RHIP: Golden Rules of Leadership Published July 7, 2010 By Col. Kenneth J. Boone 375th Dental Support Flight Commander SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Have you ever been bothered by something your boss asked you to do, or by the way you were asked to do it? In any event, had it been phrased in a different way, you would not have even taken notice and would have carried out the request enthusiastically. Well, by definition, to be a leader you must have followers, and occasionally, you must tell these followers to do difficult things. Dwight D. Eisenhower said it well, "Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it." A leader will be consistently effective if his or her followers are willing and motivated. So now that you've been promoted and given the responsibility to lead, how do you motivate people to follow you? I will never forget my first assignment as a young officer, observing what everyone did and how they reacted. In particular, I remember a senior officer who regularly came in late or went home early. When I asked the superintendent how he managed to do that while others never did, he simply responded, "RHIP." I soon found out that meant "rank has its privileges." But as I became a more seasoned officer, I also determined that rank has its responsibilities. As I have progressed through my career, I have redefined this acronym, RHIP, to the way I hope I will routinely lead. R- Respect. Yes, as we ascend to a higher grade, the rank on our sleeves or shoulders warrants a certain amount of respect. But to earn true respect as a leader, one must be willing to give respect in return to those that follow. Confucius once said, "A youth is to be regarded with respect. How do you know that his future will not be equal to our present?" Show your co-workers, regardless of rank, the respect you desire, and you will be amazed at how hard they will work for you. H- Humility. Simply put, it means to be humble. Recognize that you are not inherently superior to others and that they are not inferior to you. Acknowledging vulnerabilities within wise limits encourages others (who know they have weaknesses, too) and portrays you as human. Occasionally give examples of mistakes you have made and where possible, show how you corrected the problems. I- Integrity. Integrity means a firm adherence to a code of moral values, or simply your moral character. My personal definition is "doing what is right, even when no one is looking." James D. Miles summed it up, "You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." P- People. We have all heard, "You are an Airman first and a (fill in the blank) second." That is true. We are all Airmen first and our profession is second to that service. But even more basic is this: never forget that under that uniform we are all human beings. Simple things like saying "Thank you," "You're welcome," or "Good morning" show you care and can go a long way. The bottom line is that true leadership is, and always has been, a selfless action. It involves directing a task without regard for personal self interest, while at the same time considering the needs of others. True leadership accomplishes the mission and motivates the team to willingly meet the goals.