Being a chief master sergeant of the Air Force is an understandably difficult task, the retired chief said, especially in the time he served with Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David C. Jones, from 1977 to 1979. Because of the Vietnam War, people in the military didn't even want to go out in public in their uniforms because people would spit on them and call them baby killers. On top of all that, we also had to deal with racial problems that kept popping up. Before I became the chief, I'd taken a lot of leadership classes, read a lot of leadership books and had attended many leadership conferences. I was, and still am, convinced that the only way to change someone is to lead him or her by example, as well as by word.
Leadership is the key to success.
Having retired from two careers, the Air Force and a civilian corporation, Gaylor now spends his time as a leadership consultant, in addition to traveling as a guest speaker. It's like a muscle. If you exercise it, it'll never let you down, but if you don't use it, it gets weak, and when you do need it, it won't be there for you. There are a lot of times we can look the other way or not step up because it's not our job, but if you're ever going to be an effective leader, you have to be willing to stand in the gap, to work overtime because one of your troops has to work overtime or to mop the floor even though that's not your duty. Finally, Gaylor said all leaders need to be accountable.