Definition Of Leadership

I define leadership as providing a team with vision and guidance in the execution of a mission or task. Serving as the Officer in Charge of a Coast Guard Station I have developed a Command Philosophy to communicate my intent and methodology to my crew. My hope is that my philosophy allows the team to better understand the priorities and direction that will govern my tenure as Officer in Charge. I have stated the core of my command philosophy is, “Build the Team, Meet the Mission.” An examination of this philosophy and my leadership in practice will identify strengths and weaknesses and lead to a better unit both in terms of effectiveness and morale.

Leadership in the Coast Guard is the process of guiding and inspiring others toward closer adherence to the core values of Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty. Leadership is a set of behaviors rather than just a set of ideals. Ideals are good, but ideals without the corresponding behaviors are useless. The best way to guide others is to show by example; a true leader not only speaks out in favor of the core values, but also exhibits them in their daily life.

This is my personal presentation of my leadership philosophy that spans my 22 plus years of Coast Guard service. I’ve never precisely thought of who my leadership influences would be, I never felt like I could live up to the transformational leadership figures like George Washington and other notable history figures. I’ve had allot of disappointments in my life, maybe someone I did look up to in a leadership capacity that turned into a disappointment. Then again, no one is perfect so maybe my rationalization of no perfection has caused me not to have a specific leadership influence. As allot of experienced Coast Guard members know, we learn valuable lessons about raw leadership over time, with certain experiences, trials, tribulations, and the like. We all form assumptions and generic wisdom which we believe works well with those below us in the chain of command, and those above us. My opinion is that leadership encompasses everyone around us from CO-workers, to family, to people we interact with in public. I believe that true influence is a 24-hour, 7 days per week life undertaking that people that are thrust into certain positions in the Coast Guard start to assume over a long period of time. A vast number of leaders throughout military and U.S. History have inwardly reflected the subject of leadership, many have written extensively regarding their personal style, or the style of other historical figures they have looked to for an example. I feel like I am a simple person

Leadership is the ability to influence others to work together to achieve a common goal. That goal would otherwise be unattainable without leader-organized teamwork. Continued growth in leadership skills and abilities is a necessary character trait for Coast Guard senior enlisted. Leaders are honorable, competent, determined and forward looking individuals that lead the way while inspiring others to follow and eventually become leaders themselves. I am reminded of the finest chief I ever worked for. He gave me great evaluations yet he didn’t think I was ready for advancement to Chief Petty Officer. Initially this caused some awkward moments between us. I had always looked up to him because he lead by example in every way and was well respected by the entire command. I know he had a difficult time telling me of my shortcomings but it was just what I needed. I appreciate the inspiration he gave me to grow. He and I are still close friends and keep in touch even though he has been retired for eight years now. The moral of this story is; how you react to negative feedback is a testament to your character. Do not let it take the wind from your sails. Rather, let it light the fire of ambitious determination. There is always room for improvement and expansion of skills and abilities. This is called

Throughout my first ten years in the Coast Guard I had the opportunity to serve at several different units. I learned a tremendous amount during that period of my career. I had several mentors that taught me many great traits. However, some of the leaders I served with also taught things not to do. I believe that examples of poor leadership teach you just as much as good leadership does. It wasn’t until my tour as the Executive Petty Officer on an 87’ WPB when I served with a Master Chief that showed me true leadership. This Master Chief showed me that compassion and respect is contagious. His persona within the crew built an atmosphere of trust and dedication. Our crew was driven to be successful, enjoyed everything

Leadership is inspiring others to WANT to accomplish YOUR goals. Throughout my career, I’ve had some interesting influences that led to my leadership philosophy. Looking specifically at my Chiefs we’ll start when I was a non-rate. My Senior Chief OIC was mostly a good guy and as a non-rate I didn’t have too much interaction with him. I do remember that he had difficulty saying “no” even when it was needed. If it was asked of him, he would have his crew take care of it, regardless of safety or fatigue. As an E-4, my Chief was a lot of fun and loved to interact with the crew. But he had a habit of getting drunk with his subordinates and exposing himself. As an E-5 my Chief was a bit corrupt. He had a history of awarding contracts

Leadership is a trait that is developed over time by skillfully executing the mission, learning from past mistakes, and not being afraid to make the tough decisions. Once mission expertise is achieved, the role shifts into ensuring those who follow can take over the operational responsibilities of the mission. The expert previously described focuses on the people who are now filling the role he or she once held; this expert now ensures that those following receive the training they need, are mentored in their roles as a developing leader, and that their accomplishments are dutifully noted, even awarded when needed. The question of how to be an effective leader is developed as various skills observed from those who lead before. Whether it is the spelled out leadership philosophy of Captain Byron Black, Sector Upper Mississippi River who clearly stated “Take Care, Prepare, and Execute the Mission”, or the claim that following Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs by Commander Lynn Keopke, Marine Safety Office Chicago, or the dos and don’ts of personal interaction observed from Chief Boatswains Mate Thomas Wilson, of Coast Guard Station Niagara, leadership characteristics are developed and refined over time.

The common definition of leadership that has been taught throughout the Coast Guard is “You influencing others to achieve a goal”. When boiling it down to the most simplistic form, that definition is sufficient. The problem with that definition is that it is very vague. It doesn’t quantify how well the goal was achieved, or what type of influence was used to achieve it. A leader can easily use negative motivation to achieve a goal, but the quality of the completed product may not be as high compared to times where positive motivation is used. If a leader were to threaten their subordinates with the potential of holding up their liberty until a job is complete, the subordinates may rush to get the job done, but the quality of their

My definition of leadership is to have the ability and knowledge to step in and assist others when needed. My abilities to be interpersonal, trust, and having the ability to be approachable are my strengths. Trust, Respect, Family, Honesty/Integrity and Loyalty are personal values that I am passionate about. Trusting one another in this organization is second to none. I have to trust my shipmates and believe I can depend on them on whatever hazard we face. With trust comes Honest/Integrity, I am willing to admit when I am in the wrong and expect the same from my shipmates. No matter how big or small the mistake is I have to know my shipmate will own up to it and move forward and continue the mission. The Coast Guard and my fellow shipmates are my Family. Many of us are so far away from our families we have to

This paper discusses my leadership experience as a Naval Officer and the application of theories, processes, and ideas included in the coursework for the United States Marine Corps Command and Staff College and The University of Oklahoma Master of Arts in Administrative Leadership program. The lessons learned from the two academic programs provided context as well as a deeper understanding of leadership theory that proved valuable during my executive leadership tour, and will continue to serve me throughout the remainder of my military career and

Beginning in boot camp and continuing throughout my career, I’ve seen the Coast Guard promote the leadership model to be: “You” influencing “Others” to achieve a “Goal”. With all the different ways leadership can be defined, this simplistic model which has been permanently engrained in my thinking definition still rings true for me. As such, when defining my own personal definition of leadership, I align it to this same model. More specifically, while I support the fact that leadership involves influencing others to achieve a common end I propose that is not the whole story. Leaders must not be stagnant in their vision and must lend themselves to the possibility they may have to adjust their leadership styles depending on the goal. The best leaders are the ones that understand their own personality traits as well as those traits of the people they are trying to lead.

It takes a lot of work and different types of skills to be a leader like Being able to connect with others, Having the right qualities and of course they would need to inspire others.

Being a leader means different things to different people. In my eyes, being a leader means exhibiting courage and setting an example to my teammates. I want the younger players to be able to look up to me, and come to me when they need counsel. I lead by example, and never stray from my morals. I know of people who try to "lead" by telling others what to do, but I know this isn't the correct method. I lead by becoming friends with my teammates and encouraging them when things don't go their way. As the team captain on our varsity basketball team, I am held to higher standards. I have to keep the team in check and focused on our goals. My leadership roles are present off the court as well. I am vice president of the school's student council

In defining leadership and in my opinion, I would have to say that it is a method that people use to encourage others to achieve a common goal by always performing tasking the proper way. What I mean by my definition is that every day one is placed in a position to alter from standard procedures. Whether it be briefing the Command about something important or fixing a million dollar diesel engine, there exists a time in many circumstances where slight deviation from procedures will make the job easier. This is where leadership comes into play. A leader that has instilled a firm foundation of ensuring those under them are aware of the implications of taking a shortcut and are properly taught how to do tasking, will not only be even

Leadership is a difficult word to define and according to the Miriam-Webster Dictionary leadership is the “office or position of a leader” (Miriam-Webster, 2010). This definition is definitely not one that I would ascribe to when discussing leadership. My definition of leadership is “the ability someone has to motivate and empower others to achieve a goal.” Some may add to this definition, others may discard it altogether and have a completely different definition. In the end, leadership takes on many different forms depending on who is doing the defining and we end up asking ourselves, what is leadership and why do we care?