEIRPOWER!

 

                            bob vásquez!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I walk into my home and see my lovely bride, Deb, smiling. “Hey, Baby,” she says. “Hey, Baby,” I reply, “How are you?” We go on, asking the usual questions about each other’s day, how it went, what we did, etc. Then we get to a critical part of the conversation.

    “You know,” Deb says, “I was talking with Lori today.” Lori was married to one of my colleagues. “Oh?” I asked, “what about?” “Well, we were just chatting when she mentioned something about you guys being gone for Thanksgiving.”

 

    I was on active duty when this occurred. I was assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe Band at the time, stationed in Germany. One of the coolest things we did in that band, and I take at least partial credit for creating the concept, was that we deployed a big show we called Seasons’ Greetings to locations where our troops were. We had great success with those shows because we brought in artists from the US and did a big production for our troops and their families, similar to a USO show. I’d had this great idea of playing for the troops (no families there) stationed in Bosnia for Thanksgiving Day! I’m sure you’re saying, “What a GREAT idea!” Everyone I’d talked with said the same thing, “What a GREAT idea!” With one exception….

 

     “Lori told you we’d be gone for Thanksgiving?” I asked Deb, trying to sound as if…okay, the OC Factor kicked in. “Oh, Crap!” was all I could think of. In my zeal to get the show together and make it a great event for the troops, I’d forgotten, no kidding, I’d just forgotten, to tell the most important person in my life what I was up to and that it would affect her and the girls since I wouldn’t be there for Thanksgiving dinner.

 

    Here’s the point. Remember that old saying, “information is power?” That’s stupid! Information is just information. It won’t get up and do anything powerful! It’ll just sit there, sometimes in your brain, and do absolutely nothing! Imagine being the smartest person in the world and no one knowing it? What good would that be? SHARED information, APPLIED information is power. 

 

    Sometimes people who call themselves leaders think that keeping information from followers is power. That’s REALLY stupid! When we empower others with the information we have, it makes us ALL more powerful and it builds trust. 

 

    If you’re looking to be effective, whether it’s at work or at home, ask a critical question often, “Who needs to know?” Don’t you make decisions based on the information you have at hand? Well, imagine having all the information you need! Where would THAT come from? If you have people keeping you informed, then you’re liable to make better decisions. And the law of reciprocity says that when you inform others, they, in turn, inform you. You get what you give.

            

    If you’re wondering what ever happened that Thanksgiving, we did do the tour. In fact, there’s another story I’ll consider sharing with you about a very cool thing that happened on that tour. But not here. Deb and the girls understood my purpose and they supported me being gone that Thanksgiving. And I’m almost done paying for that BMW I had to buy Deb to make up for it. It’s a very nice car, I must say. SHARED information, APPLIED information is power. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

            

    Until next time, Be GREAT! You ARE!

 

                        ¡HEIRPOWER!

 

                                                            bob vásquez!

 

Help helps

Years ago, I added Yoga to my daily startup routine. I enjoy it because it helps me get in the right frame of mind to start my day. It’s a form of meditation as well as stretching. I prepare my mind and my body for the day. Anyway, not too long ago, I decided to add a couple of minutes of meditation, which I’m not very good at, to begin each session. I do this via an audio recording of the Yoga Master Rodney Yee.  

    It's almost interesting that I found that although those additional two minutes of pure meditation, which is just a clip from the rest of the audio recording, are meant to help me relax and just be, before I do, it’s very difficult for me…until Sensei Lee starts talking and tells me to do what I was supposed to be doing without his guidance. Once he tells me to relax I do so much more effectively. Help helps.

 

    I grew up in a culture where being “manly,” even “macho” (a term which was bastardized by The Gringo), was how I was supposed to behave. Serving in the military didn’t help that. Especially as a senior leader. I learned to “power through” whatever ailed me. I was a leader, by God, and leaders don’t let their followers see them sweat. (I even said that to some of my proteges.)

 

    There’s nothing wrong, and a lot RIGHT, with seeking help. Most of us aren’t so good that a little help might not help us empower ourselves to be even better. Sometimes we call that help accountability partners, sometimes we call them coaches, we even call them physicians and mental health providers. My best help, though, is my bride. She guides me a LOT! Except when we have to decide where to have lunch….

 

    I coach and mentor many folks. None of those relationships are formal. I just do it for them as needed and wanted. And, interestingly, they coach and mentor me in return. 

 

    Humans are relational beings. We need help to be our best selves. Unfortunately, there’s a stigma attached to seeking it. I’ll go out on a limb and say that it’s probably more difficult for men to seek help than women. Women are a lot smarter than men. That’s the truth!

    If you aspire to be a leader, especially an Effective Leader, you’re going to need help. None of us does it alone. Speaker and author, Rene Brown, talks a lot about vulnerability and its importance to our health. Effective Leaders are vulnerable. And their followers appreciate them for it.

 

    I’m going to continue to strive to reach enlightenment for a couple of minutes without Master Lee every morning. I’m not sure I’ll reach it. But I do know that I’ll come closer once I hear his voice. Help helps! Seek it when you need it. Unapologetically! We all need it. It will help you be you. And we need you to help us be us!

      Until next time, Be GREAT! You ARE!

 

                     ¡HEIRPOWER!

 

bob vásquez!

Is it time to lead?

Today’s one of those days that I’m totally bumfoozled! My body is telling me something different than my brain. My body is telling me how I feel. My brain is telling me how I should think. We just switched our clocks forward an hour. Or is it backward? See? I’m so confused! Who made that up? You mean we just told the sun what time to rise? Evidently. It’s amazing how much power we have! Or so it seems when we’re governed by the clock.

 

    The clock is a perspective that leaders use way too often in measuring success. How long have you been a leader? Does that matter? Probably not, but that’s a measure of a leader’s success, isn’t it? Time measures efficiency, not effectiveness. Just because you’ve been a “leader” for a long time doesn’t make you a good one, or one at all, for that matter.

 

    The term the Ancient Greeks used for measuring time by the clock was called Chronos. Chronos is quantitative, it’s easy to measure, as long as you have a clock or a sundial. It’s sequential. One event follows another. Leading isn’t that way, have you noticed? It’s confusing when you expect someone, a follower, to do things a certain way, and she doesn’t. And you’re bumfoozled by why she didn’t do it as you told her to. Maybe there was a better way? Maybe it wasn’t the right time?

 

    The other term the Greeks used for time is Kairos. Kairos means “the right, critical, or opportune moment.” What time do you start leading? When you get to the job or the office? Or when it’s the opportune moment? Do you lead only when you’re on the clock, on duty, or when someone needs your help or support?

 

    My favorite word in the English language is “serendipity.” Serendipity means “the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.” I’m constantly aware of serendipitous moments, especially when opportune moments to lead appear. 

 

     Leading effectively can’t be based on a Chronos perspective. It has to be based on a Kairos perspective. When will that opportune moment appear in front of you? You won’t know, but it will happen. Will you step up and lead? If you do, it will be beneficial to you and the person you lead, and it may make both of you happy.

 

      I hope there’s a lot more leading going on than we think. I hope you lead more often than you even know. I hope that you take that opportunity to support someone when THEY need it, when a Kairos moment serendipitously arises. Don’t worry about when. Do it now. Right now’s the moment. It’s time to lead!

 

        Until next time, Be GREAT! You ARE!

 

                     ¡HEIRPOWER!

 

bob vásquez!

An Attitude of Gratitude

The best attitude an Effective Leader expresses is an attitude of gratitude. It will permeate all of your actions and your relationships on a daily basis.

            I create my attitude of gratitude daily. As I awaken every morning, the first thing I do is give thanks to the Creator for all of my blessings. I give thanks for…

 

            This country I’m blessed to live in. Yeah, it’s not perfect, but I’ve lived in other countries and visited many, as well. None of them compares to the United States of America. NONE! As John C Maxwell says, “There’s no place like this place anywhere near this place, so this must be the place.” We’ve still got plenty of work to do to make it what we, as a nation, want it to be like, but we’re better off than any other country in the world. There are many people willing to die to come here. No other country can boast that. I’m grateful for my country!

 

            The people I’m blessed to live and work with. I’m honored to have been able to serve with the best people in the world on a daily basis for the past fifty years. Chiefs don’t cry, but sometimes our eyeballs sweat. Mine sweat when I hear and read about the great accomplishments My People achieve. They also sweat when we lose one of our own. I can’t help but swell with pride when I think of my nuclear and extended families as everyone grows into who the Creator sent them here to be. I’m grateful for my family!

 

            The opportunity to produce HEIRPOWER!, which includes you! I’m so blessed that you’re willing to make time to read my thoughts. My purpose of producing HEIRPOWER! grows exponentially as you share your thoughts and yourself with others. I’m grateful for you!

 

            My health and my faith. One day you’ll understand. As you evolve, you’ll begin to hear noises and feel aches that your body emits without your consent. At first, you’ll wonder where they’re coming from and, eventually, you’ll accept them as yours. Despite that, you’ll learn to be grateful for having awakened.  The key is not losing your awareness. Especially of the blessings the Creator bestows upon you. I’m grateful for me!

 

            These are what I’m grateful for on a daily basis. I don’t deserve all I’m blessed with, but I count it all as GRACE. I commend you to consider your blessings and include them in your attitude development. One of my most favoritest authors, Jim Cathcart, asks, “How would the person you want to be do what you’re about to do?” The answer to that question begins with your attitude. Today, before you go out to take on the world, take a few minutes to develop the right attitude…an Attitude of Gratitude!

Vulnerability

Vulnerability. You’ve, no doubt, heard of that term. It’s a buzz word among speakers who talk about leadership. I shared these thoughts on my The OTHER F Word blog and podcast suggesting that it an important characteristic of Effective Followers. As I listened and read those, I realized that it’s also an important characteristic of Effective Leaders. Here are those thoughts but from the Leader perspective.

    I looked up the definition of the word, vulnerability, and no wonder, people don’t understand it and attach different meanings to it! The dictionary defines vulnerability as “the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally.”  Whoa! I don’t want to put myself in THAT situation! Attacked? Harmed? No, way! (By the way, my official first name is José.) Luckily, there’s a second definition: “willingness to show emotion or to allow one’s weaknesses to be seen or known.” That’s better. I can almost handle that.

 

    In my perspective, there are some acknowledgements required to practice vulnerability.  Vulnerability, for an Effective Leader, requires honesty. With oneself. You know who you are, deep inside. You know what you know and what you don’t. You know what you can do and what you can’t. That doesn’t mean you can’t get better. In fact, Effective Leaders  always strive to improve themselves. That leads to being effective. It’s okay to not know everything. That’s the first step. Acknowledging that. And once you acknowledge it, there’s room for growth. What don’t you know that you can learn? That’s a good question to start you on your way toward effectiveness. As for not being able to do somethings. The great philosopher, Dirty Harry, said, “A man’s gotta know his limitations.” As you get older, and, believe me, I know a lot about that, you’ll get to a point that you can’t do what you used to do the way you used to do it. And that’s okay. You can do it differently. There’s always a more effective way.

 

    It's okay to be wrong. I’ve known so many “leaders” who always knew everything. Even when they didn’t. I put quotes around the word “leaders” because those folks were not leaders. They may have been put in the position of authority and even expected to lead, but no one followed them. Accepting that you’re wrong will go a long way with everyone around you, especially your followers. The key is to learn and grow. Not to become the smartest person in the room, but to be able to affect the success of the group you’re in the room with. The real effectiveness will come with you sharing what you do know. As Maya Angelou said, "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." The best way to do better as a leader, is to pass on what you know.

 

    And really, most importantly, it’s okay to not be okay. This one is, often, the most difficult of these acknowledgements. We think that we must be strong because we’re the leader. Well, there’s some truth to that, but no one is invincible. We’re humans and all humans have a bad day occasionally. And that’s okay. One of the most powerful virtues in our culture is integrity. One of the characteristics of integrity that we often neglect is the meaning of the word. The word, integrity, comes from the word integer. If you’ll go back to high school math, you’ll remember that an integer is a whole number. Integrity has to do with being whole. Wholly you! You cannot give what you do not have. If you’re not well, all of you, you’re not going to do great work. If you’re hurting emotionally, your work will suffer. If you hurt a part of your body, that will, surely, affect how you perform. Take care of yourself FIRST! And if that means seeking help in any area of your life, do so. Don’t be fearful or embarrassed by it. It’ll probably be more embarrassing when you fail or hurt yourself even worse. It’s okay to not be okay. But seek help.  

 

    If you can’t honestly say that you’re well in each of these three areas, your effectiveness is going to suffer. Effectiveness is about being able to perform at your best continuously and consistently. Work on those three areas. Accept who you are and what you can do, and that you can use improvement, and seek help to make you better. That’s vulnerability.

Amateurs vs Professionals

Dr Stephen Covey shared a profound truth with me that I share with people in the service business because it’s incredibly powerful, especially when executed properly. Here's the thought…. “Amateurs sell products. Professionals sell solutions.” Read that again. Amateurs sell products. Professionals sell solutions.

        I retired from the United States Air Force twenty years ago as of 30 October. I remember going over to the Personnel Office as I was trying to get my retirement paperwork completed. I needed one last document to finish the process. I found the office and a young person behind the counter. I explained what I was intending to do and that I needed said document. Her eyes shone as she encouraged me to go online and download a form XXX. Piece of cake! NOT! I did download the form back at my office, but I didn’t understand many of the questions on it, nor what to do with it. I returned to the same office and found the same young person. She gave me more information. I went back to my office. Completed the form. Returned to her. After several trips back and forth, I completed everything as required and here I am! God bless her, she could have used some guidance, but didn’t, obviously, have the tools to be a professional. She tried her best, though.

 

    What a professional would have done is understood my intent, that is, completing all of my retirement paperwork so that I could go on my new adventure, then guided me toward that end. “Chief, here’s what you need. Let me download that form for you and help you fill it out. We’ll do it right here and right now. Do you have all of the other documents you need? If not, we’ll fill them out now, too.” See the difference? Now, you may say that the young person had other things to do than to take care of an old Chief who was, evidently, worn out. But the time and effort we both invested in the product, could have been better invested in the solution.

 

    What does that person you’re intending to serve need to reach the final solution? Does the person have all the resources needed to accomplish that? If not, do you? If not, can you find someone who does?

 

       I’m convinced that we all want to be known as professionals by those we serve. It’s not that difficult to be so. But it starts with knowing where you need to go and making the time to do it right. Every person we serve deserves that.

 

       Until next time, Be GREAT! You ARE!

 

                   ¡HEIRPOWER!

                             

                                    bob vásquez!

The Need to Succeed

I hope you’ll make time to read a book by Viktor Frankl titled, Man’s Search for Meaning. It will open your eyes to many things you hadn’t thought about before.

In the introduction, Frankl writes that “success must not be pursued, it must ensue.” The word, ensue, if you’re not familiar with it, means that it is a result of something. When we pursue, we set our sights on that thing and if we’re “truly focused” that’s what we’re engulfed in doing. When something ensues, it’s almost a serendipitous conclusion that’s based on behaviors and actions that affect others more deeply than the conclusion itself.

I’m going to go out on a limb and state that all of us want to succeed. The important questions are at what and how? I recently saw a poster that read “Great leaders don’t set out to be a leader…they set out to make a difference. It’s never about the role - always about the goal.” I’m not sure who said it, but I think that’s what Frankl meant as well. The goal, or success, being making a difference.

Leading requires passion. Effective Leaders are passionate about helping others empower themselves to become who THEY can be, not what the “leader” wants them to be. Another great quote I recently came across says, “The first thing you should know about me is that I am not you. A lot more will make sense after that.” Again, an unknown author.

If your goal or your purpose, your measure of success, is how many people you’ve turned into you, or a semblance of you, that’s not success. Success in leading is when a person becomes who they were meant to be and you, somehow, helped them become so.  

My life’s purpose is to help others achieve theirs. Not mine. I know that my purpose may not be everyone’s. It took me decades to figure that out. I encourage you to consider that even if you don’t agree with someone else’s purpose or mission in life, it’s okay. As My Brother, Dave Campanale, taught me, get over it!

Whether you’re leading at work or at home, figure out what your followers dream of becoming, respect them for it, and help them out as best you can. The world needs all of our successes, not just the ones we consider right. As Pope Francis has said, “Who am I to judge?”

Real success is making a difference. That difference is in helping others be themselves.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

Every year around this time I’m approached by people with the same question,  “Hey, Chief,”  they ask,  “why do we have to have Hispanic Heritage Month?  Aren’t we all Americans?”  I never argue that a bit, but there’s more to it.  I’m sure you know we celebrate African-American/Black History Month in February, Women’s History Month in March, Asian-Pacific Month in May, Hispanic Heritage Month in September/October, and Native American Month in November.  The purpose of those observances is to educate those of us who don’t know a lot about those cultures, and to acknowledge the contributions those groups of people have made to our own American heritage. 

 

What makes America great is its diversity.  If you’ll look around you (go ahead, no one’s watching) you’ll notice that what we call America is made up of people from all kinds of cultures, from different parts of the country, or the world. We’re all different yet we’re all the same. We share the same basic values that make us Americans. We’re invested in making our country and the world a better place for all of us to live. We believe in a democratic system of government where the people have a say in what and how we live. What makes America great is that although we have different and diverse needs and desires, even though we’re all different, we’ve been able to synergize all those differences to form one unified family that allows us to be ourselves and expects us to accept each other.

 

         We used to talk about the American Melting Pot.  An honorable idea, but I’m not sure it’s attainable.  Why?  Because there is very little, if any, chance that we’ll all “melt”, that we’ll all assimilate, that we’ll all be the same.  And I’m not so sure we all want to be the same.  I think it was General George Patton who said, “If two of us are thinking the same thing, we don’t need one of us.”  There’s a marked difference between thinking the same thing and thinking with the same purpose in mind. Diversity means we can think differently but attain the same goal.

 

The concept of the American Salad Bowl comes closer to describing the culture we live in.  The illustration of the salad bowl describes a dish that, as a whole, is its own entity, delicious and healthy.  What gives that dish its flavor and wholesomeness is all of the different ingredients that make it one.  Each ingredient adds its own contribution to the whole.  Any part of it that’s missing will affect the end result. 

 

         Dr. Stephen Covey said that “unity is not sameness, it’s complimentariness.”  If we are to be united, we have to be willing to accept, appreciate, and celebrate each others’ differences. 

 

As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, which is 15 September through 15 October, join the fun!  Get involved!  Make time to enjoy the various events scheduled throughout the celebration!  You don’t have to be of, or know a lot about, the culture. The people who have labored hard to organize the events will gladly teach you and will welcome your support.  You’ll learn a lot and you’ll find a kind of gratification you can’t find elsewhere.  The education you gain and the relationships you develop will make you better and they’ll make America better.  Together, we can go forward!  

 

                           ¡ADELANTE!

                                            bob vásquez!

 

Happy Birthday, US Air Force!

Just about six months ago, I packed up my office for the last time.  The last time as a member the United States Air Force, that is.  No, I didn’t get fired again.  It was just time to sound retreat and turn things over to younger warriors.  As I put my treasures away, I found it amazing how much stuff a person can accumulate in only 50 years.  As I went about the process, I realized that what I really have is a collection of memories.  Memories of people I’ve had the pleasure of working and living with throughout the world. 

    For some five decades people asked me why I served.  The answer remains unchanged.  It was always THE PEOPLE!  Packing up my collection of memories reminded me of that.  There are a few things about which I’m absolutely sure.  One of them is that the Air Force is made up of the very best people in the world!  Now, my Army, Marine, Coast Guard, and Navy brothers and sisters would probably argue with me, as well they should.  The Space Force isn’t old enough to give me any guff. I’ve only been an Airman, so I can only speak from that paradigm, although, as I said for many decades, all our services begin with “US.” US Marines, US Air Force, US Navy, US Army, US Coast Guard, and US Space Force. It’s always been about US protecting our country.

In the time it took me to fill those boxes, I relived my military life as I recalled who took  that picture, who gave me that memento or that coin, who I was serving with when I was presented that Chief bust.  I was brought up under the principle that if you take care of the people, they’ll take care of the mission.  That’s another thing about which I’m absolutely sure.  What’s happened, in truth, is that as I’ve taken care of people, they’ve taken care of me, and together, we’ve taken care of the mission, we’ve protected our country.

I joined the Air Force to avoid being drafted.  Not that I had anything against the Army, I say “Hooah!” pretty well, but green just wasn’t my color at the time.  For those too young to know what the draft was, it was a process by which those who had never won a lottery, a door prize, or a raffle, were given the opportunity to win a free trip across the Pacific to a tropical paradise.  Hey, that’s what the letter from President Richard Nixon said!  I joined the Air Force because of the draft.  I stayed because of the people.

Throughout my military life I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to serve with truly great leaders, colleagues, and followers.  I’ve been mentored by people who had a much more expansive experience than I.  I’ve had friends who have given me a different perspective on how to lead.  And I’ve led young troops that educated me much more than they realized.  I thank God every day for all those blessings, for all those people, that have helped make me who I am.

As our mighty Air Force turns 75, and as I pack up that last box, I’m so grateful for having been a part of the legacy its people have created and maintained for all those years. Technology has enabled the Force to grow expansively, and great leaders have empowered the Force to grow deeper. That combination has been, and will continue to be, unstoppable. I call it HEIRPOWER! 

The last piece of history I put in its box was a plaque made for me by some young Airmen for whom I have the highest respect.  That piece of art puts everything in the proper perspective.  It quotes an old warrior that loved what he did every day of his military life.  That quote will echo in that warrior’s heart for as long as he lives.  It simply reads,  “Isn’t this a GREAT day to be an American Warrior?!” Happy Birthday, US Air Force!

ALL IN! ALL THE TIME!

Why we work

My Dad and My Tío Rulie taught me how to work. Let me share what I learned from another of my First Mentors, my grandfather, My Abuelo, Firpo. Firpo was a tough man. He grew up in Mexico in an Old School culture. Machismo, in those days, had nothing to do with being arrogant. It had a lot to do with taking care of your family. A man’s first priority was to work to protect and care for his family.

 

As I say, Firpo was a tough man. He expected me to be tough, too. He was brought up under the “I’ll give you something to cry about” mentality, so he treated me as such. He never hit me, but he admonished me plenty. I remember one big fight we had because he expected me to wear a hat. He wore a fedora, as most men did then. He didn’t expect me to wear a fedora, but a man wore a hat. That is all! Interestingly, I’ve worn a hat since 1972, when I joined the Air Force. To this day, I very seldom go outside without a hat on. Love you, Firpo!

 

My Abuelo, Firpo, died in 1968, of pancreatic cancer. Might have been from all of the incredibly hot chiles he used to eat. I can see him sitting at the head of the table, sweating profusely, tears streaming down his cheeks, and asking for hotter chiles. Raw would do.

 

One day, probably 1973, or so, I was sitting at lunch with My Abuela, Elvira, talking about the old days and the value of working. She was telling me about how hard My Dad, My Tío, and My Abuelo had worked to provide for the family. All of a sudden, a thought struck her and she got up from the table. She went into her bedroom for a few minutes, returned, sat down where she had been sitting, and plopped something onto the table. It was a silver dollar. 

 

She looked me in the eye, tearing up, and told me that Firpo had left that silver dollar for me. She’d forgotten about it until just now. She had promised him she would tell me that “as long as you have this, you’ll never be broke!” He’d worked hard to earn that dollar and wanted to ensure some security for me. What he taught me was way bigger than what a silver dollar is worth. He taught me to be honorable in all that I do.

 

Why do we work? To provide for ourselves and our families. We provide them the security and essentials they need to survive. We also provide them the love and care they need to grow into themselves.

 

I still have that silver dollar, by the way. I keep it in a safe place where I see it often. When I do, it reminds me that I’m not just working to put food on the table and a roof over my family’s heads, but to show them that working is honorable. Mother Theresa said that “our work is our prayer.” I pray that the work we do today will help others empower themselves to grow. I call that HEIRPOWER!

Until next time, Be GREAT! You ARE!

 

                    ¡HEIRPOWER!

 

                            bob vásquez!

A Labor of Love

On this Labor Day, I’m grateful for not having had to work at hard labor like my two First Mentors, My Dad and My Tío Rulie. Their sacrifices, mentoring, and guidance led me to achieve more than I could have ever dreamed. Okay, I dreamed it, but didn’t expect it to happen.

 

I’ve worked for as long as I can remember. My first job was delivering newspapers in my little hometown of Deming, New Mexico. I used to be up at zero-dark-thirty (maybe that’s where I started that habit), ride my bike to the newspaper office where I’d roll up the newspapers that Mr Smalley gave me to deliver that morning, then, I’d get on my bike and ride down the street where all the railroad houses were. I’d, then, pitch the newspapers onto my customers’ porches. Luckily, they were big porches. I usually couldn’t see whether or not my papers met their targets, since it was still dark, but I could hear them thump onto the wooden decks. The worst part of that gig was having to collect my customers’ money every month. I had to find my customers at home, which was as random as there were customers. 

 

My Dad was key to my developing my work ethic. He worked at DPAC, a meat packing company, for most of my school years. He, too, would get up at zero-dark-thirty to get to work. I’m not sure how many hours he put in, but based on when I saw him, he must have worked at least ten hours daily and six on Saturdays. I was honored to work with him on Saturdays and during the summer. I was always awed by how hard he worked, never complaining, always teaching me about how important it was to do a good day’s work.

 

My Tío Rulie was, like My Dad, a very hard worker. I’d spend summers with him and my aunt, Mama Joyce, in Buena Park, California. He was a baker. Another zero-dark-thirty job. I remember him coming home, about the time I would be leaving for work at the Lincoln and Knott Car Wash, barely able to walk. He, too, never complained.

 

I’m suffering from phantom pains as I type, which is hurting me to do right now. I went out and did several hours of yard work yesterday. My hands and arms are still cramping up from holding the tools I used. Just as they did when I picked onions and, especially, as they did the first day I worked at the car wash. I remember My Tío picking me up from work and me vowing never to return. He laughed and made me return…every day…until it didn’t hurt so much. I’m grateful for that now. 

 

We lead in many ways, at work and at home. Those men showed me the value of doing good work at the job and, more importantly, doing good work at home, showing me the benefits of honorable labor. Whether we’re leading our fellow workers or our families, the best we can do is give them roots and wings. We provide the roots by showing them the value of honorable work and then we let them go to do the work themselves.

 

My Dad and My Tío gave me a gift that will transcend even my own existence because I’ve been doing the same for others for decades. It’s all a labor of love!

 

        Until next time, Be GREAT! You ARE!

 

                     ¡HEIRPOWER!

                                                 

                                    bob vásquez!