I Became An Effective Leader

When I went on mobilization to Fort Lewis, Washington and left my son in the care of my parents, I thought my parental duties would be set aside until I returned home. Unfortunately, the soldiers of 351st Ordnance Company would prove me wrong with their excessive alcohol consumption, commonly term “binge drinking,” and destructive behaviors. I would then spend the next year sharing the responsibility with four other junior noncommission officers in the task of taking care of soldiers. Despite the efforts of myself and the others we were not fully prepared to handle some of the outrageous events and lack of engagement from the leadership that would challenge us during the tour. My abilities as a junior noncommission officer and the understanding of leadership were redefined and I learned exactly what it meant to ensure soldiers have proper guidance, leadership, positive morale, and well-being.

That night our last assignment was to escape from a prison camp nestled in the jungle not far from our location. We were formed up in platoon size chunks and marched down a dusty road with instructions to periodically peel off into the woods when the guards were looking in groups of four. The march began and the Sgt. gave the word that every 30 seconds a different group would run for the woods and work their way to friendly lines. Now with my group we had an officer candidate for West Point when he graduated this phase of training, and he didn’t let us forget that. We were all the same rank though for the moment and we would see what leadership qualities he lacked shortly thereafter. When it came our time to bolt we charged out through ditch

Winter within the Missouri woodlands was a tough time. Cold, wet, tired all expressed what I felt in that camp deep in the forests. From the 16-mile march prior to setting up camp to the periodic raids I felt the great weight being thrust upon us. “Push on! This was going to be your future so you better learn quick. Don’t you quit on me!” I heard these words ringing in my ears whenever I tied my boots to start another day. This would be the start of my quest to understand what it meant to grow as both a person and a soldier.

Poorly armed, we marched onward. Our weapons were no match for the enemy's, of that we were certain, but our own freedom was at stake, and we were just as certain of that. And so we fought back, only with a larger sense of purpose and a stronger will. We were taking heavy losses, but nothing could discourage us at this point. We were so close, and had so much to lose, but just as much to gain. Organization was certainly not our strong suit, but yet we pressed on. This battle would be the most important of our lives, and we knew it. We were exhausted and the fighting had lasted for so long, but this would be the last of it. We would crush their remaining forces, or die trying. Our minds occupied only by the words of our leaders and the thoughts

This fall semester marks the start of a new dimension to my persona. For the past two years, I have taken on the identity of a citizen-soldier as a member of the NC Army National Guard. That dynamic poses many challenges. The contrast between a civilian life and a military life is great. As a guardsman, I have had to learn to balance the two. I had to postpone college for a year to complete my militarization in the form of training. It’s understandable that the Army wouldn’t want me working on helicopters without having the proper knowledge. There is a demeanor and a composure that is only obtained through time in service. It is expected of you to maintain that when necessary. Customs and courtesies are very different for me as Specialist Thomas speaking with his supervisor Staff Sergeant Strickland than they are with Micah speaking with Dr. Rohan. While respect may be the same in both dimensions, there is no way to stand when speaking to a civilian. You mustn’t jump to your feet when your instructor enters the room. While those actions may seem silly they are used to instill the values that make US soldiers the best in the world. Being a citizen-soldier means that I will always carry those traits with me. I always conduct myself in a way that would not bring shame upon the organizations that I represent.

“Get off the God Damn bus privates!” Those words were the first sounds I heard as I stepped off that old white bus that day. Today was my first day to becoming a soldier in the United States Army. The date was July 12, 2013. I was only an 18 year old teenager who wanted nothing more in life than to follow in the footsteps of my great grandfather. My great grandfather had raised me and inspired me for this journey I was about to take part in. This was the day I would start basic training. I was feeling more anxious than ever. Don’t even get me started on how nervous I was. I had never been away from home more than a few days, and here I was about to embark on a two month long journey I knew close to nothing about. I can still remember to

The trenches became overcrowded while the sound of rattling machine guns and wounded horses rang in my ear. I was lucky enough to survive, only receiving a small splinter of debris within my arm. But I hate to say, it’s all too overwhelming for me. You don’t know what will hit where and who will hit when. Only those with experience know how to act out here, the veterans. The veterans endure extensive training but us recruits do not have those opportunities. I assume they don’t feel what I do anymore. Perhaps they feel too noble to ever get anxious or scared. And let’s just say that non-coms are a pain in the rear end. During our first day, we were introduced to the lanky, stern- eyed corporal Schumacher. The presumptuous corporal who sticks his chest out high, flaunting his badges and his title. Most of the time we are bullied by these men as they can’t swallow their glory. And all my old friends back home see me as brave and courageous. But I don’t feel brave or courageous, I feel cowardly. Nearly all of the other recruits wear their emotions on their sleeves, either caught standing still or their body catching a rhythmic tremor. But neither is any good for the field. I can’t blame them,

The Colombian Army’s structure makes the army unique; the Army has three different professions officers, sub-officers (sub-officer is the equivalent to NCOs in the American Army) and soldiers. The big difference with American Army is that Colombian soldiers will spend their military life as soldiers for twenty years, and then they could get their pension. In addition, sub-officers have important part in the role of authority to enforce discipline, to be capable and upright leaders and guide troops, to conduct of unified land operations in jungle, dessert or mountains, in hot or cold weather, which is what the Colombian topography demands.

If you want to successful a soldier, you never give up. When I was Capt, I posted assistant of Minister of Defense in 1999. This position was part of political but I did not have any experiences regarding political.Therefore, I was just 9 months on the position, then minister of Defense left his office 2000 because his political party lost the election. In spite of the fact that I was a lot of pressure from high authorities from 2000 to 2009, I was never give up. In 2009, I promoted chief of staff of one of the peacekeeping battalions. Consequently, all my chain of commanders understood I was normal officer. I could demonstrate my ability to them. I never complain and I never give up.

As a supervisor, what could you do to strengthen your positive relationship with your subordinates?

Going to the Joint Multinational Training Center made me a well prepared Squad Leader because it forced me to know my

Leadership is “a process whereby an individual influence a group of individuals to achieve common goals” (Lewis, J., Lewis, M., & Packard, 2012, p. 235). The people that I have come across in my childhood, in high school, and serving in ministry have significantly influenced my definition of leadership. I have seen my model on leadership has been concrete on this experiences and growth as a result of their influence in my life. Therefore, I look at leadership as a potential and ability to contribute significantly to an organization, community, individuals and to the whole society. In that past at many stages of my life, I have experienced significant contributions, sometimes in a formal set up and sometimes in absolutely informal manner. Therefore, in this paper, I will discuss the experiences that have shaped the way I approach the concept of leadership.

When I saw my final result for this assessment, I was not totally surprised because I enjoy working independently. I believed that working collaboratively with team members makes me lazier and reduces my willingness to work efficiently. Most of the time, I noticed that I work alone because I believed it saved time, and made me more responsible and accountable for my actions and ideas. However, this trait has affected me negatively because it reduces my ability to work cooperatively with team members during teamwork. For example, It makes it very difficult for me to share information openly and willingly with people. It also reduces my listening skills. I wont be able to listen actively to people’s ideas and opinions or understand the point they are trying to pass across. I was able to adapt tremendously as a result of the wonderful experience I had with my team members during the course period. An improvement in my score will make me a more effective leader because I will be able to display a more genuine commitment to the success of the team by showing that I care about the team. Also, I will be a more effective leader because I will have the opportunity to become a better problem solver, as I will be able to brainstorm collaboratively with team members when we encounter a difficult task.

Everyone faces obstacles, barriers, and challenges on a daily basis throughout life and have to deal with them. Some of them are more difficult and require more time and forces to overcome than others. Until now, my biggest challenge has been transitioning from the military to the civilian sector.

"Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you 'll be criticized anyway." This quote by the late Eleanor Roosevelt is one that I truly believe in. She was an inspiring woman for her time and continues to maintain relevance among rising achievers today. The quote describes how everyone in society’s attitude toward anything they do should be. Furthermore, she is saying that whatever path or decision you make; should be made without thoughts of judgment or a sense of feeling pressure. In this essay, I plan to establish an understanding of this quote and how it applies to leaders, any strengths and passions, and how it applies to leaders like me.