Military Leadership Philosophy

As leaders, we must maintain a clear separation between ourselves and those we lead, both, on and off duty. I’m not saying that you and I are better than anyone else; however, as leaders we are charged with tremendous responsibilities and are held to higher standards. To put in bluntly, “we cannot lead soldiers and act like the soldiers”. Do not be a soldier’s buddy! We cannot get away with the indiscretions that out soldiers may because we must lead by example.

My leadership philosophy can be summed up with one simple phrase: taking care of Soldiers. This is my

The key to all of teamwork, leading, and following is adhering to the instructions of those appointed over you which brings me to my next point. As soldiers we are drilled almost everyday to listen to commanders, NCO's and basically everyone higher in rank than us or in some cases people that have more time in service. We are taught discipline from day one in basic training when we hit the ground the first time doing pushups to the last right face in the last ceremony before we see our families. Discipline is crucial to following orders effectively, without it soldiers would not react fast enough to what is being said or would simply not care enough about the task at hand to perform it, weakening the team it

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.

Leadership goals should always contain methods of a continuous process of learning through education, training, and individual experiences that help ensure that the message will be communicated in a confident and competent manner when leading troops. Soldiers tend to follow leaders that demonstrate and live the Army values, while displaying their confidence in every decision that affects change. Leaders are not born as organizational or tactical leaders; but grown by their genetic determinism, which is inside and the characteristics they work toward; that mold is which type leader they will become. Not just anyone can lead; you must have the desire to lead, be willing to make the commitment to being a leader, and prepare yourself properly, then you have the desire to become a leader. (Fulton, 1995).

At the end of the day, a true leader “in the army will do these three things live by the army core values, know the warrior ethos, and lead by example”-MSI textbook. Leaders both in and out of the army are held to a higher standard holding themselves in a professional manner at all times. The success of the group is attributed to the leadership styles and core values instilled in the solider to do his job effectively. General Eisenhower once

The very basis for my leadership philosophy starts and ends with the Army Values. I ensure each and every decision I make aligns with these core values. In 2007, after first pinning on Sergeant, I was in a position of limited leadership experience and charged with the health and welfare of three Soldiers. By utilizing past experiences and understanding the young Soldiers point of view, I developed the foundation of my Leadership Philosophy, the

For the military leader, the maintenance of good order and discipline is essential for a military force to be effective. An undisciplined military force is a losing one (Hoversten). General Robert E. Lee was one of the greatest military leaders of all time and was firm when it came to discipline. It was important to him that his soldiers understood that, in addition to efficiency, discipline guaranteed a solder’s safety; that if his forces did not prepare themselves for war when they had a chance, they would pay dearly (McBride). Discipline can be best defined as “a state of training, resulting in orderly conduct.” (McBride). This “state of training” must be achieved as well as maintained during peacetime so

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.

Throughout my life and my military career I have experienced various leadership styles, from civilian employers to military Officers and Non-Commissioned officers alike. Each had their own approach to leadership, some I found to be effective and others I did not. I have attempted to create a leadership philosophy based on a fusion of the leaders I have encountered and my own personal experiences.

Without discipline there would only be chaos. Soldiers need order and discipline to be productive and respectful when given orders. In the beginning with the continental army Baron Fredrick von Stuebon in the basics of customs and courtesies to the

Leadership, according to the Army doctrine, represents individuals’ ability to influence people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organization (“Leadership” FM 6-22). However, the varying characteristics of individuals that the Army attracts may instill this doctrine in many different ways, leading to different representations of leadership. Some individuals choose to lead their subordinate in a stern matter, only displaying matured emotions and a “tough-loving” attitude to guide them in the right direction. Others

Leadership is crucial part of today’s army and leaders play a huge role in the accomplishment of the mission. I believe this is true, because leaders are the guys who are in close contact with the younger soldiers. They are the ones who counsel the soldiers and make them better and make a plan for that soldier to improve and become a better soldier. Leaders play a major role in the accomplishment of the mission, because officers and higher leaders cannot be everywhere at once, so they need a person they can trust to lead the charge and tackle the mission the right way

Your key challenge in a leadership position is taking care of the Soldiers entrusted to your care. Soldiers are our nation’s most important military asset. The Leader who sends the message that Soldiers don’t really matter will generally not be as successful in the long-run as the Leader who is genuinely serious about taking care of his/her Soldiers.

Leaders owe their soldiers the best possible road map to success. Leaders help their soldiers solve complex problems by guiding them to workable solutions through effective counseling. Developmental counseling is subordinate-centered communication that outlines actions necessary for soldiers to achieve individual and organizational goals and objectives. It is vital to the Army's future that all leaders conduct professional growth counseling with their soldiers to develop the leaders of tomorrow. Leaders counsel their subordinate NCOs and junior enlisted soldiers. There may be situations where officers counsel junior enlisted soldiers. The point is this: every leader has an obligation to develop their subordinates through developmental counseling. The Army values play a very important role. Simply put the values of loyalty, duty and selfless service require leaders to counsel their soldiers. The values of honor, integrity and personal courage require both leaders and soldiers to give straightforward feedback and, if possible, goal-oriented tasks or solutions. The Army value of respect requires us all to find the best way to communicate that feedback and goals. Some soldiers may perceive counseling as an adverse action, perhaps because that is their experience. Developmental counseling most definitely is not supposed to be an adverse action. Regular developmental counseling is the Army's most important tool for developing future