National Guard Colonel

For my interview, I interviewed a peer who is a squadron commander at Grand Forks Air Force Base, ND4. He stated his most challenging leadership issue came about early on in his command. Within the first six weeks of his command, seven of his Airmen failed their PT tests. One of these failures was an Airman facing a medical evaluation board due to several back surgeries. The commander states he was sympathetic to his situation but he had to remain tough since it was

There have been many great leaders in history. The leader I choose is Gunnery Sgt. Carlos Hathcock. Carlos joined the Marine corps on his 17th birthday and he set a record that was never beaten at the “A” course at USMC Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, and defeated 3,000 other shooters to win the coveted Wimbledon cup for snipers. I choose Carlos because he inspires Marines still to this day with his amazing feats. He had 93 confirmed kills including that of an NVA general deep in enemy territory, a female interrogator known for brutal torture, and the record breaking 2,500 yard kill of a guerilla with a M2 .50-cal machine gun in single fire mode. In short he's a true hero of the Marine Corps and even trained soldiers too. He had

There have also been people who have motivated me to be a leader, especially my high school orchestra director. At the end of my junior year, my director called me into his office and told me he would be moving me from the first violin section to the second violin section. He said he knew I was quiet in the back of the first violin section, but he could see I possessed the leadership skills necessary to sit in the front of the second violin section. This really motivated me to try and make him proud the next year at the front of the section. Many different aspects of my life have affected my leadership philosophy.

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

Robert E. Lee once said of leadership, “I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself” (Jones, 1875). This is an instance where I believe that even though this idea or thought was mentioned many years ago, it still has relevance today. I do not have an exact date of that quote, but with General Lee fighting in the Civil War, I would imagine it came somewhere in the mid-1800’s (The book it is found in was published after his death). Our current military leaders need to listen to advice like this quote, get out and know the people they put in charge so they are better able to make decisions on who should and should not actually be leading.

Leadership can be viewed in many different ways and possess many different qualities. There are courageous leaders, respectful leaders, terrible leaders, and seemingly insignificant leaders but leaders nonetheless. But what is it that differentiates between a strong leader and a weak leader, or a powerful leader and an insignificant one? Is it the qualities in the leader or the decisions they make in key situations that define good leadership qualities? Some would define a good leader by their ability to do the right thing even if it is not the easiest choice. Others might define a good leader as one that possesses great integrity and leads by example. The military possesses many great leaders through a process of development and molding individuals to meet expected leadership qualities like honor, courage, commitment and integrity to accomplish any mission or goal. However, this process doesn’t always create the desired effect. So, let’s examine some good and bad examples of leadership qualities and break down what and how we can emulate them.

There are several leaders that I have admired in my career over the years. One in particular that stood out was a Chief Master Sergeant in the Air Force who I served under. He was a very intelligent and vibrant leader who placed importance in military customs and core values. He was one whom I emulated in the military because of his task –motivated leadership style. He focused on the goals of the organization with the emphasis on service before self. The implications of his style of leadership lead me to believe that there was little to no relationships formed with lower ranking airmen. He was always able to get the job done because of the driven culture he represented. I learned a wealth of knowledge and information from this particular leader; I was able to create a balance by embracing his style of leadership and relating it with my style, transformational leadership. I believe it was successful, because of my efforts to focus in on the mission and create a balance in inspiring, influencing, and motivating Airmen across the globe.

The Pennsylvania Army National Guard is a branch of the United States Army that is mostly used today for homeland security. Although the National Guard is not active like the Reserves or Active Duty Army, they still have the same requirements and same responsibility. More than 22,000 men and women make up the Pennsylvania National Guard and Air National Guard today. They reach from state quarters at Fort Indian Town Gap in Lebanon County to about 100 comunities in the commonwealth. Like all National Guard members they share the same responsibilities. For their federal mission, they are trained and equipped to join the active forces in the time of war or a national emergency. For their

As I said in the abstract above, I will discuss about a leader that I came across in my Army career that has made a significant impact on my life and my leadership style. This gentleman name is Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Charles Fitzpatrick. I met him when I was stationed in Camp Casey, South Korea in 1999-2000. He was the division CSM. As usual it was hard to see a division CSM in a daily life basis of an infantry line company Soldier. Top of that the division headquarter was located at Camp Red Cloud which was one hour away from Camp Casey. We only see him on the pictures of our chain of command. One day

There are a number of qualities that quantify good leaderships and good leaders. According to Kouzes and Posner in their book The Leadership Challenge, all successful leaders have (5) practices in common. They “Model the Way”, “Inspire a shared vision”, “Challenge the process”, “enable others to act” and “encourage the heart”(15). Never is there a more important time to have exemplary leadership, than in a time of war. Both the American Civil War and World War II showed what was possible through good leadership. From abolishing slavery and preserving the Union, to fighting tyranny and oppression abroad, both events in American history had a profound impact on all those involved. The impact would most certainly be different if not for the leadership of Colonel Lawrence Chamberlain of the Union Army during the Civil War and General George S. Patton during World War II. Both leaders possessed the 5 practices essential for god leadership, yet both leaders to different approaches to accomplish their goals.

A leader I admire is former Secretary of State General Colin Powell. Mr. Powell has experience many obstacles and understand the meaning of hard work. I personally try to accomplish his pervious goals, such as completing the ROTC program and hopefully attend George Washington University for my Master and Ph.D. General Colin Powell inspires me to do my best at UCF, ROTC and military career.

When I think of great leaders, General Robert E. Lee comes to mind. General Lee is one of the most beloved generals in history. His leadership approach encompassed honesty, compassion, empathy and respect for others. (Durkovic, 2012) General Lee has served both Armies honorably before and during the Civil War. He is often revered as a charismatic and self-discipline leader who chose to follow his personal values and the ability to use the talents of his people to command thousands of troops under him.

Throughout history our country has had many leaders. Whether you’re the leader of a business, military platoon, or the leader of our great nation you were withheld with the honor and trust to govern the actions and best interests of fellow Americans. But just because you have achieved the title of a leader does not by default make you a good leader. A good leader is a person who has risen above and beyond to show cooperation, perseverance, and respect to decisions made by those still above you at one point in time. “As a seasoned member of the military, you’ve risen through the ranks because you understood your mission and performed your duties with distinction. At this stage of your career, your most important contribution may be how well you take care of the service members and

Many people this day and age will argue what it takes to be a good leader. Some like to look towards politics at the Presidents because they have good backgrounds, plus they lead people, but it is always wise and good to look at the leadership of people in the military. Lots and lots of people have come through the United States militaries, some of those men and women left a bigger mark than others. Military leaders and the leadership shown in the military is always respected too. Although Michael P. Murphy was an outstanding leader before he joined the military, one instance of his leadership while in the Navy will forever leave the Murphy name marked in history.

We all have the opportunity to learn from all manners of leadership. The good leaders and the bad leaders will have an effect on our styles leadership styles and how we choose to engage with the people we meet. I have learned just as much from those some would consider being a “bad” leader as much as I have learned from the “good”, and based my practice on those experiences. To me, leadership will always mean that you are willing to learn from all your experiences and apply them into practices that enhance your Navy and your Sailors. There is no lesson too big or too small that cannot assist in your daily assessments and influence the leaders you follow and mold the future leaders of the Navy