Commentary -- Trust

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Christopher Goninan
  • 47th Flying Training Wing Command Post
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  What good is a vision without having trustworthy people working towards that vision? Effective leaders only place their trust in people who have demonstrated the ability to honor their commitments. These people are trusted to do the right thing and accept responsibility when things do not go as planned. They do not get ahead by putting anyone else down to make themselves look better. They will succeed only by doing what is right and letting their actions be the measure of success.

It should mean something to Airmen to honor our commitments. Keeping your word with small things is the best way to earn trust. When you say you are going to be there, be there. When you say you are going to do it, do it. When you make a deal or accept a responsibility, keep your end of the bargain. You should do everything in your power to make it happen. If a better deal or more desirable opportunity comes along, it is never an excuse to not honor your original commitments. Follow through on your original responsibility before moving on and you will earn the trust of those around you. If you are unable to fulfill your commitments, have the courage to take responsibility.

Nothing is harder to deal with than the person that never admits to making a mistake. Do not pass the blame if it belongs to you. Great leaders have a way of finding the truth anyway. The proof of the pudding is in the taste alone. Be mature enough to realize that you are not going to win every time. Even though it is always difficult to see, mistakes sometimes lead to great things. America was discovered while trying to sail to India. Commitment to doing your best and the courage to accept the consequences of your best is an enduring quality that usually leads to opportunity.

Take every opportunity to build people up. When people take advantage of one another, trust goes out the window. Relationships become almost impossible to mend, and production toward the vision is gone. If you need to beat other people up to make yourself look better, you should take up boxing, this shrinking Air Force is not the place for you. We need each other now, more than ever, to meet the demands being placed on us. We need to trust in each other to know that each Airman watching your back has your best interest in mind. Selfishness needs to become a thing of the past. We will only succeed in the future by being trustworthy.

For Laughlin to succeed in our visions for 2030 and beyond, we must make a commitment to being trustworthy. I encourage all Airmen to take a moment to honestly examine themselves. Is keeping your commitments to your fellow Airmen and co-workers something you take seriously? Who do you blame when things go wrong? Are you building others up or just yourself? I can honestly say I need to improve in all these areas. How about you?