My Leadership Philosophy

Philosophy is "the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge or conduct."(Stuart Berg Flexner and Lenore Crary Hauck, 1993). Leadership is the process of influencing others to accomplish the mission by providing purpose, direction, and motivation. Command is the authority a person in the military service lawfully exercises over subordinates by virtue of his rank and assignment or position.(FM 6-22) My leadership philosophy has been developing thru my Army career. I have use the NCO creed as a pillar for my Leadership philosophy. The outcome of my performance is a direct reflects of my subordinates. My ideas will not always the best, that is why my Soldiers have a open door to provide any feedback.

Growing up, I realize the important leadership roles that should be recognized in every day life. Leadership is an important part of one's self character because when someone sees you as a leader they tend to grow more onto you so they can be like you. Part of this statement fits a powerful quote i've always lived by while being around others. "It is the men behind who make the man ahead," this quote by Merle Crowell, fits the man I've molded into, simply because I have realized in numerous ways on how my actions can impact other people's actions. My parents always raised me to believe that what you put in is what you get out. So of course, I believe that if I make the decisions to be a follower of the wrong path, then wrong will follow me as well. Instead, I choose to take the golden path and promote a better outcome for my future and hopefully other's also. Sticking to the routine of a leader builds you into an even better leader. Being a better leader, makes me a better man each day that I choose this route as the leader of my path.

When I think of a leader I look back on how many people in my life that have helped me to get where I am today. My parents are authority figures in the sense that they are the ones that showed me right from wrong. There are the administrators that helped me along my way with school and completing all of the work that I needed to in order to make my way in this long road called life. Finally there are the instructors that have shown me the ways on how to become a leader myself. When I think of the word leader I do not think of myself right away, but now that I have taken on different roles in my life I have realized that maybe just maybe that I could become my own leader.

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

Who am I as a leader? What comes to mind when you hear the word leader? Some would think of our Commander in Chief, others may think of their boss or their teachers. All of these are just titles. I believe that leadership is something that can’t be narrowed down into a title or a position of employment. The choices we make and the obstacles we conquer is what I believe to define us as a leader. With the personal experiences I have had to bear as a U.S. Marine Infantryman and civilian worker, my leadership abilities have proven dedication to my team, knowledge and determination in specific trade, and the ability to motivate those around me.

Being a leader means having the ability to compromise, the ability to listen well and to empathize. I have demonstrated leadership at work with my coworkers who are interns and are new to the job. I always show them what to do and how to do it right. I also encourage them that with time and practice they will get used to the job. At school, I always try to correct my classmates whenever I see them do something wrong. I show them how to do it right. It just never feels right to me seeing someone do something wrong and not correcting them or showing them the right thing. Some of my classes like art I have with students who are in a lower grade than me, students who are just learning to draw and paint. Most times I show them some drawing and painting techniques that would them. We also work in groups most times at school and I’ve learnt never to criticize anyones ideas. I respect people’s ideas and people themselves. The first and most important area of leadership is to show others respect and gain respect and I believe it is important to show respect whether the person deserves it or not.

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.

To me a leader is someone who influences a group of people. Leadership is an action that the leader preforms. Leadership shows the impact you have on people, what you believe, and why they should follow you. Being a leader at times can be very hard. It is always hard to stand up for what you believe. There is always going to be someone to tell you your wrong and tear you down. If you are a leader you have to learn to endure this and move forward. A leader is a mentors and helps others.

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.

In my next sit down with Mr. James, I decided to focus more on his interest and his leadership abilities. Although we spoke on who inspires him and what motivates him to stay in the music education field, I still felt the need to dig deeper into why he chose to be a music educator. After greeting him and taking a seat I got started with my first question “What are some of your interest?” After taking a minute to think about the question Mr. James took a deep breath and responded “I am interested in many different. Primarily, what I am most concerned with is music, community, and politics. Music again because I feel like it connects most of my other interest. It’s a form of communication, whether your happy or sad it gives you emotion and an

With regards to leadership, my strength lies in my desire to help everyone. A leader has to put the group first and make every decision with that principle in mind. When freshman approach me in the hallway, eyes wide with terror and uncertainty, I stop and ask them what they need. If the track team needs and extra runner for a race, even if I despise that race, I’ll step up. My philosophy is to lead by example, not by command. I’ve found that simply telling people what to do is the most ineffective way to actually get them to do it. For example, I am very passionate about track and want the track team to do extremely well at state this year. Instead of giving a rousing speech about courage and strength, I started training months in advance. By making myself better, I encourage others to be better too. I’m not the best on the team by a longshot, but by working hard I inspire others to be better than me. My goal by the end of track season is not to be the best on the team, but for the rest of the team to be better because of me. By doing that extra lap I hope to inspire others to do the same.

I would like to start my essay with the reason I want part of TET. Leadership. Vision.

My leadership philosophy is to work hard at all times and to push your partner and team when they are not at their best so in turn they can push you when you need support. I provide a good example for them as well as the support needed for them to compete or act in the best possible way. For example, my wrestling partner isn’t a great runner so I encourage her to keep up whatever pace she feels comfortable with while pushing herself to achieve more at the same time. Likewise, when I am having a trouble, like doing a specific throw, my partner encourages me in a similar manner that I have always pushed her. The basis of my philosophy came from my girls’ team captain my freshman year, however, I shaped my philosophy to suit my personality and

My leadership philosophy is very simple and can be compared to the simplicity of the lifecycle of a tree. A seed forms into a sapling which in turn grows into a mature, majestic, vibrant-full representation of those leaders who have contributed to their development and growth process on their journey to become leaders. Seems very simple when put in to those terms, however, each of these processes are very complex and need everyone’s input, attention and examples; both good and bad, leadership to build on their own style. Leadership is a lifecycle and ever evolving! Leadership defined in my own words is having the ability to create an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and learn from each other both positively and negatively. I certainly do not know everything there is to know about being a good leader, but I am confident and comfortable in my own area of expertise. I am a mature tree that falls in a row amongst many other trees. I have worked for horrible leaders and great leaders throughout my career. I have learned so much from both types and have taken, what I feel, the best from each one to grow my own style. I don’t honestly feel that there is another one of me or my leadership style running around. I am unique.