Five Keys to Success
Kal Leikach, NAVAIR deputy commander, shared five key elements he has mastered during his 40-year NAVAIR career at the New Employee Indoctrination Program Sept. 12. (U.S. Navy photo)
NAVAIR’s top civilian, Kal Leikach, NAVAIR deputy commander, shared his five keys to success with 31 new civilian and military employees during the New Employee Indoctrination Program at Naval Air Station Patuxent River last Monday.
NAVAIR’s senior executives take turns welcoming new employees at the biweekly indoctrination sessions. These leadership overviews demonstrate the value leadership places on mentoring and leading by example.
“NAVAIR is an exemplary organization because our senior leaders have made the commitment to welcome the newest members of our community,” said Ellen Servetnick, manager of the New Employee Indoc Program.
The first point is to understand NAVAIR’s mission and organizational model, the competency aligned organization, Leikach said. “Our mission is to provide what Sailors and Marines need to perform their mission and return home safely,” Leikach said. “We accomplish this mission through a highly integrated network of programs, competencies and commands. Collaboration and healthy debate between technical and program perspectives is what enables us to achieve program success.”
U.S. Navy photo
His second point: be good at what you do. “Become a subject matter expert and the go-to person in your job,” Leikach said.
The third point: become an effective communicator.
“Communication is very, very critical,” Leikach said. “As communicators, we need to be concise, precise, on point, and methodical . . . always driving toward an end result.”
“It’s critical for leadership to understand what you’re bringing to the table from a disciplinary perspective. But communication is even more critical because you will work on a team here at NAVAIR, and you need to understand that team dynamic.”
“You will come in contact with a diverse workforce as you work as a part of a team,” he said.
His fourth point: “We value diversity and we respect it because out of those different perspectives, comes a better workplace environment and better products for our Sailors and Marines.”
His last piece of advice: “Always be ethical and respectful in everything you do,” Leikach said.
“Mr. Leikach embodies these values and has served as a role model throughout his 40-year NAVAIR career,” said Diane Wallace, director, Career Development Office.
“It makes a positive impression on our new employees when they are personally welcomed by our senior leadership,” Servetnick said.
According to one participant, “it is evident a lot of thought and planning went into the orientation sessions. To experience this level of employee care reaffirms I made the correct decision in joining NAVAIR.”
Ivette Jones, a psychologist (engineering) in the Human Factors Division, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, felt right at home after hearing the core values from NAVAIR’s senior civilian.
“It is very meaningful to me to start a career here knowing these core values,” Jones said. “To have a clear perspective of your core values, and have someone at that level tell us how to do well meant a lot to me.”
Becoming a subject matter expert also resonated for her. “I come from the space shuttle world and working to become a subject matter expert was very important there. Glad I can apply that type of initiative here at NAVAIR,” Jones said.
Source: NAVAIR Headquarters
