Moody leadership gathered for a lunch and learn, March 10th.

The point of the lunch and learn was to discuss diversity, trust and inclusion in the Air Force and how to recognize personal strengths and weaknesses, so they can be improved upon for the greater good of the Air Force.

“When it comes to trust and inclusion, if you, as a command team, are not focused on those concepts that the wing commander is saying is his top priority, the mission may still happen, but it won’t happen as effectively as it could,” said Chief Master Sgt. Jimmy Wilfong, 23d Wing command chief. “When you flip your priorities to focus on Airmen in a war-fighting culture of trust and inclusion, you owe your commanders, superintendents and first sergeants some tools for professional development.”

During the lunch and learn Moody leaders were given papers and case studies to read that provided the framework for the discussion of defining diversity and usage of the Diversity-Capability model to self-reflect as a leader.

“There are different ways to lead, different styles,” said Wilfong. “And as we have new Airmen coming in, the culture changes around us, we then adjust to it, and that benefits the mission at the end of the day.”

Ericka Kelly, former command chief for the Air Force Reserve Command, and Senior Master Sgt. Allison Garces, 476th Fighter Group first sergeant, led a module brief on the personal roles and characteristics that are most prominent in everyday life situations: Pioneers, Champions, Influencers, Hesitators and Obstructers.

“When we’re talking about diversity and inclusion, we’re talking about the pioneers that are welcoming change. They are the ones to think outside the box,” said Kelly. “The question [that we then want to ask ourselves] is, are we being inclusive when it comes to welcoming individuals into the room and are we doing enough self-assessment to truly understand the amazing gifts and talents that we have ourselves.

“Communication is as important today as it was yesterday,” Kelly expressed. “It needs to be important not only when we are having briefings, but every single day of our lives.”

To continue to foster a culture of trust and inclusion, leaders need to communicate forward-thinking solutions to their Airmen to empower them in the same way.

“There’s no doubt in our mind that we can execute the mission at an extremely high level,” explained Wilfong. “I think we can flat out get the job done, and get the job done in innovative and creative ways.

“I believe [what] this [diversity] training gives people is different ways to lead organizations because there’s more to it than an end result. If Airmen feel valued in the way they perform their job and are connected to the mission, its important,” continued Wilfong. “These things are all a part of the culture and climate of an organization. That’s why they are at the top of our priorities.”