While a career in the military instills many values considered essential in living a disciplined life of leadership, for former Air Force Major General Chris Finerty, some of the lessons he learned before, and after, serving in the military have led him to expand his thinking about what effective leadership means, both in the workplace and in family life.
He recalls when he was in college at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, hearing a speaker talk about “doing the right thing.” The more the presenter talked, the more Finerty became aware of the difference between doing the right thing and doing what’s legal. Finerty also has a Master of Business Administration from Regis University in Denver.
What is Doing the ‘Right’ Thing?
“While acting legally and staying out of trouble are admirable actions, there is a cavernous difference between these actions and ‘doing the right thing.’ Too often, especially in the military, we consider ourselves ethical if we follow the regulations, when it’s clear that blindly following the regulations can lead to unethical outcomes,” Finerty says.
Chris Finerty considers himself fortunate to have heard that presentation so early in his career. He says he tried to remind himself over the ensuing years that following regulations doesn’t automatically make you ethical. The challenge for leaders, he says, is to have the courage to do the right thing, not the legal thing, and to know the difference.
“I think we all know what ‘right’ looks like and we should be ready to stand in the storm for what is right,” Finerty says. “It may cost you professionally, but your dignity and integrity will remain intact.”
Navigating the Halls of Congress
Chris Finerty’s Air Force experience as a pilot and an officer, including his work in Washington, D.C., where his reputation was built on his ability to connect competing priorities without compromising on what mattered most. As Director of the Department of the Air Force’s Office of Legislative Liaison from 2019 to 2023, he led more than 80 military and civilian personnel who managed every aspect of the Air Force and Space Force’s engagement with Congress.
He prepared senior leaders for Senate confirmations, guiding them through contentious hearings, and crafting strategies to protect $200 billion worth of budget priorities each year. It also meant making sure the right relationships existed long before critical moments arrived.
Throughout Chris Finerty’s Air Force career, he has demonstrated an ability to navigate complex legislative landscapes, having served as the Director of Legislative Liaison for both the Department of the Air Force and the National Guard Bureau.
When transitioning from operational flying to senior legislative liaison roles, he learned very quickly that there are other ways to solve a problem other than the military way of solving problems. Dealing with Congress was a crash course in learning that lesson, he says.
“The military is built on a strict hierarchy, rigid adherence to process and unwavering alignment with regulation. These characteristics clash with how Congress works and how laws are passed. Everyone in Congress gets one vote and Congress is far more about people than process, while the rules are far more flexible than in the military. Once I realized that the military way of solving a problem isn’t the only way, I gained some empathy for how Congress works which certainly helped me as a liaison,” Finerty explains.
Lessons in Mentoring
Having led large, diverse teams at the Pentagon and in the Air National Guard, Finerty’s approach to mentoring officers, staff, and future leaders was to always try to be honest about the mistakes he had made and give the others perspective on what he could have done differently and why. “Too often leaders try to be perfect, as if they have never made a mistake, which almost everyone can see right through. Being a mentor to someone only works if they believe you are genuine, and being genuine means being open about your mistakes and faults,” he says.
While Finerty himself never had a formal mentor, he says he has always learned things from people he works for, works with and who work for him. If he heard an interesting or unusual idea, he asked that person how they came to that idea or conclusion. He acknowledges that for him, the thought process to get to an idea is far more important than the idea itself. While his professional development wasn’t guided by formal mentors, it was instead by asking questions of those he considered far smarter than him about how they came to an idea that sparked his interest.
Based on his own leadership experience, Finerty has advice for anyone looking to grow as a leader in their field, whatever it may be. His key takeaway: there is never a wrong time to make the right decision. “The right decision may come with consequences, may lack the allure of potential accolades, and may diverge from how things have historically been done, and that’s okay. As a leader, integrity and dignity are more important than bowing to institutional pressures, and doing the right thing consistently will pay off in the end.”
While the military instilled in him discipline and a deep sense of responsibility, the joys and challenges of raising his family taught Finerty something else: leadership and responsibility rooted in empathy, patience, and truly selfless dedication. These were key factors in Finerty’s decision to retire and spend more time with his family; the long absences and limitations of his career no longer worked for him. He has taken his experience and is forging a different leadership path with a focus on his family and his community.
From the Pentagon, to President of the PTA
One of the most consistent sources of inspiration for Finerty has been his son and daughter. Between the medical needs and disability of his daughter and the fortitude and independence of his young son, Finerty has been shown not only the value of unconditional love but also the value of leadership and service. As a dedicated single father, Chris Finerty’s love for his children and the community that supports them all, is at the core of his dedication to aiding and protecting those who need extraordinary care to survive and thrive.
He serves as president of the PTA at his daughter’s special needs school, recognizing that teachers “show a level of dedication and sacrifice that’s extraordinary, and they do it without fanfare.”
His role as a father is now the most important one in his life. He is intentional about mentoring his teenage son, giving him the tools to navigate life. “Life isn’t going to soften for him,” Finerty notes. “My job is to prepare the child, not the path.”
He admits he didn’t always have that balance. “If I could go back, I’d spend more time with my kids and less time at work,” he said. “Work will always replace you and move on. Your kids never will.”
The Importance of Continuing to Teach Life Lessons
Although fatherhood has taken a central role in his life, Finerty continues to advise, mentor, and speak on what he’s learned about influence, integrity, and decision-making. He believes change starts small but must begin with the most important audiences – whether that’s a platoon of young officers or two kids sitting across the dinner table.
For Chris Finerty, Air Force veteran, it contunues to be all about doing the right thing in leadership and in life.
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