Badger Girls State: Student Analysis

Leadership can be viewed in many different ways and possess many different qualities. There are courageous leaders, respectful leaders, terrible leaders, and seemingly insignificant leaders but leaders nonetheless. But what is it that differentiates between a strong leader and a weak leader, or a powerful leader and an insignificant one? Is it the qualities in the leader or the decisions they make in key situations that define good leadership qualities? Some would define a good leader by their ability to do the right thing even if it is not the easiest choice. Others might define a good leader as one that possesses great integrity and leads by example. The military possesses many great leaders through a process of development and molding individuals to meet expected leadership qualities like honor, courage, commitment and integrity to accomplish any mission or goal. However, this process doesn’t always create the desired effect. So, let’s examine some good and bad examples of leadership qualities and break down what and how we can emulate them.

As I have progressed in my career, I have increasingly realized the need for, and importance of, effective leaders in an ever changing, modern, technical Navy. Obtaining a commission as a Limited Duty Officer is a goal that I have sought since entering the Navy. There would be no greater leadership challenge or personal honor than to serve my country in this capacity.

Selfishness, overblown sense of worth, and indecisiveness are certain traits that seem to appear more frequently in today’s leadership due to an ineffectual advancement process. The Navy’s advancement process consist of a standardized test, Navy wide rating quotas, and evaluations which may or may not accurately reflect the person’s being. Certain aspects of these rolls and processes need to be changed to more accurately reflect those qualities that are required to be an effective leader in today’s Navy.

As Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert once stated, one of the U. S. Navy’s guiding principles is “People are the Navy’s foundation”. The United States Navy has long since recognized that command at sea is an honor and a unique privilege, one that demands confidence, self-reliance, sound judgment, and complete dedication to the wellbeing of shipmates. At every level of Naval operations, leadership, integrity and character have always been vitally important dimensions of who we are and what we do.

A person cannot achieve excellence leadership skills and abilities overnight; it is something you develop over time and continue to define and shape for yourself. An officer is someone who can transform their thoughts into someone else’s undertaking -- a skill hard to learn but even more difficult to master-- and be able to delegate responsibilities. I want to become an officer for that very reason: to continue expanding and progressing my leadership skills and develop valuable skills that will help me in the workforce and beyond. Rosalynn Carter once said, “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be." I also want to be an officer to help others reach their full potential, to showcase their skills and knowledge, and lead them to a path of success. For me to become said officer, I will need to complete MS

As a junior enlisted Soldier I was lucky to have good NCO’s teaching and mentoring my peers and me. This gave me the motivation to become a strong leader. What does a strong leader look like? I believe it to be someone who is competent, confident, and trustworthy to name a few attributes. I learned as a junior NCO that if you don’t have the trust of your subordinates, you won’t be able to lead. This proved to be a valuable lesson which I still apply as a Warrant Officer.

I am currently enrolled as a senior cadet in the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps at our high school. This prestigious program has awarded me with the chance to prove myself as not only a leader among my peers, but a leader in my community. Various leadership position roles and service to the community have given me the opportunity to enhance my characteristics and mold me into the ideal student that I am till this day.

Leadership development in the military is critical to its mission and objectives. Understanding and embracing leadership will foster an agile culture and facilitate attainment of strategic goals. People desire quality leadership to assist with achieving their goals, albeit personal or professional development. Having a clear vision and the motivation to perform at high-levels influences others to work synergistically together to achieve organizational goals. Insomuch, employees value being treated respectfully, fairly, and ethically. Leaders serve people best when they help them develop their own initiative and good judgment, enable them to grow, and help them become better contributors.

In today’s day and age the United States of America has the most powerful military in the world this is because of the hard work our servicemen provide to the military. To have an effective military excellent leaders are needed, leaders who are able to lead and follow in the same manner. The U.S. Army is the largest and most important service branch in the United States military containing a total of 98,126 active officers in its force. The U.S. Army breeds officers who distinguish themselves by having traits such as drive, great physical fitness, long term and short term goals, even the ability to lead and be led by others, and learn from others and their mistakes. A good and effective Army officer needs to have ambition and intent, enough

I have gained leadership skills from my time as an officer, along with knowledge of what it takes to be in a position of leadership.

Life changing experiences through extracurricular activities have given me the opportunity to discover my passion for leadership and service. Prominently my initial experiences while volunteering for Civil Air Patrol have shown me a life dedicated to service is unmeasurably rewarding especially when given the opportunity to lead your peers. Mentoring my followers and learning from their experiences have been so remarkable and rewarding. Deciding to pursue opportunities to lead and serve, the possibility of serving the United States of America as a commissioned officer was perfect. The idea of becoming a professional leader and warrior defending the nation and the ideals behind it would be a dream come true. Seeing the path of an officer fit my goals flawlessly, an education provided by service academy was severely

Leadership is not over at the end of the day when you sign off of your computer and head home. Taking care of our shipmates is a 24x7 responsibility that occurs at all hours, day and night, whether in person, phone calls, emails and text messages. The heart of leadership focuses on different levels of personal and professional wellbeing. Critical action at the right time to take care of our personnel so they can focus on the mission they are in place to execute. Leaders have differing views of what leadership is to them, however my personal definition is: “Capability to lead junior personnel, peers and seniors towards a common goal, whether it is a personal achievement, unit or Coast Guard objective while propelling individuals to

My leadership shown through my activities, such as varsity sports, KAYS, and FCCLA, proved that I was a qualified candidate to go to Girls State. Once I arrived at Girls State, I was assigned to a hallway which was called County. Within that County we were split into two cities, “sister cities.” My city name was Cherokee. Throughout the week our cities were competing for “City of the Week,” which was based on which city followed the rules, had members in office, and had members win awards. Also throughout the week, we had to do a city project. Our project was to make a dog park in our city.

My strong desire is to support the Navy's combat readiness and to ensure the personal and professional development of our Sailors and Marines that support the dynamic operational commitments of today's Navy. If only one candidate is selected, please know that I am that candidate, possessing the right skills sets, at the right time to be commission to

As a Naval Officer I had the opportunity to experience both leadership and management. Today's Navy operates with fewer people and resources than before. Therefore, leadership and management are more important than ever. Very early in my career I was taught leadership and as I advanced through the ranks I experienced management.