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Leadership expert develops Fairchild Airmen

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Natasha Stannard
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing/ Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  The base theater auditorium seats filled at approximately 10 a.m. July 7 with Airmen of assorted ranks. After 42 years since being on an Air Force base, Dr. Howard Haller took his place on stage to give his first seminar to the military on leadership development. 

Dr. Haller has more than 30 years of experience in top-level senior management and leadership positions in major companies and as an entrepreneur, managing up to 10 direct reports, and managing assets worth over $4 billion. He also has practice in corporate leadership and management including: venture capital, mergers, acquisitions, analysis, finance, strategic planning, marketing, development, plus entrepreneurial management experience and consulting. 

In addition to his management and entrepreneur leadership experience, he also participated in Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps while working his way through college as a Federal Aviation Administration certified flight instructor. 

Dr. Haller said he would have joined the Air Force if it wasn't for medical issues, which prevented him from doing so. He and Chief Master Sgt. David R. Nordel, 92nd Air Refueling Wing Command Chief, met on an airplane flight where they spoke about leadership, the Air Force and Fairchild. Dr. Haller had never been to Fairchild or given a seminar on a military installation. 

After keeping in touch and speaking with Chief Nordel, he felt putting on a seminar for Team Fairchild would be a great opportunity to give back to the country and the Air Force, Dr. Haller said. 

Not only was his seminar a great opportunity for him to give back, but Capt. Benjamin Carroll, 92nd Air Refueling Wing Air Force Smart Operations-21 chief, feels Dr. Haller's seminar was also a great opportunity for Team Fairchild to develop professionally at all levels of command. It's great advice on how to better oneself and help with a challenge for now or the future, Captain Carroll said. 

"Whether you're a frontline supervisor or a commander, you're going to run into adversity," Captain Carroll said. "So it's critical that management skills are balanced with leadership." 

While his advice can help people better themselves, Chief Nordel also feels Dr. Haller's advice will aid in facing challenges with new leadership development and team building.
"He has an interesting perspective on how to take care and lead people in diverse situations," Chief Nordel said.

"A good leader will deliver on promises and commitments not only for themselves, but for their team," Dr. Haller said.

It's necessary that a leader is humble enough to realize that without their team nothing will be successfully accomplished. The key to success for any leader is servant leadership, in which a leader will value their team and what each individual has to offer. Every job at Fairchild is a part of the team, Dr. Haller said.

"Diversity gives us strength, especially here at Fairchild because we have people here from the Guard, civilians, and active-duty with different outlooks and opinions to solving problems," Dr. Haller said.

A key to Team Fairchild's success is to use diversity to its advantage by working together and accepting each others' ideas. Total Force Integration is a challenge Team Fairchild is working toward and working together is critical for the team to accomplish the changes, Dr. Haller said.

Diversity not only appears between the different units on base, but also within the rank structure here. Airman 1st Class Alex Hofschulte, aerospace medical technician, 92nd Aerospace Medical Dental Squadron, attended the seminar. He felt the speech was great for Airman as well as commissioned and non-commissioned officers.

"If you start as a good follower, a good leader will arise," Dr. Haller said. "Being the follower who supports the mission with integrity and excellence is critical."

Leaders at Fairchild must serve their Airmen and care about them. To be strong they must recognize accomplishments and skill levels to the point that they will hire and praise someone with a greater skill level to improve the success of the team. A true leader must make the right decisions by leading with integrity and setting an example of service and excellence, Dr. Haller said.

"Good leaders make you want to do the best you can and are also willing to help do the work in order to get the job done," Airman Hofschulte said.

Dr. Haller's advice is applicable to anybody. The hope is that everybody gets something out of it to benefit personally or benefit Team Fairchild, said Captain Carroll.

As long as Team Fairchild continues to work as "Team" Fairchild it will continue to possess the tools that keep its engine running toward success in any situation.