By Carly Milne
Evan Barnes (EMBA ’18) has weathered many storms, but he didn’t do it alone — and the support that got him through his toughest times informs not only his studies, but his future as a UCLA Anderson Executive MBA graduate.
“In the military, we view leadership as service,” Barnes says. “It boils down to showing care and compassion to the members of your team. It comes from building a relationship with the team, and that’s building leadership. Leadership has to be derived from your courage, care, compassion and trust to build that unbreakable bond with your team.”
It’s this values-driven leadership that led to Barnes’ selection as a 2017 John Wooden Global Leadership Fellow.
Barnes was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. It was there that his interest in the military was piqued — his father was an Air Force fighter pilot — and soon after 9/11, Barnes enrolled in the Naval Academy. But before he could start, tragedy struck. Barnes had crewed for a sailing team and was driving back from an event when he fell asleep at the wheel, striking a concrete pylon at highway speed. His injuries included a broken arm, ankle and hip, and had it not been for the car’s safety equipment, he might not have survived.
Although the accident was the toughest experience of his life to that point, Barnes now feels it was positive in the long term. He deferred his enrollment at the Naval Academy while he healed, taking classes at Ohio State University; and when the time came to go to Annapolis, he was ready.
“I started committing to every opportunity I could and worked to be the best Naval midshipman I could,” Barnes recalls, adding that he also played soccer, starting as a varsity goalkeeper, and began his career in the Marine Corps as a 2nd Lieutenant (the Naval Academy prepares young men and women to become officers both in the Navy and the Marine Corps). “You can only learn to cope with uncertainty in those kinds of situations. You can take advantage of opportunities without over-worrying about consequences — you have to embrace challenges without being afraid,” he says.
Barnes’ career in the Marines led to an assignment in Germany, but he also found time to attend graduate school in Stockholm, Sweden, on a scholarship from Rotary International. Eventually, he returned to the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, for a seven-month officer course, then transitioned into flight training in Pensacola, Florida, where he learned to pilot C-130 prop cargo planes. Barnes was an aircraft commander, and later a captain, during which he flew five continents — including two tours in the Middle East to conduct combat operations in Iraq and Syria. “The tours built trust, strength and cohesion in the team to make it successful,” notes Barnes, who is proud that his plane was never hit during any of his deployments.
During his combat tours, Barnes led tactical recovery of aircraft personnel (known as TRAP) missions to observe attacks from above and rescue any downed pilots. During one flight, he and his crew were delivering emergency supplies when their aircraft lost its defensive capabilities. A debate rose among the crew: should they turn back or continue their mission? On the fly, Barnes helped create a working protocol and got crew buy-in to keep the mission on track, leading to its success.
Barnes flew C-130s for four years. In 2015, he became a Marine officer instructor for ROTC at UCLA and USC in 2015, where he trains officers attending college on ROTC scholarships. He’s also a leadership coach and mentor, teaching others how their internal character reflects on influences the people who report to them.
“One of the most rewarding things is that I was very fortunate throughout my military career to have mentors who were phenomenal leaders. Seeing how they conducted themselves, leading individuals — it had a significant impact on the development of my career,” says Barnes, who counts Lt. Colonel Chris Claflin, who led him on his last deployment, as one of those influential mentors. “Now I’m paying it forward, having an impact on shaping the careers of the next generation, making sure they’re as prepared as possible to lead those individuals. It’s been incredibly rewarding.”
Another mentor still influences Barnes, sending him a note at one point, saying, “Never forget officers eat last.” Of the message that imparts, Barnes says, “It impressed upon me that my time as a leader started then. It’s all about the people you’re serving.”
Barnes also counts Coach Wooden among his inspirations, crediting Wooden’s character-based leadership and compassionate approach to team-building among the values that resonate with him most. Wooden’s lessons in leadership will stay with him, he says.
“The star of the team is the team. It’s very similar to the military and what makes a lot of units successful,” Barnes notes, adding that this mindset has inspired his own approach to leadership. “I have a personal leadership model that I’ve developed. A lot of the traits that I use are in the Pyramid of Success — confidence, humility, compassion, courage ... The core message is not just about motivation and managing, but about an internal connection you share beyond incentives. It’s about raising the others around you to your standard by setting an example.”
Going forward, Barnes plans to transition out of the Marine Corps to leverage his leadership development experience, and has started looking into management consulting positions. He’s also aiming to move back to Stockholm with his family. Wherever his path may take him, he will undoubtedly be an inspiring leader for years to come, with the capability to help shape the world in powerful ways.
The John Wooden Fellowships are among the most prestigious honors UCLA Anderson students can receive. Named for John Wooden, UCLA’s legendary coach, leadership philosopher and exemplar, the fellowships are awarded annually to MBA students who embody Coach Wooden’s values-based leadership. Essential components of this style include a focus on ethics, team spirit, skill, hard work and loyalty, along with a commitment to constant learning, continual improvement and innovation. Each fellowship is worth $25,000 and is funded by the annual John Wooden Global Leadership Awards Dinner.
The 2017 John Wooden Global Leadership Awards ceremony takes place on November 13, honoring Kevin Plank, founder, CEO and chairman of Under Armour, and John Wooden Global Leadership fellows Evan Barnes (EMBA ’18), Anna Goldberg (MBA ’18), Sana Rahim (FEMBA ’19) and Brandon Scott (MBA/M.D. ’18).
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