Loyalty vs. Integrity: The Ultimate Leadership Dilemma

Background:

As a young Air Force space operations Airman, I was part of the 2d Space Warning Squadron. We were responsible for operating two satellite constellations that were crucial to North America’s early warning systems. The Defense Support Program (DSP) satellites, in their 22,300-mile, geosynchronous orbits, were tasked with detecting missile launches, space launches, and nuclear detonations. As the #1 instructor and evaluator for my position, I had just been selected as the only Airman in my space wing to be selected for two separate Air Force ROTC scholarship programs to pursue my mechanical engineering degree and obtain a commission as a 2d Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. I was 21 years old…I was indestructible…I was a leader…so I thought.

 

🚨 Red Alert: The Dreaded 2 am Phone Call 🚨

It was the middle of the night when the shrill ring of my phone jolted me awake. As a young space operations staff evaluator, I knew that a 2 am phone call could only mean one thing: a “real-world critical error” scenario had occurred. My heart raced as I quickly dressed and made my way to the operations room, where my fellow staff evaluators and I were tasked with cataloging and reviewing all data surrounding the event.

 

The Final Frontier: A Failure of Leadership

As we delved deeper into the incident, it became clear that the error was the result of a failure of leadership on the part of the on-shift operations commander. It was undeniable. Despite knowing the correct tactics, techniques, and procedures, they had made a critical mistake. I couldn’t believe it when I learned

that the person in question was my mentor and one of my biggest supporters. I pleaded with my team to relook at the evidence, but the facts were clear. I knew that I had to make a choice: loyalty to my mentor or integrity as a leader.

The Prime Directive: Choosing Between Loyalty and Integrity

In the end, I chose loyalty. I convinced my team to recommend special training for the crew, but to not assign blame to any one person. I knew that my mentor had made a mistake, but I couldn’t bring myself to tarnish his reputation and career. I walked out of the operations room feeling proud of my decision, only to be met with a glare of disappointment from my mentor.

The Battle for Self-Redemption

He pulled me aside and gave me immediate feedback that has stayed with me for the rest of my life. “Airman Carranza, I know that you and I have a relationship as mentor and mentee. I think very highly of you and I know you think very highly of me. Because that is so, I’m going to give you feedback that I hope stays with you for the rest of your life. Today you were a bad leader. I f*cked up it was plain as day. I know it, my peers know it, you know it. But you decided that loyalty to me and our friendship was more important than your integrity. What’s done is done. One day, because you are a leader you will get another chance to redeem yourself – as God as my witness you will.”

As I drove home that day, I couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt and shame. I had let my loyalty to my mentor cloud my judgment, and as a result, I had failed as a leader. I knew that I needed to learn from this experience and to always put integrity first, no matter the cost.

The Path to Self-Improvement: A Journey of a Lifetime

That experience taught me valuable lessons that have stayed with me throughout my career. I learned that humility is crucial in leadership, and that integrity must always come first. I also learned that sometimes, the hardest choices are the ones that make us better leaders. My mentor was right, little did I know, twenty-year-old Airman Carranza would be tested time and time again in peacetime, combat, and humanitarian relief efforts. We’ll wait till the next time to hear those stories. I chose to dive into John Maxwell’s “21 irrefutable Laws of Leadership,” following this event. It helped me understand how Leaders’ integrity and trust set the foundation for all relationships regardless of loyalties. Highly recommend you pick up that book and immerse yourself in Law #2 & Law#6.

If you enjoyed learning about my journey as a young leader; I invite you to subscribe to my newsletter. I will be sharing more stories and lessons learned

throughout my career, and I would love to have you along for the ride. Thank you for reading.

Coach Rob