Thomas J. Watson Jr.
Lessons Learned In The Air And Shared For A Lifetime
(March 14, 2011) |
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| LEESBURG, Va. (3/11/2011 - AFNS) -- Air Force Chief of Staff
Gen. Norton A. Schwartz declared 2009 to 2010 as the Year of
the Air Force Family. He knew, as leaders before him
realized, that without the care and genuine concern for not
only Airmen, but for those family members who support their
Airmen, mission effectiveness could be compromised. |
Capt. Tom Watson (left) was a
B-24 Liberator pilot in the Army Air Forces who went
on to become the president of IBM. (Courtesy photo) |
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Tom Watson Jr. learned this lesson well during his days as a
B-24 Liberator pilot in the Army Air Forces during World War
II. He learned to fly at the age of ten and like all Airmen,
he embraced this opportunity. He didn't stand out in
college. He didn't really want to follow in his famous
father's footsteps into IBM. Instead, he joined the National
Guard as a pilot and eventually was promoted to captain.
In 1940, his unit was mobilized and Captain Watson found
himself patrolling the California coast looking for a
possible submarine attack on the days following Pearl
Harbor. Wanting more action, he found himself assigned as a
pilot and aide-de-camp to Maj. Gen. Follett Bradley, then
the Army's inspector general.
General Bradley was
assigned the task of establishing an Alaska-Siberia ferry
route to deliver planes and equipment to the Soviets. This
mission required Captain Watson to fly the general into many
airfields not used to servicing a B-24 and to work out the
detailed enroute logistics and servicing needs of the air
armada that soon would follow to allow the Soviets to hold
out against the invading Germany army.
General
Bradley soon was dismayed over the inability of his airplane
to be ready when he needed it at a moments notice. Asking
Captain Watson about this, the captain replied that it was
the crew's fault as they didn't seemed to be as focused on
the mission.
General Bradley then ordered Captain
Watson to take several days off with his aircrew and the
ground support crew. He was to spend all this time with
them, to take them to dinner, to learn their first names,
the names of their families, what schools they attended and
what sports they liked. Only then was Captain Watson to tell
them of their mission and its importance.
When
Captain Watson reported these details back to General
Bradley, he commented on what great people these Airmen
were. Captain Watson reported more than the details. He had
learned of their passions and desires and what it took to
get the mission done right the first time.
That
plane never again missed a take off, and the enroute
structure General Bradley put in place through remote
Siberia was done in time to help the Soviets defeat Hitler's
aggression in Russia and ultimately lead to the Allied
victory.
As Tom Watson, by now a lieutenant colonel,
was leaving the Army, General Bradley asked what his
post-war intentions were. Colonel Watson replied that he
would like to join Eddie Rickenbacker and support the
fledging idea to form Eastern Airlines into a commercial
opportunity. General Bradley suggested that Colonel Watson
apply what he had learned about taking care of people and go
back to IBM. Tom Watson did this and went on to achieve
tremendous success as the head of IBM.
During this
post-war time, Tom Watson never lost sight of those who
served, and along with Eddie Rickenbacker, he responded to
General Eisenhower's request and formed the Air Force Aid
Society to support those Airman and their families who
deserved the recognition and support that such a
organization would provide.
Tom Watson remained on
the Air Force Aid Society's board of directors for more than
24 years. He never lost sight of the clear lesson that his
wartime leadership experience taught him: if you take care
and recognize people who are responsible for mission
success, the mission will be successful.
Tom Watson
applied this though out his life, honoring those who served
in the Air Force and in the leadership he demonstrated in
IBM.
He has been recognized as one of the 100 most
influential people of the 20th century. During this 100th
year of IBM, it is fitting to pause and to celebrate what
Tom Watson learned as a pilot and how it changed his life
and the lives of many forever. |
Article and photo by Ret. Lt. Gen. John S. Fairfield
IBM Strategic Business Relationships Team
Copyright 2011 | |
Reprinted from
Air Force News
Service
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