Big Shoes, Bigger Impact

Several years ago, I was serving as one of four department superintendents at the second largest leadership academy in the U.S. Air Force. The academy was a critical stepping stone for both military and civilian mid-level managers; mandatory before they could take on senior leadership roles. Over 1,300 students passed through our doors every year, enduring an intense 6½ week program that ran eight hours a day, Monday through Friday.

One evening, I was at the retirement party for one of the other superintendents, Tim. His department was the largest at the academy. It had already been announced that I would be stepping into his role; a rare move, since most superintendents stayed in their departments until they either retired or were reassigned.

As I stood there talking with a few instructors from Tim’s department, Heather, one of the instructors, laughed and said, ”You know you’re going to have some big shoes to fill.”  She wasn’t wrong. Tim was an incredible leader, and over the years we’d become close friends, moving up from classroom instructors to superintendents together.

About six months into my new role, Heather and I had a conversation about her career goals. She told me she hoped to one day become a superintendent herself, then eventually return to her medical career field and make Chief Master Sergeant, the highest enlisted rank in the Air Force.

A few days later, her words still stuck with me. So I did some research, found a college program that would allow her to continue her education, and put together a simple plan outlining how she could achieve her goals. Then I printed everything off and quietly left it on her chair. The degree wasn’t mandatory, but it would dramatically increase her chances.

Fast forward a couple of years to my own retirement ceremony. After the formalities, I found a quiet corner to read through the stack of cards I’d received. Each was filled with heartfelt messages. But it was Heather’s card that hit me the hardest.

She wrote:

“Remember when I told you you’d have big shoes to fill? Well, you did that and more. No supervisor I’ve ever had took the time to research and lay out a plan for my career the way you did.”

After I retired, Heather went on to become a superintendent at the academy and ultimately achieved her dream of becoming a Chief Master Sergeant.


The Leadership Lesson

Leadership isn’t about titles. It’s about helping those around us become more than they ever thought they could be on their own.

​It’s not enough to simply hear people’s goals, we have to truly listen, understand what drives them, and then take deliberate action to help them get there. That might mean opening a door they didn’t know existed, or laying out a path they couldn’t yet see for themselves.

That’s how you fill the big shoes: not by chasing accolades for yourself, but by investing in others so deeply that when you step aside, they’re ready to step up: stronger, more capable, and more confident than ever.

In the end, that’s the real measure of leadership: what you leave behind in the hearts and futures of the people you’ve helped grow.

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