Third-generation warrior, RC-135 pilot, and thought leader, Maj. Nathan Dial ’10, describes his connection to USAFA, his bond with the cadets and how the leadership lessons he learned fuel his drive to serve and support the Long Blue Line.

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SUMMARY

Maj. Dial shares his journey from growing up in a military family to attending the Air Force Academy and becoming a leader in the Air Force. He emphasizes the importance of relationships, approachability, and accountability in leadership. He's kept his connection to the Academy through mentoring cadets and serving on the Association of Graduates board. He is continuously learning and contributing to the discourse through research and writing. Maj. Dial also discusses the challenges and responsibilities of leadership, including the need to practice what you preach and prioritize personal development, controlling the controllables and dealing with adversity. Finally, the conversation concludes with a discussion on whether leaders are born or made.

OUR FAVORITE QUOTES

"Relationships really matter. I think some of my successes would not be available without classmates or upperclassmen who poured into me or offered opportunities or offered help along the way."

"Control the controllables. And by that, I mean you control your energy, you control your attitude, you control your effort. And most importantly, you control how you respond to adversity."

"Don't be afraid to be vulnerable. Now, you can't be oversharing. But, you're going to know those spots where you can be vulnerable."

"I'm a big believer in that you need reps. I think to really hone your skills, your potential, I think you have to have some type of environment that nurtures that out of you."

"I think all the best leaders I saw, whether it was cadets or staff or faculty or AOCs, were all approachable and accountable."

 - Major Nathan Dial '10

NATE ON OPRAH, AGE 11, APRIL 15, 1999

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CHAPTERS

00:00 :  Introduction and Background

01:32 :  Early Life and Influences

03:06 :  Choosing the Air Force Academy

05:04 :  Journey at the Academy

09:08 :  Leadership Development at the Academy

12:50 :  Staying Connected to the Academy

18:05 :  Leadership Principles

20:20 :  Giving Back to the Academy

24:06 :  Navigating Highs and Lows

27:40 :  Influence of Background on Leadership

29:37 :  Making Time for Others

34:06 :  Contributing to the Discourse

36:35 :  Challenges and Responsibility of Leadership

38:52 :  Practicing What You Preach

39:24 :  Personal Development and Growth

40:24 :  Balancing Personal Interests

41:00 :  Controlling the Controllables

42:18 :  Dealing with Adversity

43:20 :  The Talk: Passing Down Wisdom

OUR FAVORITE TAKEAWAYS

- Building strong relationships and treating people with respect are essential in leadership.

- Leaders should be approachable and accountable to foster trust and accomplish goals.

- Continuous learning and contributing to the discourse are important for personal and professional growth.

- Leaders have a responsibility to navigate challenges, practice what they preach, and prioritize their own development.

- Balance personal interests to maintain a well-rounded life.

- Control the controllables, including energy, attitude, effort, and response to adversity.

- Adversity can be a catalyst for growth and empathy.

- Passing down wisdom through 'The Talk' is an important tradition that evolves with time.

- Leaders are made through nurturing and developing their skills and experiences.

NATE'S BIO

14-year Active-Duty Air Force Officer, Combat Pilot, PhD with a concentration on NATO in the 21st Century. Well-versed in qualitative and quantitative research of public policy and sports analytics. Interested in opportunities advising/helping think-tanks, startups, boards, and private companies analyze, break down, and solve complex problems. 

US Air Force Academy 2010 

Harvard Kennedy School MPP 2012 

ENJJPT 2013 

Northwestern Political Science, Ph.D. 2021

ASG Rising Leader 2022

EC-130 Pilot 

RC-135 Pilot

Facebook:  Nathan Dial  |  Twitter:  therealnatedial  |  Instagram:  dial_like_thesoap  |  Linkedin:  Nathan Dial

- Bio copy and image credit:  www.drnathandial.com 

CONNECT WITH NATE  |  LEARN MORE  | AN IMPRESSIVE BODY OF WORK

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FULL TRANSCRIPT

SPEAKERS

Our host is Dr. Doug Lindsay '92  |  Our guest is Major Nathan Dial '10

Maj. Nate Dial  00:00

I think we all have strengths, weaknesses. And so, being authentic to yourself of how are you building a team that highlights your strengths and weaknesses and being self-reflecting self-critical and doing what those are. So, I think that's probably the first thing I think for any leader. I think all the best ones I've been around have all been very, very self-aware. And so, I think that will be the challenge. I think for everybody, how are you self-aware around strengths or weaknesses. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable. I think, you know, you're gonna kind of pick and choose those moments. You'll know those moments. And so, I would try to tell people as they try to think about that.

Doug Lindsay  01:13

My guest today is major Nate Dial, a 2010 graduate of the Air Force Academy, with a bachelor's degree in economics. As a cadet, he was the fall 2009 Cadet Wing Commander, who was also the summer 2009 Basic Cadet Training Director of Operations, soaring instructor, Naval Academy exchange cadet, and he even spent a summer in Peru in an immersion program. He's a 13-year active-duty Air Force officer currently flying RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft out of Omaha, Nebraska. Major Dial’s desire to feed his mind and grow as a leader is pretty insatiable. He earned a Master's in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2012. He completed the Euro NATO joint jet pilot training program in 2013. And he even received a doctorate in political science in 2021, with his concentration being on NATO in the 21st century. He is a 2021 Air Force Academy Young Alumni Excellence Award winner, and in 2022, completed the Aspen Strategy Group Rising Leaders program. He is a student and analyst of public policy, and commits time to solving the complex problems that think tank startups’ boards and private companies sometimes face. He is also a member of the United States Air Force Academy Association of Graduates’ board of directors. Major Dial, thank you for being with us today on the Long Blue Leadership podcast.

Maj. Nate Dial  02:32

Happy to be here. Looking forward to the conversation.

Doug Lindsay  02:35

Do you mind telling us a little bit about where you grew up, you know, kind of where you started and what that was like, and what kind of influences had an impact on you when you started?

Maj. Nate Dial  02:43

For sure. So, my dad was in the Army 30 years. And my mom is a professor who traveled the world with my dad getting a job at the local college, wherever that was. So obviously military was huge for me growing up with around a bunch of the kid. And then education was huge, too with my mom. So naturally with those two items, discipline, reading a lot. And I was a pretty decent little athlete growing up — I played basketball, golf and soccer growing up as a kid. So, you put all that together and naturally kind of led me towards a life of s