Rear Adm. Mat Winter, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division commander, is a guest speaker March 16 at the Kern Community College District (KCCD) Leadership Academy held at the Cerro Coso Community College in Ridgecrest, Calif. “Leadership is a passion of mine,” said Winter, who described leadership strategies that have worked for him throughout his 28-year career as a naval officer. “I generated a people, organization and mission framework,” he said. “It works for me. I challenge you to find what works for you.” Winter also talked about how a positive attitude, and a real and balanced connection with the workforce can be force-multipliers. Winter encouraged those in attendance to give some thought to their own decision-making model. “Decision-making is a core competence for everyone,” he said. “Maturing our decision-making process and mental models is an enduring goal; it’s part of the job. You have to know how to assess, learn and move on.” KCCD created the leadership academy to develop leaders at all employee levels, build trust between employees of the colleges and the district office, and to invest in its employees. The theme for this month’s meeting was human resources and the different aspects of leadership, especially in an uncertain, ever-changing workforce climate. (U.S. Navy photo)