Army Command Sgt. Maj. Speaks at YoNCO Professional Development Session > Space Operations Command (SpOC) > Article Display

Space Operations Command recently hosted a Professional Development session for the Year of the Non-Commissioned Officer (YoNCO) featuring keynote speaker, retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. Tonya Oxendine. 

Oxendine’s roughly 30 years of service with the U.S. Army is a testament to her trove of experience, with her most notable achievements including serving as a master paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, completing duty tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and eventually retiring as a command sgt. maj. in charge of over 1,500 soldiers.   

SpOC Senior Enlisted Leader Chief Master Sgt. Caleb M. Lloyd opened the session by encouraging SpOC Guardians and Airmen to “learn from others’ experiences.” His call to action introduced Oxendine, who shared insights into her leadership perspective, centering her speech around the themes of effective leadership and resilience and encouraging the Guardians and Airmen in attendance to build authentic and meaningful connections to generate positive influence that leaves lasting impacts.  

“Resilience is a continuous choice,” said Oxendine. “It’s about getting back up time and time again, and it’s about having people around you to help lift you up when you can’t do it yourself … because you can’t inspire others when your growth is stagnant. How you influence is about being authentic and being willing to help others grow or being willing to help others in their time of need.” 

However, authenticity requires vulnerability, which can be intimidating but is a necessary component of a successful leader, Oxendine acknowledged.  

“Real leadership doesn’t happen in isolation,” she continued. “It thrives in a messy, messy, imperfect space of connection where influence is born and lives are changed, including your own authentic leadership. It shows people that growth is possible, not because you command somebody to do something, but because you show them that through your actions.” 

Oxendine emphasized that true leaders must be willing to lead through example and take the time to build connections with their team members that will lead to lasting influence.  

“Leadership is about influence and influence is about people. …The formula for effective leadership is simple,” revealed Oxendine. “Your actions must match your words, and you must lead with empathy and understanding, being a role model, and, above all, taking care of your people.” 

To wrap up her message, Oxendine spoke on one of the greatest powers of influence: impact. The legacy of influence is strong and can impact multiple generations. Therefore, it is imperative that Guardian and Airmen NCOs proactively develop strong leadership skills that will positively influence and impact the nation for generations to come.