On Leadership
September 24, 2013
As part of the Corps Leaders Mentor Program, cadet commanders and team leaders had the privilege of hearing the personal leadership and teamwork experiences of South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. AG Wilson’s remarks were rooted in his SC heritage, his service in the National Guard at home and in Iraq, and his more than two years as the Nation’s youngest Attorney General. No one left the room without some new insight about how to lead or how to follow. At the top of the list of those takeaways has to be the importance of “day one” for a leader.
AG Wilson shared with us how he approached his first days in office as the newly-sworn in, 37-year old Attorney General. To set the stage, he related how he felt the weight of the office. He was now the Fifty-First SC Attorney General and entering service in an office that had existed since 1698. He told how he was now the official leader of a team whose cast was deeply seasoned and experienced. His deputy was 75 years old and most on the team “had socks older than he was.” Here’s how he handled “day one” and the first few weeks in office:
- “I checked my pride at the door.”
- “As a second lieutenant, I learned that it’s not about being ‘the best’ as a leader, it’s about getting the best ideas on the field. I brought the same perspective to the AG office. I knew my team had some better ideas than me. In many ways, I was a follower, a follower of the best ideas, in my early days as AG.”
- “As a leader, I love being in a room where everyone else is smarter than me.”
- “I knew I had an obligation to set strategic vision for the AG office. The strategic vision I was trying to put in motion required some change in how we were doing things. It was important that I brought the team along with me. I had to manage change at a rate the team could absorb. I had to give them ownership.”
It was no surprise when AG Wilson said a long-time member of the staff recently told him that she was “happier and more fulfilled than ever” in her service to the State of South Carolina.
At one point in his remarks, AG Wilson told us how it’s common in the South for someone to say “bless his heart” when a young, inexperienced person makes a mistake. He even hinted how he might just have heard the phrase a time or two in his life. Well, General, this audience only saw experience, and we most certainly came to appreciate the power of a humble, committed leader. Thank you, Sir.
Summary provided by Col Christopher “Mort” Bowman, Col, USAF (Ret)