Some other lessons I learned from the tough colonel:

Protect your people. He was always more concerned about our welfare and our preparedness than he was about anything else. If someone needed equipment, he made sure it was delivered.

Eat last. He did eat last in the lunch line. If there wasn’t enough of a favorite dish, he’d go without. The team saw this and would skip out to make sure he got it anyway. He didn’t stop at the lunch line. He always got a computer upgrade last, he rode in the older vehicle, took the worst schedule on holidays. He went last as a visible, tangible way to put us first.

Demand high standards. His expectations were high. He earned the right to demand it. Even when we missed his standards, we still were above others, and we worked hard to not miss twice.

Only complain up. He never complained downward, and he wouldn’t allow it from his junior officers either. If you didn’t agree, you could go to the person above you and discuss it. You were not allowed to complain to peers or to share any gossip of any kind.

Fix the checklist. He was a pilot, so he lived off of checklists. This was in the very early days of personal computers, so everything was still on paper. Paperwork wasn’t quick or easy, but he didn’t care. The checklist would be followed and fixed when needed, no exceptions.

So many more lessons I’m sure. I just can’t think of them at the moment. I grew up in the Air Force, ages 17 to 24. Colonel Worthington wasn’t the only officer that shaped my leadership style, but he certainly was the lead. In closing, I’d like to say thank you.