The Chief Obstacle Remover: Caring For Those You Lead | Ep. 67 | The Science of Leadership

In this episode of The Science of Leadership, host Tom Collins is joined by retired U.S. Air Force General Ellen Pawlikowski (Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, former Commander of Air Force Materiel Command) to dissect the often-misunderstood component of Caring For Your People.

General Pawlikowski explains that true leadership Caring For is not "soft" or "sentimental" but rather a strategic necessity integrated into Courage, Competence, Commitment, and Compassion. She states, "I don't succeed if you don't succeed."

 

The conversation highlights that a leader's core responsibility is to be the Chief Obstacle Remover. General Pawlikowski shares a powerful example from Air Force Materiel Command, where aging IT infrastructure threatened to leave $60 billion unspent and required her to intervene personally with the Chief of Staff.

 

Key Takeaways:

• Caring is Preventative Maintenance: Leaders must invest in basic needs, tools, and training, as ignoring small problems (like unit confusion or outdated software) can lead to catastrophic failures.
• Understanding the Whole Person: Compassion means acknowledging that people have lives outside of work (family, elders, personal issues). Failure to allow time for these distractions leads to reduced cognitive energy and increased mistakes.
• Science of Care: Research confirms that when leaders care tangibly and structurally, morale, trust, and productivity all increase.

 

The General shares practical steps and an essential four-question framework for leaders to ask their teams to identify hidden obstacles and leverage existing expertise.

 

Also, I want to remind listeners about the release of my book, "The Four Stars of Leadership," a culmination of over three years of dedicated work, and I'm confident it will be an immensely interesting and helpful guide on your journey to becoming a better leader. Don't miss out on this essential resource—order your copy today at Amazon or Barnes & Nobles and share your thoughts with me!

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To learn more about the Science of Leadership, visit https://www.fourstarleaders.com/

Key References

• Covey, S. M. R. (2006). The speed of trust: The one thing that changes everything. Simon & Schuster.
• Owens, B. P., & Hekman, D. R. (2016). How does leader humility influence team performance? The Leadership Quarterly, 27(5), 787–798.
• Kelloway, E. K., & Barling, J. (2010). Leadership development as an intervention in occupational health psychology. Work & Stress, 24(3), 260–279.
• McGregor, D. (1960). The Human Side of Enterprise. New York: McGraw-Hill.