“Mr. Hennings is truly an astonishing man. He emulates a leader through all of his actions. Whether it’s serving his country, playing in a football game, or working for charity, he exemplifies the perfect leader. He’s the type of man everyone should aspire to be, and it truly was a privilege to hear him speak.” – John Pritchard ’17
At the beginning of April, the Leadership and Ethics club was graced with the presence of one of the most esteemed men to have ever come through Dallas, Mr. Chad Hennings.
Mr. Hennings has a truly impressive résumé: he attended the United States Air Force Academy for college and flew the A-10 Thunderbolt on 45 missions throughout Iraq. However, Hennings was not just a pilot; he was a member of the football team at Air Force and a first-team All American. Before he deployed to Iraq, Mr. Hennings was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys. After serving his country, Hennings rejoined the Cowboys and had a tremendous, nine-year career, helping his team win 3 Super Bowls. Today, Mr. Hennings lives a philanthropic lifestyle, doing motivational speeches, working as a distinguished author, and helping multiple other organizations.
Leadership and Ethics club president Michael Kelley ’17 said he reached out to Mr. Hennings because, “Being the big Cowboys fan that I am, I have always known about Mr. Hennings’ achievements in football. However, when I started to research speakers for the club, I remembered a conversation [where] my father told me about Mr. Hennings’ background at the Air Force Academy. After researching his past even more, I knew he was the right man to speak about his leadership experiences.”
Junior John Pritchard stated, “Mr. Hennings is truly an astonishing man. He emulates a leader through all of his actions. Whether it’s serving his country, playing in a football game, or working for charity, he exemplifies the perfect leader. He’s the type of man everyone should aspire to be, and it truly was a privilege to listen to him speak.”
One of the key points Mr. Hennings stressed throughout his talk is that you should represent something that you believe in and makes you happy. He noted that being a leader is not about being able to act like one, but about truly believing in something so your actions serve as examples for others.
One of the things Mr. Hennings pointed out was that he believes the key to developing one’s leadership abilities is “striving to live a life of legacy.” By this, he means that you should choose actions that you could look back on and feel comfortable knowing that you made the right decision. Jack Lynch ’17 said, “I really connected with Mr. Hennings’ point about legacy because I believe it is a good tactic to judge yourself on. I know if I can look back at all my decisions and be confident I made a wise decision, then I can be seen as a leader by others.
Lastly, Mr. Hennings emphasized commitment during his talk. He noted that a true leader only commits to things that he knows he can live up to, and if he does make a commitment, he follows through with it. He said whether it’s flying patrol in Iraq, practicing in the grueling heat, or taking a test, a leader follows through with his commitment and follows through to the best of his ability. Mr. Hennings has lived such an impressive life, which makes his words so much more inspiring, because he truly has practiced everything he preaches.
Pritchard added, “I would definitely say that Mr. Hennings is one of the most impressive men I have ever met. He has done [just] about everything in his life…to the best of his ability and always while representing God. He represents everything it means to be a leader, and he truly inspired me.”
Chad Hennings will have a long lasting legacy, and his bravery and kindness will always characterize him as a leader to all men and women.
If you are interested in learning more about Leaderships and Ethics or want to hear from a speaker like Mr. Hennings, contact Michael Kelley ’17 (17726@jcpstudents.org).
