Enlisted leadership takes on failure

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Melissa Harvey
  • 301st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
NAVAL AIR STATION FORT WORTH JOINT RESERVE BASE, Texas --  (Editor's note: This is the final installment of a three-part series on the importance of overcoming failure to reach success. The final installment focuses on overcoming failure from an enlisted perspective.)

Summer time in Texas usually means several days when temperatures soar above 100 degrees. Along with this hike in temperature, mandatory water restrictions are typically put into place. By the middle of summer, many yards are turned into crunchy, brown wastelands because temperatures are just too high for anything to survive.

The important ingredients of water and temperature needed for grass to thrive are much like what success and failure are to personal growth. At some point in life, most people will experience either success or failure and, if handled correctly, growth may occur.

Chief Master Sgt. Daniel A. Samulowitz, 301st Mission Support Group superintendent, has a view on failure that may help younger Airmen put their situation in perspective.

"I think that, in order to grow and become successful or good at something, failure is not only helpful, it is almost inevitable," said Samulowitz. "I would venture to say very few kids are successful at riding a bicycle immediately after taking their training wheels off. They fail to stay upright, perfectly balanced on two wheels right away. With practice and perseverance, success is eventually gained."

According to Samulowitz, failure may be important to growth, but not improving after failure is absolutely unacceptable.

While enlisted and officer alike experience success and failure during their careers, how these experiences are viewed may be different based on multiple factors, one of them being rank, according to Samulowitz.

"...Perhaps officers do view failure differently on a professional level, even more so if they are commanders. They are held to a high level of accountability, the buck stops with them. Failure can have an unrecoverable effect on a career. That said, I don't believe officers view failure any more or any less important as enlisted personnel do. I believe all military members strive to succeed, and never take failure lightly."

Another supervisor, Tech. Sgt. Nichalos P. Grady, 457th Fighter Squadron knowledge operations non-commissioned officer in charge, indicates perspective based on rank plays a role in how Airmen view failure.

"I think the higher up in rank a person is, whether officer or enlisted, failure is viewed more in the big picture sense of, 'What did I miss?' While the lower ranking member will likely view failure as, 'I let my leadership down.'"

People have different ways of handling failure. Personal evaluation is the key to overcoming failure for Grady.

"To recover from failure I evaluate what got me to that point," Grady said. "Whether it is a decision I made or something else that I overlooked. When I'm done, I get back up and keep moving."

For Samulowitz, it's the practical things that help him move past failure.

"I pray harder, study harder, practice harder, try harder, look to others who have succeeded, and realize that it probably isn't going to be the last time I fail ... I believe it is human nature to fail on a recurring basis. Some failures will be big, others only you are aware of. Regardless, you have to get up, brush yourself off, learn from it, and press on. I think it is helpful sometimes to put a positive spin on your failure in order to keep or regain a positive outlook."

Sometimes failure highlights personal limitations. For example, Samulowitz once tried step aerobics, along with other Airmen, during off-duty time.

"It so happens they were having step aerobics class one evening, so figuring we were in pretty good shape and this was a basic class, this would be a good way to spend an hour or two. About four or five of us attended, got a few funny looks when we arrived, were given our step and found a place to stand. It was ugly after that. What the other steppers made look easy threw us and me in particular, for a loop. I was unable to keep up with the class and realized being fit and being coordinated is not the same thing. I stumbled over my step on numerous occasions, sweated way too much for that class, and generally embarrassed myself. I was absolutely humbled by the experience, failed miserably at it, and have never done step aerobics again. As for why -- at some point you have to realize your limitations and take a different approach to arrive at your desired destination."

While Samulowitz's step aerobic experience may have been embarrassing, it didn't have any long-term consequences. That's not always the case with failures.

"No matter what the circumstance, we can succeed after failure as long as we don't allow failure to dominate our lives. If a person fails to comply with standards or fails to attain required levels of proficiency, there may be repercussions. You have choices after that -- improve or not improve. Continued failure is an option, and improvement is another. If you choose improvement, you almost certainly will have some measure of success."

Samulowitz's advice to Airmen coming up through the ranks centers on resiliency.

"Try your very best to negotiate that obstacle and handle it head on. If it trips you up, take it on again, and again and again. Failure is an ingredient that helps you grow. Keep in mind, like anything else; it should be used in moderation."