Reeves visits Hanscom, kicks off symposium

  • Published
  • By Chuck Paone
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Kicking off a four-day leadership symposium here Dec. 10, Life Cycle Management Center Executive Director Patsy Reeves told attendees that, regardless of their positions, they're all leaders.

In making the point, she noted that we often affect others without even realizing it.

"It's been said that the average person influences 10,000 other people in their lifetime," Reeves said. This was something she remained skeptical about for a long time, until some experiences and shared stories altered her perception.

Reeves shared those stories and in fact peppered her presentation with anecdotes from her own personal and professional encounters. She also noted that the leadership forum was designed with that intent in mind.

"All the instructors are encouraged to tell their stories, not just teach from the book," she said.

The book is The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner. Now in its fifth edition, The Leadership Challenge first appeared in 1987 and has triggered a number of courses and seminars designed around its core tenets: Model the Way; Inspire a Shared Vision; Challenge the Process; Enable Others to Act; Encourage the Heart; and Having Fun.

Symposium organizers devoted three-hour blocks to each of those key components. They were led by 10 of Hanscom's own senior leaders, including program executive officers Maj. Gen. Craig Olson and Steve Wert and Director of Engineering and Technical Management Kevin Stamey, who along with Sherry Odett from the Hanscom Site Functional Personnel Office helped organize the event.

While at Hanscom, Reeves also met with Hanscom's PEOs, toured the base with 66th Air Base Group leadership and received overviews of Federally Funded Research and Development Center efforts managed by Hanscom, as well as a tour of MIT's Lincoln Laboratory.