REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- There is nothing better to bring a team together than a swift 5K run.
The teamwork skills needed for success -- planning, organizing, persistence, communication, time management, to name a few -- gel pretty quickly when the goal is only a few short weeks away.
Such was the case for one group of Team Redstone employees brought together through the Leader Investment for Tomorrow-Intermediate program to implement a 5K run for the Aviation and Missile Command's Organization Day in July. While other groups within the class worked on longer term projects that will be presented to senior leaders at the end of the iLIFT program in December, teammates Sharon Corcoran, Erica Fowler, Whitney Alexander, Seth Cole and Michael Bateman took on a task that needed to be implemented immediately.
The main focus of the iLIFT team project is to create a standardized plan for regularly scheduled AMCOM teambuilding activities to facilitate an increase in camaraderie, esprit-de-corps and resiliency at its Redstone Arsenal headquarters -- and the 5K run was the first of those activities. Overall, the teambuilding activities center on the AMCOM commanding general's number one Strategic Priority to "Strengthen the winning culture of our TEAM. Disciplined people -- who have a passion for the job -- who have disciplined thought and take disciplined action."
While AMCOM leadership supported 5K run as part of AMCOM's teambuilding activities, that didn't mean the coordination was easy. As the first AMCOM event of its kind, the iLIFT team had to work quickly to overcome barriers and work through processes to ensure a safe running event.
"The execution of the AMCOM 5K required coordination with a plethora of organizations on the Arsenal beginning with the AMCOM chief of staff (then Col. Sheila Bryant), who agreed to be the process owner," Corcoran said. "We worked further coordination through AMCOM G3 (Operations) with AMCOM Org Day lead Tom Fluker and through various Garrison directorates."
The team turned to the Garrison's Directorate of Public Works, Safety Office, Emergency Services, and Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation for advice and support. In addition, team members sought advice from employees who had hosted successful 5K runs for AMCOM's subordinate organizations, and gained the support of AMCOM leadership.
More than 180 people ran or walked in this year's 5K. The event also included a living memorial, coordinated with Army Community Service's Survivor Outreach Services, to remind participants the "Freedom isn't free" and to show support to families of service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
"The success of the event was dependent upon the ability of the team to work in concert with other organizations," Corcoran said. "One of the purposes of the 5K was to improve esprit de corps and morale for a command that has not had a command-wide Organization Day in over 10 years. That aspect of the event appealed to AMCOM leadership."
The up-front meetings with AMCOM leadership required by 5K planning were an eye-opening experience for the iLIFT team.
"The 5K was certainly an exercise in communication, coordination, resiliency and stepping outside of the comfort zone envelope," team member Alexander said.
"Before this event, I would have been terrified to coordinate with a senior leader, thinking that they have much more important things to worry about than a 5K or Org Day. I was truly amazed at the support and buy-in from senior leaders and I realized that one of the most important parts of being a leader is taking an interest and supporting others."
The team also had to learn how to work with classmates who came from different backgrounds and how to juggle work responsibilities with the demanding requirements to host the 5K run.
"Working in a group to plan a 5K event while accepting duties required to implement that plan and taking on multiple tasks at the same time you are learning to work in this different group was challenging in a good way," team member Fowler said.
"It has forced me to prioritize better, and it helped me understand that personalities and expectations differ. But everyone has a role to play regardless of barriers. As a leader, we sometimes have to accept who people are and move forward in order to reach a common goal."
iLIFT is part of an overall Leader Investment for Tomorrow program coordinated by AMCOM's G3 (Operations) and that involves employees from various Team Redstone tenants. The three courses -- LIFT, iLIFT and Advanced LIFT -- involve classroom instruction once a month for a year. Graduation is in December with applications accepted in January and classes beginning in February.
"LIFT is about improving the total package of a leader: character, emotion, presence, intellect. This program has especially allowed me amazing networking opportunities and a safe environment to practice speaking," Alexander said.
The iLIFT team agreed they all learned leadership lessons and concepts from the experience that will help them with their current work projects and with other challenges as they continue their government civilian careers.
"The LIFT program broadens your circles of influence by presenting opportunities to work with staff directorates and forming relationships that will enhance communication in the future," Corcoran said.
"The iLIFT class and our 5K project have provided us with opportunities to interact with current and future leaders within AMCOM and throughout Redstone Arsenal. Those opportunities have provided a solid foundation and given us tools that can be used to ensure the success of projects, tasks and missions involving some of the same people and/or their organizations in the future."
While the 5K was of benefit to a wide range of AMCOM employees, iLIFT has provided a development opportunity that helps to build a leadership foundation, one of the main goals of the overall LIFT program.
"LIFT is an opportunity to examine our current leadership skills and style, and to determine where to make changes in a safe classroom environment. It is an opportunity to work with colleagues outside our fields of expertise and grade," Corcoran said.
"The LIFT program has forced me to exercise as well as learn new time management and teamwork/building skills. These skills will be valuable in the transition from one team to another throughout advancement in civilian service."
As a contracting officer, Alexander said the iLIFT leadership lessons help to "improve my analytical and critical thinking skills, as well as my resiliency toward our ever-changing policies and procedures. During this time of reduced budget and manpower, it is important to practice good time management and decision-making skills in order to ensure the mission is met, quality does not suffer, and we eliminate redo loops by practicing better communication and expectation management."
The iLIFT curriculum focuses a bulk of its classroom work on the Army's expectations of a leader as well as the attributes and competencies of leaders, Alexander said.
"Each class session reiterates these concepts as we look at topics such as communication, resiliency, decision making models, emotional intelligence and toxic leadership," Alexander said.
"Critical thinking, decision making, resiliency and emotional intelligence in combination with the Army Values have been relevant to me personally. Learning about myself helps me to identify and mitigate my weaknesses. This helps me at work as a professional, at home and in the community. I feel like, overall, learning and practicing leadership attributes in conjunction with the Army Values helps me to be a better person. By sharing my experience and living the example of a LIFT leader, I can improve my organization and hopefully inspire others to want to practice a more disciplined approach to leadership."
The publication ADRP 6-22 on Army leadership gives a breakdown of what it takes to be a great leader, Fowler said.
"I would recommend this course to anyone who aspires to reach higher because this class has broadened my ideas on what it really takes to be a leader. It also puts you in an environment with 'like' individuals who desire similar goals," she said.
Although all three LIFT classes teach aspects of leadership, Alexander said the iLIFT is not an ordinary class on leadership techniques.
"The class allows you to reflect upon yourself, and improve in areas of weakness and capitalize on your strengths," she said. "The class sessions are very interactive and we get to hear about successes or frustrations from other class members. This type of collaborative environment allows us take lessons learned from others and apply them to ourselves. LIFT really focuses on the full concept of a leader as a person and not just about leadership skills, but life skills as well."
For many in the class, iLIFT has given them a new perspective on leadership and developed skills that may have been somewhat dormant.
"It has sparked my time management skills," Fowler said. "It has emphasized the meaning of procrastination and how taking breaks before reaching the finish line can hinder the timeline. Staying focused and working ahead of time is a much better strategy than doing things 'just in time.' Preparation is key to a successful endpoint."
iLIFT allowed its students to take time away from their professional job development to learn more about the more obscure lessons of leadership. For Alexander, who has spent the past nine years refining her skills in the government contracting field, spending time developing her skills in leading others was a refreshing shift in focus.
"I realized that it was time for me to begin refining my leadership skills as I was beginning to find myself in more leadership roles," she said. "I felt like LIFT was a great opportunity to see how other organizations support the life cycle and see how I fit into a bigger picture. I knew by participating in this program I would learn more about the Army, my organization and myself while developing leadership skills."
Editor's Note: AMCOM wants to hear from its employees! Please take the AMCOM Org Day survey located on the AMCOM Sharepoint site. The address is https://amcom.aep.army.mil/Lists/OrgDaySatisfaction/NewForm.aspx .
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