Overview of A Tragedy in Texas | The Mistakes Series
In this episode of Revisionist History, Malcolm Gladwell speaks with former Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein about the 2017 Sutherland Springs church shooting and the Air Force’s failure to report the shooter’s violent conviction to the FBI. The conversation is less about the shooting itself than about how leaders should respond when an institution makes a catastrophic mistake: own it immediately, tell the truth, fix the system, and show up for the people harmed.
What Happened in Sutherland Springs
The tragedy
- In November 2017, a gunman attacked a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing 26 people.
- The shooter had previously served in the Air Force and had been convicted of a violent offense while on active duty.
- The Air Force had failed to report that conviction to the FBI, which meant he was not blocked from buying a weapon.
The system failure
- The problem was not a single bad actor, but a breakdown in process, training, and follow-through.
- A prior Defense Department Inspector General audit had already warned that the services had issues with reporting disqualifying convictions to the FBI.
- Wilson and Goldfein learned that the Air Force had been aware of the issue before the tragedy and had not fully fixed it.
How the Air Force Responded
Immediate ownership
- Wilson and Goldfein met quickly, verified the facts, and decided not to delay or deny responsibility.
- They released a statement the same day and then held a press availability at the Pentagon the next morning.
- Their approach was: state the facts, admit the failure, and focus on fixing the problem.
Community response in Texas
- Goldfein traveled to San Antonio in uniform to attend funerals and meet with the local community.
- He first checked with local leaders to make sure his presence would be helpful rather than performative.
- At one of the funerals, pastor Frank Pomeroy asked people to pray for the shooter and his family, even while grieving the death of his own daughter. Goldfein describes that as one of the most profound examples of spiritual courage he has seen.
Core Leadership Lessons
1. Leaders own the institution
- Wilson and Goldfein emphasize that even if the mistake happened before their tenure, they represented the Air Force at the time.
- Their view: when you are the leader, you own the institution’s failures, not just its successes.
2. Truth is the fastest path to credibility
- Once the facts were known, they believed the only responsible move was to say what happened.
- Owning the failure reduced the room for deflection and helped shift attention to repairs, accountability, and healing.
3. Servant leadership means showing up
- Goldfein frames leadership as service to the people and communities you are privileged to lead.
- Going to the funeral, listening to the community, and not making the visit about protocol were all part of that ethic.
4. Failure is a teaching moment
- Wilson argues that institutions should use moments of failure to teach the next generation what real leadership looks like.
- The point is not to avoid failure entirely, but to respond in a way that strengthens trust and future readiness.
Notable Insights
- “Integrity first” is not just a slogan; it shaped how Wilson and Goldfein handled the crisis.
- The most important decisions were made in the first 24 hours after the shooting.
- Their transparency helped preserve the relationship between the Air Force and the community, even though lawsuits followed.
- Goldfein suggests that servant leadership is never “finished”; it must be earned and re-earned every day.
Recommended Follow-Up
Book mentioned
- Get Back Up: Lessons in Servant Leadership by Heather Wilson and Dave Goldfein
Bottom Line
This episode uses a devastating tragedy to examine what responsible leadership looks like under pressure. The central message is simple but powerful: when an institution fails, the right response is not denial or image management—it is immediate ownership, honest communication, and sustained care for the people harmed.