My Way!

By Colonel Augie Casado

My Way! is a compilation of 365 daily e-mails Colonel Casado sent his sons, Ben and Alex. He had set a goal of sending them a daily e-mail for 365 days, and after about a month, his wife asked him to stop sending them because the boys weren't reading them. He asked his youngest son, Alex, if he wanted him to stop, and Alex said no. That's when he knew he was on to something. Looking for a good way to communicate with his boys in our high-speed, super-busy digital world, he thought a daily e-mail might be a great way to at least let them know he was thinking of them and at best share some helpful insights and experiences. After thirty-six-plus years of leadership and management experience as a group and squadron commander in the military and a senior leader in the civilian world, the daily passages centered on those things Colonel Casado knew best-leadership, motivation, goal setting, etc. My Way! is based on his personal values, military and civilian leadership experience, and a desire to help develop current and future leaders. My Way! is Colonel Casado's first book but hopefully not his last. After a while, it became apparent that My Way! could help others and thus began the journey of turning the passages into a book. After achieving the 365-day goal, he found he had over 64,000 words on paper. My Way! is a fun and very diverse compilation of passages on a variety of issues falling into the realm of self-help, leadership, management, motivation, parenting, advice, etc. and in the hopes of helping others; here you have it! Lead on!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 13, 2018
• ISBN: 9781642143645

Book preview

cover.jpg

My Way!

Daily Words of Wisdom

A Different Kind of Leadership Book

365 Days of Practical Advice from a

Father to His Sons

Colonel Augie Casado

Copyright © 2018 Colonel Augie Casado

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

New York, NY

First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc. 2018

ISBN 978-1-64214-362-1 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64214-364-5 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

I dedicate this work of love to my sons, Alex and Ben.

I couldn’t be prouder of them and wish them nothing but the best. Also to my mom, Hortensia, who passed away on July 4, 2017.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Mel and Nan Overton—Nan for her assistance in editing the book and, more importantly, her great cooking and Mel for his support, encouragement, and friendship.

Also, special thanks to Elizabeth Van Patten for generously offering her valuable assistance in making sure I didn’t get in any trouble with the Air Force Public Affairs folks. When I offered to pay for her services, she very kindly told me that 365 leadership lessons were enough payment. I hope she’s not too disappointed.

I also want to give a special thanks to the fantastic professional editing of David Scarlett. His contribution to making this book a reality can’t be overstated.

To my mentor in book writing, Steve Bass of Bass Tire in Nashville, a big thanks for his inspiration, support, and steadfast backing. By the way, check out his books; they are a fun read!

Finally, I want to recognize my wife, Cathy, for her support and powerful spirit. She keeps it all together and is a fantastic mom!

Introduction

If you’ve ever been a teenager or the parent of one, you know that they can sometimes be hard-to-talk-to, self-proclaimed know-it-alls and incredibly busy with incredibly important stuff—like video games or texting friends. After years of observing that in my own family, there came a point when I found myself sort of out of touch with my two boys and wondering what to do about it. So for 365 days, I decided to send a daily e-mail to my boys, Ben and Alex, passing on to them some of the lessons that have helped me in life. After thinking long and hard, I cleverly titled those daily missives Daddy’s Words of Wisdom. Yes, I’m nothing if not creative. Because I have a passion for leadership, my hope was that I could share some thoughts and insights with my sons that would help them be better leaders, better people, and more prepared for a better life. At first, I didn’t think they read my daily bloviations. So I asked Alex, my youngest son, if he wanted me to stop sending them. To my great surprise and delight, he said no. There it was, a glimmer of hope. I was encouraged that, even if they didn’t read them when I sent them, maybe someday my boys would find my words of advice beneficial. At the very least, they would know that I cared enough to think about helping them daily. Early on in my writings, I decided to turn them into a book in hopes that others might also benefit from these thoughts. This is the result of that decision.

You may be thinking right about now, Sure, Colonel, you’ve got some fatherly advice to pass on, but what makes you more qualified than any other father to write on leadership? It’s a fair question. After all, if I’m hoping you’ll read a book featuring my daily words of wisdom, I absolutely should provide some information about my life and experience for you to asses my competencies, knowledge, skills, and abilities in the art and science of leadership. In my case, there are a lot to say on how I acquired my wisdom, but if you’re anything like me, you’re not a fan of lengthy introductions. So I’ve decided to spare you many details of my life and career and, instead, give just the Cliff’s Notes version here. For those of you who want the whole nine yards, there’s a more complete recounting of my leadership experience in the appendix at the end of this book.

So let’s jump into it. I dropped out of high school when I was sixteen but went to night school and got my high school GED diploma. During those early years, I worked at two Burger Kings, on construction jobs with my dad, at a shoe factory, and as a sheet metal worker in a manufacturing factory, just to name a few early jobs. I was making good money at the factory, but it wasn’t long before I knew I wanted more out of life. My parents, although poor and not well-educated, had always valued higher education. So I had always intended to go to college. But it didn’t happen the traditional way. Hang tight, it gets better.

Being naturally patriotic due to my Cuban descent and the blessing the United States had been to my family, I decided to join the Air Force in April of 1981 and give back to our great nation. By August, I was getting yelled at in basic, but I did well academically and physically. I graduated honor graduate and went off to avionics (aircraft electronics) technical school.

During my time in the Air Force and later the Air Force Reserve, I went to college at night and got an Associate of Arts Degree in Electrical Engineering, a Bachelor of Arts in Technology Management, and a Master of Business Administration in Aviation. I am currently pursuing a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University’s Eisenhower School. I also completed a slew of training and courses in the military, such as Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, Squadron Officer’s School, Advance Joint Military Education, and several others.

I also bring some practical experience as the former commander of the 94th Maintenance Group, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Marietta, Georgia. I am a colonel in the Air Force Reserve where I coached and mentored future leaders and led a group that maintains eight C-130 Hercules aircraft with approximately 325 personnel, providing global airlift and training in support of contingency operations, humanitarian relief, and emergencies worldwide.

I have served honorably as a United States Air Force Reserve Group Commander and deployed several times to hostile austere overseas locations, gaining valued international and crisis/stress leadership experience. I also have considerable experience in emergency management situations as a key member of the 920th Rescue Wing’s Crisis Action Team, instrumental in 1043 rescues at Hurricane Katrina.

I am the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aviation Special Activities, and Security Division manager based in Washington, DC, headquarters. The division provides emergency management functions, inter-/intra-agency liaison functions, credentialing, administrative functions, special access programs, and special emphasis investigation.

I also have served in several other key leadership positions in my twenty-plus-year career with the FAA, including being responsible for the largest Flight Standards Division in the United States, with jurisdiction over Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and South America.

I have been an active community leader, participating in organizations such as the Reserve Officers Association, Military Officers Association, AMVETS, American Legion, the Federal Managers Association, Civil Air Patrol, Boy Scouts, Crown Ministry Group, and others.

Okay, I hope you now feel a little better about my qualifications to write about leadership and management topics. As I said, most of these daily words of wisdom are on leadership, business, management, and some general life experiences. They were focused on providing my two sons, Ben and Alex, with advice and encouragement. I hope you’ll feel free to share them with your kids as well.

By the way, there are very few original thoughts in this book. Most of this material I heard, learned, read, and/or borrowed from others, many of whom have far greater wisdom than I. All the credit goes to those who have added to the great body of management and leadership topics before me.

Oh, one more thing. Just because I call my advice Daddy’s Words of Wisdom, it doesn’t mean it can’t be of value to everyone, whether I’m your daddy or not (and unless you’re one of my two sons, I’m positive I’m not your daddy). Thanks for reading.

Daddy’s Words of Wisdom

Me with the Frito Bandito look in Kuwait around February or March of 2013.

Daddy’s Words of Wisdom #1: Financial Advice

For a successful financial future, never spend more than you earn. If you get in debt, it is very difficult to climb out of the hole. Pay cash! Credit cards will only buy you a house of cards that will ultimately collapse. Build your credit scores carefully.

Daddy’s Words of Wisdom #2: Success Attributes

Congratulations to both of you on your academic achievements. The words below represent some common themes in describing those who were recognized with scholarships and honors at the awards night presentation: grades, academic achievement, community service, recommendations, career, integrity, leadership, clubs, sports, essays, interviews, SAT scores, ACT scores, drive, determination, good attitude, perfection, work ethic, hard work, helping others, volunteering.

Also, I hope you noticed all those who dressed for success. When you look good, you feel good, you act good, and you are good! Why do you think Mommy asked you two to dress up? Oh yeah, don’t forget to apply! Good luck!

Daddy’s Words of Wisdom #3: Propensity for Action

On leadership: You have probably heard the phrase Lead, follow, or get out of the way! In my book, getting out of the way is not an option unless you intend to lead in a different direction. Lead on!

Daddy’s Words of Wisdom #4: Change

Change is inevitable. Everything changes. You must choose either to embrace the change or resist the change. One shouldn’t embrace change just for the sake of change. It should be meaningful, needed, valued, etc. But embracing needed change is a form of leadership. Trust me, you will be much happier if you learn to be agile, adaptable, and nimble enough to ride the wave of change all the way to shore.

Daddy’s Words of Wisdom #5: The Scorpion and the Frog

Always remember the scorpion and the frog story when dealing with certain people. The story goes something like this: A scorpion was on the side of a riverbank and needed to get to the other side. After a long wait, the scorpion saw a frog hop by. He asked the frog for a ride to the other riverbank because he did not know how to swim. Of course, the frog said no, because he knew the scorpion would sting and kill him, but the scorpion persisted. The frog declined again, but the scorpion convinced him that he would not kill the frog, because he himself could not swim and would drown if he stung the frog. After much persuasion, the frog reluctantly agreed. The scorpion jumped on the frog’s back, and they began to swim across the river. About halfway across the river, the scorpion stung the frog. The surprised frog looked up at the scorpion and asked him why he had stung him since now they both would die. The scorpion replied to the frog, I’m a scorpion. That’s what I do! So the moral of the story is that it is very hard for people to change who they are. Think about how hard it is to change a bad habit, let alone change your very nature. Be vigilant with those you deal with, just in case they’re really a scorpion.

Daddy’s Words of Wisdom #6: Emotions

Controlling one’s emotions is a vital skill that must be developed, not only for personal success and survival but to ensure others cannot benefit from your lack of control. We can all lose our tempers at times. Usually, this leads to doing—or saying—something you will regret later. But with control comes the time necessary to appropriately—and successfully—handle the situation.

Daddy’s Words of Wisdom #7: Listening

Listening is vital to effectiveness in all aspects of life. As you probably have heard before, there is a reason why God gave you two ears and only one mouth. Many, if not most, people aren’t really listening. They are thinking about their response, or worse, completely tuned out. Don’t disengage. Be an active listener. Some techniques to being a better listener are as follows: paraphrase what you just heard and recite it back, take notes to keep you focused on the message, get a good night’s sleep before a big meeting or lecture, and lastly, use all your senses for active listening.

Daddy’s Words of Wisdom #8: Social Media

Social media, such as Facebook, can be a lot of fun and a great way to stay in touch with friends. It can also be very dangerous in many ways. Always remember, what you write or the photographs you share will always be available in cyberspace. Unwise statements, even if made in jest, can haunt you forever. Also, people with nefarious motives can use information you provide to con you and/or steal your identity. A poor choice memorialized on the internet can affect your ability to get a security clearance and/or a job. Also, keep in mind that, in this day and age, everyone has a way to video and/or record you. Big brother is always watching, so always do what’s right.

Daddy’s Words of Wisdom #9: Momentum

Positive momentum is a very important component of future success. Have you noticed that when you win a race, get an award, win a competition, a contract, etc., it seems to foster follow-up achievements? One of the many keys to success is to leverage these achievements and capitalize on the potential follow-up successes. Keep the momentum going, keep pushing forward. Also, stay humble, but don’t feel bad or embarrassed about your hard-earned accomplishments!

Daddy’s Words of Wisdom #10: Work Ethic

A good work ethic is a trait instilled in your youth, learned from observing those you admire, and put into practice by doing. It is vital for success, but most rewarding when you truly love what you do. So how do you know if you have a good work ethic? Usually, it is very evident and leads to low absenteeism, production without being directed, positive attitude, energy, and fun at work or school. So make your motto Work hard, learn hard, and never give up.

Daddy’s Words of Wisdom #11: Volunteering

Volunteering is an awesome way to meet new friends, stay involved in your community, do good things for others, and learn new things. Although you might think that volunteering is about helping others—and it is—it is also about so much more in how it benefits you. I would argue that, from a leadership perspective, it is the most beneficial way to learn to lead. Think about it, at work you lead people that you pay to do a job. In the military, you have the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to enforce your leadership directions. At home, you lead your family and they comply because they love you. Volunteer leaders are much more challenged because the people they lead don’t have to follow. So look at leading volunteers as one of the best opportunities to motivate, inspire, and direct in the most effective learning laboratory there is. If you can lead volunteers, you can lead anybody. So practice your leadership skills at every opportunity, and volunteer to lead every chance you get.

Daddy’s Words of Wisdom #12: Opportunities

Seize opportunities! When opportunity knocks, open the door and embrace it. So how is it that opportunities present themselves? First, it could just be luck, but most successful people make their own opportunities. They see various courses of action and, through intuition and/or knowledge, pick the right course, and doors open up. You also create opportunities by exercising a combination of knowledge, skills, abilities, timing, and strategy, so doors will open and you can cross the threshold. Competence and charisma also highlight your abilities and facilitate opportunities. Remember, your credentials get you to the door, but it is your reputation that will get you through the door.

Daddy’s Words of Wisdom #13: Pay Your Dues

Even though we may think we are special—and we very well may be—we still must pay our dues in life. Very few things are given to us, and most good things come through hard work, good attitude, studying, volunteering, going the extra yard, and helping others. These things are the money used to pay your dues, and the better you are at them, the more you’ll be rewarded. The point is that seniority doesn’t necessarily mean you paid your dues and deserve something. It’s all about what you did with the seniority. So actively participate, learn, grow, and gain experience.

Daddy’s Words of Wisdom #14: Suffering

Sometimes a little bit of suffering is good for you. It keeps you humble and honest. It also makes you appreciate what you have. It illustrates to those you lead, that you are willing to do the hard jobs and suffer. It makes you vulnerable and human, while at the same time showing your strength, especially if you take on the suffering voluntarily and/or for someone else. Trust me, you will be stronger in the end. Nothing worth doing is ever easy or without effort.

Daddy’s Words of Wisdom #15: The Hard Day

From time to time you will have to do things that are not pleasant, but need to be done. I find no joy in admonishing and/or punishing someone, but sometimes you have to do the hard things. Ignoring something is never the answer. This type of avoidance only leads to bad situations getting worse. So if you encounter an issue, deal with it and get it behind you before it gets out of control and turns into a huge problem. Lastly, when you do have the hard talk, make your point, but try to be constructive not destructive. Be compassionate but critical and to the point. Focus on the issue, clarity, and solutions.

Daddy’s Words of Wisdom #16: Mentors

Have a mentor. Actually, have several. Everyone needs a few good mentors and coaches to help them along in their lives. Honest, constructive feedback and advice are vital to success, and I