Air Force Brig. General Christopher “Mookie” Walker

#168: How to Develop Your Leadership Story

#168: How to Develop Your Leadership Story

There has always been a distinction between a commander and a leader. A commander gives instructions, delegates tasks, and implements orders. A leader has a more serious responsibility – that of influencing people and making the critical decision to choose what kind of influence he will be.

My stint in the United States Air Force paved the opportunity to work with their leaders, trained them how to craft, find and share their own stories. Through storytelling, they are able to connect deeper with men and women in their speeches and get to recruit and retain the best fliers in the crew.

One of the highlights of my stint is to be a listener to the stories of remarkably honorable men and women, generals, and leaders who are living up to their life missions to inspire, motivate and develop potential leaders who would someday lead the pack they are currently leading.

I am deeply honored to welcome in today’s show, someone who, I have come to admire and respect for his exemplary leadership that has honed heroes in the world of air force and beyond. General Christopher “Mookie” Walker is an Air Force Brigade General, Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander of West Virginia International Guard. Today, he will teach us, coach us, and motivates us to be our own, little heroes as he demonstrates how he is currently living to his most powerful story by helping others find their own leadership potential.

Let us all be inspired by how an initially non committal and unbelieving young boys of a football team in a small state university in West Virginia rose to their calling as heroes to defend the whole neighborhood from wars on drugs. All because this friendly and humble general went out to tell them of his childhood story, related it with the group’s life story and posed a challenge to initiate a smile, be a leader to one’s self, and do what is right.

Let us also join him in his current mission which he will be sharing with us today, to help bring pride in the sunken shoulders of men in uniform who, as he has observed, are only fulfilling their day-to-day tasks out of duty without a sense of accomplishment. By telling them of his story, he will journey with them in realizing their own stories, and bring a dawn of enlightenment that their roles are so much bigger than they believe, that they matter, and that they too are heroes as we all are.

In This Episode, You Will Learn

• How to create a narrative arc for speech and presentation
• How to use a single idea to pique the interest of an audience
• Why it’s important to realize one’s own story and how it will motivate you to do better at work and in life
• The importance of storytelling in leadership and in recruiting and retaining potential leaders

Key Quotes

“There’s a sense of pride of being in the military. Everyone has a sense of purpose.” –General Christopher Walker

“If we achieve anything significant, it’s always with the help of people.” –Park Howell

“Humans have innate sense of safety and they don’t wanna have anything to do with anyone who might cause them harm.” –General Christopher Walker

“You’re walking around as a hero and people are imitating what you do.” –General Christopher Walker

“All you need to do is lead by example. All you need to do is go out there and be the best person you can be.” –General Christopher Walker

“Regardless of their position within the services in the air force, they all matter.” –Park Howell

Mentioned In This Episode

• United States Air Force
• Donald Reed
• Major General James Hoyer
• Randy Moss
• PME (Professional Military Education)
• West Virginia State University
• West Virginia State University Football Team

 

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