The military is comprised of leaders and followers: this concept of leadership is the foundation of the military, leaders are the decision makers, and followers carry out their decisions. These decision makers are the role models the followers have a great deal of respect for and should admire. A good leader is decisive, has integrity, and leads by example. Being entrusted to lead, to mold the individuals around you into a cohesive unit is a special opportunity and only a few in respects to the total population are commissioned. General Colin L. Powell stated, “The most important thing I learned is that soldiers watch what their leaders do. You can give them classes and lecture them forever, but it is your personal example they will …show more content…
After pinpointing the root of the problem, we will discuss both the validity and actions of those whom gave the orders and those whom carried out the orders in My Lai. In the aftermath of the My Lai massacre, twenty-six soldiers were brought up on felonious offenses, only one of which was convicted, Lieutenant William Calley: who was Calley, and how was his influence cemented among his men. Calley, a platoon leader in “Charlie” Company, Calley was tried and convicted of killing twenty-two villagers. Initially in the investigation, Calley’s evaluations portrayed him as “average”; however, as the investigation progressed a more negative light illuminated him. Soldiers in his platoon soon entered reports saying Calley “lacked common sense and could not read a map nor a compass properly” (Wilson). It was also reported that the men in Calley’s platoon shared a common dislike for him and sometimes secretly discussed fragging him. Despite the aversion his men felt towards him, many of the platoon soldiers were reluctant to testify against Calley when the trial began. Numerous troops exercised the Fifth Amendment and refused to answer questions on the witness stand. As time passed briskly holdouts became sellouts, the first was a soldier in Calley’s unit named Paul Meadio. After being jailed for contempt of court, he agreed to testify. In his
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.
During his distinguished military career, General Colin Powell exemplified what it means to be a great leader. In a briefing given to the Outreach To America Program, General Powell outlined 18 principals that all leaders should strive to encompass. After reviewing his brief, three of these principals stuck out “Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off”, “The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them” and “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier”. These three principals resonate with my personal experiences in the military and in leadership.
When fighting the Vietnam War many did not think it possible for the United States to loose. Those fighting underestimated the power of the Viet Cong. With a foreign land and foreign customs Marines struggled to get accustomed to the way the war was fought. Philip Caputo addresses these learned lessons in A Rumor of War. Lessons that were learned in Vietnam also have relevance to the current war in Afghanistan. The men in both wars fought against an enemy that blends in with the locals. Philip Caputo’s first hand account of the Vietnam War shows the mistakes that were made and how those lessons taught the United States not to make the same mistakes in Afghanistan.
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.
During the My Lai massacre in Vietnam, there were American soldiers who murdered over 300 civilians in the My Lai village. But also there were some who refused to participate in those types of murderous activities. Once the My Lai massacre was brought to the attention of American citizens, they were questioning why did some soldiers commit atrocities and some of the other soldiers did not?
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.
After serving over 15 years in the Ohio Army National Guard, I have experienced many different leadership styles. Some styles have had a positive impact on both my personal life and my military life. While others, have had a negative influence. My experience with different leadership styles has taught me what type of leader I strive to be and highlights the impact I have on others as a peer and leader. These experiences helped define me as not only a leader, but as a person. I have been given the privilege of influencing young Soldiers and our future leaders. As a leader I value integrity, hard work, and service.
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
An Army Leader is able and willing to act decisively, within the intent and purpose of his superior leaders, and in the best interest of the organization. Army leaders recognize that organizations built on mutual trust and confidence, successfully accomplish peacetime and wartime missions.” (2006, P. Viii). Balance molds a leader and in turn, an effective leader is a proactive person who works a whole lot smarter. President George Bush (1997) states, “Leadership to me means duty, honor, and country; It means character and it means listening from time to time.” (Adrain, p. 35).
Gen. Powell’s second leadership principle resonates with a large portion of my military and civilian life. The principle, which in summary, states that you have failed as a leader when Soldiers stop bringing you their problems. This is an example of the Soldiers losing confidence in you to either help them in finding a resolution to their problem or being a supportive person, a rock, for them. Throughout my life, the people I have looked up to the most and the ones that I have felt where great leaders and mentors were those that I could take my professional and even my personal problems to. On the military side, now MSG McTighe, was a Soldier, a mentor and a leader that I trusted and still trust to take my issues to. I know he will listen in detail and offer sage advice in the fields he has knowledge in. At times, it was to vent about an issue and at times it was to request pieces of his, what seemed to be, limitless military knowledge base. Being approachable, able to listen, and able to deliver sound advice, has made MSG McTighe a desired mentor of so many junior and even senior leaders. In my military profession, I have had experiences where the Soldiers chose to come to me rather than their direct leadership, their friends, or their peers. I can distinctly recall a Soldier who was facing unemployment, homelessness, and a baby on the way who sought me out to talk through his problems. It was not because I was his friend or him and I shared few jokes around the MKT. I feel it was because I
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
The purpose of this paper is to discuss how my legacy leader’s use of the Army’s leadership attributes and competencies contributed to my development and leadership philosophy. When it comes to leadership in the Army there are some who are good leaders and others that need some work. Everyone at some point in their career will be in a leadership position and it is important to understand what it takes to be a good leader in the Army. Luckily for us the Army has a guide for us to use that tells us what attributes and competencies make up a good leader (Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA, 2012). While we are provided these attributes and competencies
The book, Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell by Oren Harari provides an interesting overview of the leadership exhibited by one of the globally known bottom-line leaders in the United States. The exceptional perspective on the role leadership plays is provided in the book, using Powell as the case study. From the perspective provided by the author, the leader is revealed as one who was able to portray successful leadership within the military, although it is a place in which is hard to achieve side-by-side leadership. On the contrary, Powell is able to demonstrate that leadership is more about responsibility and accountability as opposed to privilege and rank. It is all about complete commitment towards a common mission, portraying audacity and determination, evaluation of standards of performance, attending to details, overcoming the status quo, and empowering followers.
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
Let me begin by telling you why I am writing this letter. This is a letter for, you, my great granddaughter, for you need to hear about my past. The things that I have experienced over time, how they have helped make me the woman I am today, and how they affect the way I view my country. You need to know what the country, and I, had to overcome for her life to be the way it is today. These last seventy-five years have had an immense amount of events, to say the least. I have learned a lot of things, but the most important thing I have learned is to have hope.