My Leadership Philosophy

A leader is someone who guides and motivates you. Leadership is a responsibility, and is very important. Without leaders what would the world look like? People need leaders to help, aid, and guide them through tough times and make important decisions. I play multiple sports, and they all have a captain to make sure everything goes right, and is there for the team when things do not. Leaders set an important example for others. Overall, leadership is putting others before yourself, and showing the world that anything is possible.

Among society, there is a common longing for success. Success, however it is defined, is only achieved through leadership in some form. Whether a person becomes a public leader in his church, in his country, or simply a leader in his own life, it takes a leader to put in the effort to achieve one's hopes and dreams of success. Leadership allows a person to acquire the means necessary to meet a personal goal and ultimately reach this idea of success. Utilizing leadership skills is how I will achieve my goal of becoming a surgeon.

My personal leadership philosophy describes who I am as a Soldier, a Non- Commissioned Officer, and a man who serves his country proudly. As a leader, I believe that all members of my team are important. As a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer, I believe, as the NCO creed says, “Non-Commissioned officers are the backbone of the Army.” It is very important to know your role as a NCO and fulfill all of your duties and responsibilities inherent in that role. We can all contribute to the mission and we have to understand that no one job is more important than the other. Teamwork is always provided in my leadership philosophy and if we all work together as a team we will all have the ability to make a positive difference in each other lives. When this is accomplished, then I

1. I believe a true leader, leads from the front. A leader is the first in all, showing the way, sets an example to all. A leader is trustworthy, loyal and approachable. A leader will support policy and always do what is right. A leader is looked up to and promotes motivation. A leader will take care of his crew, from his most subordinate to his commander. A leader knows when to allow others help and looks for innovative ways to improve. I would follow this leader and I wish to be this leader.

Leadership has been present throughout my life. I can remember being able to take charge of groups when I was only in elementary school. I have been able to have many opportunities since then to be in a leadership role. Each one of these roles has had an impact on my life and the way that I view leadership.

Throughout my short life, I have come to realize that a leader does not necessarily, although they may, maintain a defined position of leadership. A leader is one who will rise to the challenge even when the odds in opposition. A leader will tackle any barrier that stands in the way of the goal. A leader is willing to be hated and face criticism for doing what is right. Leaders come in all different forms, but a leader is the one who is always willing to make the difficult decisions.

Imagine you’re going on a hike through the woods, and after an hour or two you’re ready to head back, but as you look around at all your friends you realize no one knows how to get back. Being a leader means coming forward and taking charge, and figuring out the safest and fastest way to get you and your friends back home to safety. Many leaders have many different behaviors and ways that they lead. Many times my friends turn to me to make decisions about what we will do, where we will go, or simply where we will eat. My actions toward the situation define my leadership skills.

As a leader, it's important to know yourself. In fact, I believe you can't lead if you don't have some basic knowledge of who you are as a person; like beliefs or strengths and weakness. My leadership must incorporate not only my positive attributes but must be willing to make changes with aspects of my personality that don’t work. Admittedly, I am sensitive and also passive. I tend to avoid conflict as much as I can. These characteristics might lead to issues of weakening my leadership. Being a leader to me shows having to show a strong front to most people. That doesn't mean a person should compromise who they are. I have to have a certain image when I enter a classroom. I can learn to be more assertive and have a firm voice in a classroom. I looked at the Johari Window website, to see what results I would get on their quiz.

Who I am as a leader is derived from my personal fundamentals of leadership. The essence of leadership is having the following character traits: integrity, showing mutual respect, inspiring people, setting vision, making decisions, owning the failures, sharing the accomplishments, leading by example and never pressuring anyone into unethical actions. To me, at this time, those qualities are what make a leader. However, I am not that leader today, it is what I aspire to be. Before revealing the leader I am today, I will explain where the fundamentals, listed above, originate.

Being a leader is no easy task. A person needs to be able to overcome their own obstacles if they want to be able to help others overcome theirs. My ability to be a leader is still not fully flushed out due to the fact that even though I can overcome my own struggles/problems, it's much more difficult for me to try and lead others past their's. This is why I am very interested in the Leadership Program. Austin is a huge city but unlike many large cities, its people prefer to work together, they aren't big fans of the "every man for himself" ideology. That of course means that the city and university themselves will have countless opportunities for me to try and smooth out the rough edges of my leadership skills. But I

¨If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.¨ - John Quincy Adams. I admire this quote because I feel like it captures the essence of leadership perfectly. A leader to me is someone who: helps themselves and others, always tries their hardest, never gives up on anyone or anything, takes chances on people and who is genuine in their actions and intentions. I appreciate that leadership is the type of class were you can express your thoughts and ideas, as well as help those around you and make important decisions that matter. I want to be President of the Sophomore class because I want the responsibility and the challenge of trying to make not only our class but all of leadership better.

I believe some people are born with leadership tendencies, while others are thrust into positions and develop leadership abilities over time. I have been fortunate to be in environments where individuals in leadership capacities have exhibited both contemptible and admirable leadership traits. By fortunate, I mean I have gained wisdom from all of those experiences which have aided in the development of my leadership skills. Characteristics such as abusing power and making decisions which are egoistic and unethical are not traits I aspire to possess.

My definition of leadership is leading by example. Setting the pace and guiding from the front. Keeping your hand on the pulse of your people with open lines of communication and clear expectations. Ensuring all needs are met from the office paperwork, work space, and the family dynamic. Wherein you create an environment for success as your people are trained, equipped, and motivated to perform at their very best. Leadership influences during my career are good as BMCM Steve Hearn embodied all that is required of a leader. Steve was authentic and personable. He allowed people to get close and yet pushed them to be their best as he would speak to your strengths and weakness. His skills were unmatched yet he gave me a sense of purpose, buy in and belonging. Steve applied patience to help me get the basics of a specialty area that has made me very successful.

To me, leadership is not about being in charge of someone. It is knowing the group of people you are going to work with and being able to understand how it works best. Leaders need to understand who they are as people and what you need to do in order to be successful: how people learn, what they accept, and how well they can work with others.

I’ve always considered myself to be a leader. Looking back over the years I’ve learned that my style of leadership has changed over time. Through conversation with myself I have discovered my leadership style and characteristics. I became a leader at a very young age. Leadership to me has always been guiding an individual or group of people in an organization. I’ve always had a desire for interacting with my peers and influencing them in a positive way. In reference to leadership what I have learned is my style of leadership and what leadership really is.