James Winbush Embraces Asking Questions and Learning

James Winbush is the product lead for PEO EIS’s Logistics Information Systems program office. Originally enlisted in the Marine Corps, he switched to the Army and joined the Virginia Army National Guard during the 1980s. While serving, he contributed to tactical logistics operations during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and worked under the Army Acquisition Corps at the Reagan Test Range in the Marshall Islands. Upon transitioning to civil service, he held roles such as director of the Earned Value Management Systems Center at the Defense Contract Management Agency and as deputy project manager for EIS’s Army Enterprise Systems Integration Program (AESIP). He is today’s #PEOEISTeammateTuesday.

Where did you grow up, and what influenced you to join the Army?

I originally enlisted in the Marine Corps on a $5 bet that I could not make it through boot camp. I made it through boot camp alright but never got paid off on the bet.

My decision to switch to the Army was based on money for college. Aside from that, the tradition of military service goes back to my grandfather in World War I. All but one of my uncles served in the Army. My dad served in World War II, and my uncles served during the Korean conflict era. My cousins served in Vietnam. It was a natural thing to look toward the military for service.

Who inspired you along your Army journey and why?

I was going to make a list of people who inspired me and saw that it was too many. I thought about what I had in common with them, and it was that they cared about the people who were either serving with them, or for them. And not just for people in their unit — but for their families as well. Army buddies are like family because when you come together as a unit, you have to take care of each other if you're going to survive. That inspired me because that is what real leadership is about. It's not just about telling people what to do. When you see someone who's normally a stellar performer experiencing a drop in performance, you need to be in tune with his or her situation. It's best to get ahead of it and really know your people.

How do you see Army acquisition systems evolving in the near future to counter new threats?

This is a challenging question because I don't necessarily think that it’s just an acquisition matter. The new threats nowadays aren’t like the ones earlier in my career — like from the Russian army or the Chinese navy. No one wants to fight the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines or Air Force in a conventional war. Cyber is really the big thing now. Our systems that we depend on are vulnerable, and we have to close those vulnerability gaps. That's in the near term. I know we're working on long-term solutions too. Sadly, I think we probably need to turn to cybercriminals to get their insights on how they would infiltrate us. Not only from a cyber perspective — but other vulnerabilities they’re looking at, so we can get ahead of them. It's not necessarily tanks, helicopters, airplanes and Soldiers in the field that are going to make us successful next time.

What's something you've learned from somewhere you didn't expect, such as a person you had difficulties with or an everyday moment that stuck with you?

As I like to say, “Everyone has a Sgt. Jones story.”

When I was a lieutenant, I knew someone whom I’ll refer to as Sgt. Jones. He didn't know how to do his job. I was always frustrated with him. One day, I directed him out of my office and told him to go see the first sergeant because he was never going to work for me again.

Then one of my warrant officers came to me and said, “Hey, I want to tell you something. It's not that you're wrong, and he's not incompetent. He is. But here's how you're wrong. Was he giving you 100%? Or was he pulling your leg and didn’t want to do the work?” And I said, “That’s a good point, Chief.” When I thought about it, Sgt. Jones was giving me 100%. The real issue was that his skills weren’t a good fit for the job he was asked to do.

I ended up bringing him back. I wanted to do what I could to get him reclassified into a military occupational specialty that better suited his skill set, which I did. He turned out to be a pretty doggone-good supply technician. It wasn't his fault that he had struggled in his original job; he just needed a better match for his talents. That was a big learning lesson for me.

What is one aspect of leadership that you rarely heard anyone speak about but wish you had known beforehand?

Before you can expect people to care about what you know, you have to convince them that you care about them. If you just come in and act like everyone's stupid — that you’re the smartest person in the room — you're going to lose them.

Do you have any recommended books or movies?

I liked the series “Band of Brothers,” which aired in 2001. I think it gives some really good insight into what we ask of our servicemen and women on a day-to-day basis.

As far as books go, I recommend “Leading with Questions” by Michael Marquardt. It's not about “stump the chump” but about asking questions because you care about whatever the subject is, whether it’s a technical thing or an interpersonal thing. You'd be surprised at how open you can get people to be — providing honest feedback and things you need to hear. By asking questions, both you and the person you’re talking to end up learning something.

What are some things you enjoy doing in your free time?

Two things come to mind. One is finding the time to get out on my bike. I don’t necessarily have a destination in mind — I just ride in a general direction. I find that to be very relaxing. I also like to take vacations, especially when it gets colder. I like to visit a tropical environment, warm up for a weekend and enjoy some ice-cold beer.

Any advice you'd like to give to those reading this article?

I’m probably dating myself because I started serving during the Army’s “Be All You Can Be” era. But I hope that quote inspires people to bring their best contribution to the job every day and to give 100%, even if they're not feeling 100% that day.