Sonar Leadership Qualities

From the time I was a little boy I was always taught to never lie and to always do my best. I learned at a very young age that you possess virtues and personal attributes that make you who you are. Fast forward 15 years and now I am a Sergeant of Marines in the United States Marine Corps. Leading and mentoring young men in their earlier adulthood. My influence on these Marines can change them for the rest of their life. As a sergeant you must possess integrity, dependability and courage to be a successful leader of Marines. Tell the truth all the time no one bats an eye, tell one lie and your reputation is in question for a lifetime.

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” John C. Maxwell

From the vantage point of the present, it is easy to look back at the tenure of any great leader and draw conclusions about just what it was that made him/her great. We can examine the circumstances under which their leadership flourished; piece together what we know of their character and personality traits; delve into the factors that may have driven them; and dissect their leadership style all in an effort to pinpoint the source of their success. The ‘Great Man’ theory, popular in the 19th century and now thoroughly debunked, held that leaders are born, not made; suggesting that men like George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., and Winston Churchill were born with the innate capacity to change the world (Landis,

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.

A leader is anyone who uses interpersonal skills to influence others to accomplish a specific goal (Sullivan & Decker, 2009). Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, worked on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Her enthusiasm for her work at the United Nations was rooted in her humanitarian convictions and her steady faith in human dignity and worth. With modesty, Eleanor considered her position on the Commission to be one of ambassador for the common people. Her sensible approach, optimism and energy allowed the smooth facilitation of meetings (Eleanor Roosevelt Biography, 1998). Not actually seeing herself as a leader, Eleanor preferred to work as part of a team, not like a boss. She followed her passion of making positive changes in people’s lives and knew

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.

For an exemplary leader, what is one of the highest compliments that you could ever receive? Sir Ernest Shackleton was a British explorer who–after failing to reach the Southern Pole first–wanted to be the first to ever accomplish a trans–Antarctic expedition. On October 27th, 1915 Shackleton’s boat–the Endurance–was crushed by the pressure of the melting Antarctic ice; leaving Shackleton and his crew stranded in the Antarctic. On August 30th, 1916 after a treacherous one and a half years of living in the Antarctic and surrounding islands, Shackleton and his crew were rescued following an unimaginable story of survival. The qualities of leadership Shackleton exhibited that resulted in the survival of him and his crew were, having certain

Some of the most loved and respected leaders in the world are known for their imagination, risk-taking, perseverance and their well-known success. They have always been one step ahead everyone else and created what no one else was able to do. They influenced other people to be as imaginative and hardworking as they were. They never stopped believing in what they were doing. The two most leaders who fit all these descriptions would be Walt Disney and Bill gates, even thought they have a lot in common, their leadership style was completely different.

The most relevant leader that I found with a leadership quality that I connected with was Carl Stotz. Furthermore, since I found that his leadership quality was so relevant to the work that I do and what I have done for my community I will share my connection. Although, his quality to make a difference was very significant, what he achieved as a leader was much greater as it was his leadership characteristic of foresight that I believe managed, above all, to be the driving force that managed to change the landscape of baseball. With the invent of a game named Baseball over a century ago founded for adults, in America, Americans really got to enjoy and play Americas number one sport. But for the kids playing ball like the adults, was a whole different story. One day, Carl Stotz was playing catch

Leadership is a trait that few people possess, but many are influenced by its powerful qualities. Leadership has been described by most accounts as the ability to unite a group under one common goal or task. This crucial quality is necessary in order to be remembered by many people. It is necessary when people around you need guidance, or a sense of direction. When people need guidance, they look to figures of power or authority, to ultimately lead them in the right direction. Many years later, that person, who had leaded others, will be revered. This reverence, or legacy that they leave behind, will make them a hero. People who possessed great leadership throughout history left a huge legacy behind with them. Ben Franklin, a radical during the 18th century for revolution, was a wealthy man of Pennsylvania who possessed great leadership throughout the course of his life. The stand out quality he possessed, his great knowledge, enabled him to lead great numbers of people in their interests. This quality made him looked up upon as a revolutionary by all of the United States, and people were willing to unite behind Franklin due to his self-made image. Years after Franklin had passed, people still remembered and celebrated his legacy every day in the names of warships, towns, and buildings. Benjamin Franklin was a leading revolutionary all of his life due to his educated background and

“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done, because he wants to do it”. -34th President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower.

2. One great leader in my career I will always reflect upon as a significant influence to me: an old, grouchy QMC and was my very first Chief. He was quiet, socially awkward, and routinely hard to get along with since his demeanor was never known to be ‘friendly’. However, even with these setbacks, he did not remove himself from the contention as a leader as he most certainly was. He required much of his staff: long hours, attention to detail, inspection-ready uniforms, among others. It may seem ironic, but people were always ready and willing to work for him. The main reason I look to him as being a

Denis Waitley (1995) in his book, Empire of the Mind, encourages the reader to explore his/her beliefs on leadership. He asks the reader to be cognizant of how these beliefs manifest themselves in our lives, by stating, "What the mind harbors, the body manifests in some way" (p. 119). My beliefs about leadership are shaped by my experiences with my father. I have compiled a list of good leadership qualities from watching him interact with others over the years.

I have had many leaders I’ve followed over the years. An impactful experience was working for my brother. I was 20 and my brother 21 when I got a job for him as an automotive detailer. Up until that point I never looked at my brother as a leader. Over the year or two my perspective of him changed a lot, and I learned a great deal. These things came naturally to him. One thing I observed is how he consistently held his team accountable. So much so, if a coworker messed up. They would almost be afraid the consequence. On the other hand he also would acknowledge good work which showed respect. Over time I saw how the team progressed. Eventually my brother hardly even needed to be at work.