Boyd Brummett: A Leadership Report

Leadership, as you should know is a very important role in society. Without it all of society and everyone in it would probably crumble. No more inspirations, abolitionists, presidents, or really anything. There can be good leaders, malicious leaders, greedy leaders, and even inspiring leaders. But the question is; what makes a good leader and who is an excellent role model on this subject?

There are many qualities that come to mind when a person thinks of a good leader. It may not be an actual person that is pictured when term “leader” comes in casual conversation, but instead just a series of characteristics or experiences that might make a person fit to be in charge. Or rather instead there are some that see themselves when they think of authority and power, still even those that imagine what they could become if given the proper training. The emphasis society places on leadership is undoubtedly instilled within the minds of every child from a young age that are urged that having a sense of leadership is the only way to be successful. Despite this, only few are really fit for a position where

It is easy to presume that that person is in the position they are in because of money, connections or an extraordinary intellect. We may suppose that any adversity or problems that this type of person has encountered are on another level to those that we face. Perhaps we don't imagine that there were private obstacles to overcome, personality traits that needed adjustment or adaptation, that private insecurities or personal failings had to be surmounted. It is simplest to assume that the role of leadership was cut out for him/her alone. More often than not, one imagines that the "leader" in an individual emerges early on in life, apparent from an early age: a bright child with above average intelligence, active in all walks of life, successful in anything that he puts his/her hand to, popular with peers and admired by elders. But nothing is that simple.

“It may seem difficult at first, but everything is difficult at first.” Qualities of leaders do not always appear in the beginning, sometimes they are latent and are exposed when they need it. Leaders like some of the above mentioned need courage, to stand for what they believe in. Bravery and confidence because you are not always going to be in a fair fight or it is not going to be easy, so you have to be willing to stand for it. They have to have listening skills, to listen to the people that are supporting them and listen to why they are being resisted. Honor to have known when they have won or to play

Leadership is multidimensional. There is no straightforward way to describe what a leader is or explain who makes a great leader. The description will be shaped by the purpose of the work being done and the followers one achieves. Dye (2010) states that leadership is a “living phenomenon” (p. 14) and supports the need to provide personalization to the leadership style. There is much discussion on the development of a leader. Some believe that you are a natural born leader who fine-tunes those skills through “persistence and perseverance of failures and successes” (Blanken, 2013, para. 5). Others, like Blanken (2013), feel that exposures early in life begin the development of leadership traits, and “education, jobs, and life experiences then shape the leader’s philosophy and psychology” (para. 7). A dominant style might be apparent in a leader; however, the adaptability in leadership approaches allows the leader to be focused on

There are many admirable traits of leadership, but the three I discussed above are the characteristics by which I desire to live. I want to build strong and genuine relationships, be forward thinking and a role model that others want to follow. I do not believe that a person must be a born leader; rather, I have the view that we can all acquire qualities that will help us grow and develop into leaders. It is human to make mistakes, but if we learn from them, we will be better people, who can make a difference in this world. In the words of Mahatma

To be a leader, one must have certain traits that contribute, in a good way, to their leadership. An example could be persistence. What is a leader without persistence, what would be the point of them doing anything at all? Bravery is another valuable trait to have. In order to be a leader, you must be brave enough to stand for what you believe in and what you want to change, even when the outcome may seem bleak. One more essential trait: motivation. A leader simply cannot be a leader if no one is motivated to follow them. An example of a leader who exhibits all three of these characteristics in a great way would be Martin Luther King Jr. He was an African-American man who lived in a segregated time and place. Quickly, King became a leader

As I've grown up there have been a few leaders in my life or that I've seen that have made me into the person I am today, but the most influential leader in my life is definitely my grandfather. Gary Drumheller, fought in Vietnam and now spends his time at his barbershop or working with a group with similar morals as our council called "The Elks", where their main focus is helping veterans that are struggling financially, mentally, and physically. Throughout my childhood he has always taught me to be persistent, generous, and passionate with everything I do.

There are leaders and there are followers in life, a great example of a leader would be my Fire Chief Kenneth Everett. To be a leader you have to have many skills that set you apart from being someone that follows. You have to be able to talk to anyone on the department and know how they react to certain ways you talk to them. A Chief should be able to motivate anyone to want to continue doing something whether you just walked out of the roughest call you have ever been on or you have just lost interest in the Fire Department all together. You also have to be able to handle a large group or even a small group in some of the toughest environments.

Leadership is something that people are born with. It is an inherent charm and it doesn’t hide even if you want to hide it. There is a leader amongst us and he or she is the one that leads other people to great things by inspiring and motivating people to do good deeds. Leadership has been described as “a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”. This way a leader can decide what work goes in and goes out. Good leaders in history have left a mark in walks of life. But great leaders, they’re different. Great leaders have the ability to make each and every individual re-think their life decisions and choices by

Over the course of my career I have had the opportunity to work for dozens of leaders that aided me in the development of my leadership style. As one would easily recognize not all leaders had a constructive impact on my career but rather provided leadership traits to avoid. One person that I have learned a considerable amount from is my father. My father instilled in me the fact that I need to work hard, complete the task at hand, dedicate time to the betterment of my people, and myself and have fun while doing all of this. Another person that introduced considerable leadership influence on me are my grandfathers. My grandfathers lived very different lives; one was a businessman, while the other was a US Army post-WWII veteran, yet they had a uniformed message. That message was continuously grow, be aggressive in studies and work, stay active, and finish what you started. Two additional influencers of leadership are CDR Michael Fredie and MCPO Darrick Dewitt. CDR Fredie is a natural leader, and lives the quote made famous by Theodore Roosevelt, “Speak Softly and carry a big stick; you will go far”. He has the uncanny ability to influence others to work harder through passion and inspiration. Whereas MCPO Dewitt is an authoritative figure that demands respect and continuously inspires his workforce to better themselves in pursuit of bettering the unit, rating, and service.

A natural born leader is not something you can find in everyone. The importance of true leadership comes from demonstrating various skills, which encourage a better society. Ethical conduct in a leader is pivotal for the simple reason that a leader is capable of single handedly shaping a generation. We have been privileged to see phenomenal leaders do amazing things, and also seen the effect of what an inadequate leader is capable of. Leaders are found in all races and cultures, all shapes and sizes, but there is one leader, in particular who cannot be duplicated.

There are many kinds of leaders; some lead through position and authority, while others lead through inspiration and vision. Some people are simply natural born leaders. However, whether one was born a leader or has to become a leader, all great leaders spend time developing their traits. Similarly, when you train for a sport, you first learn to develop the fundamentals, and then you work to master and apply them. I’ve been told I am a born leader, but have always sought to improve my leadership abilities through experience. Maxwell states, “The learned leader; has seen leadership modeled most of life, has learned leadership through training, and has self-discipline to become a great leader” (Maxwell, 93). This statement is reflective of my experience during my military tenure, and what it means to me is; leadership must be developed in practice, as well as in theory.

Due to my passive nature, I’ve always avoided leadership roles. With that being said I still aspire to be someone who can be looked to as a leader. In order to reach that goal I observe and try to mimic the actions of people that inspire me. There have been many people I’ve taken orders from, but I have “followed” few. Those are the ones I consider to be true leaders, and have tried to be like myself.

Leaders are everywhere and when I think of great leaders I have had the pleasure of interacting with, the first ones that come to my mind are my Grandparents, Virgil and June Watts. After my first thought, my mind floods with many other people who I consider great leaders but my Grandparents are always the first that I think of as great leaders. My Grandpa taught me about hard work, respect, the importance of family, and the ability to understand you may not always get along so you have to learn to compromise sometimes. My Grandma taught me how to love, give to others, cook, and provide for ourselves and others with what we have available. One of the most important thing my Grandparents taught me though was, to have a passion and put one-hundred percent into it. My Grandpa with his love of music and entertaining people with playing music and my Grandma with her love of sewing and making beautiful dresses and quilts.