The Tenure Of Former United States Secretary Of Defense

Colin Powell’s “It Worked For Me in Life and Leadership” (2012) is a riveting book that discusses in great detail the simple but often-fundamental leadership principles that have been consigned to oblivion by most people and leaders. The evocative book provides a basis on which one can evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in leadership in all dimensions, particularly at the work place and suggests other areas of improvement that the reader can asses to ensure proper development. Through careful, frequent and honest evaluations from both self and others, it is possible for a person to become the best version of himself or herself; in turn, this contributes to a well-rounded leader.

The legacy leader I have chosen to write about is Brigadier General (BG) Richard T. Ellis (Deceased). BG Ellis was a true influential leader in the United States (U.S.) Army and intelligence community. This paper will discuss how BG Ellis showed leadership attributes and competencies covered in Army Doctrine Publication (ADP) 6-22 and Army Doctrine Reference Publication (ADRP) 6-22. It will also discuss how he influenced leaders and changes in the intelligence community. Finally it will cover how his actions influenced me in my military career.

Most people recognize Colin Powell as one of the most admired and popular leaders of our time. Often times in leadership you will not always be popular or admired, so what makes this leader different? It was those core values ingrained in him at early age by his parents that would shape him as a future leader (Koltz & Powell, 2012). As with any great leader he’s had his fair share of trials and tribulations, but like an infantry officer he continued to press forward. Colin Powell has been a visionary and ethical leader since the early days of Persian Gulf to Washington’s corridors (Roth, 1993). Throughout my research he has become a personal inspiration for me due to his ability to inspire and motivate those around him. Let’s take a brief look into his background to provide a better understanding of his leadership style.

The study of George Tenet’s actions leading up to the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan leaves little doubt about the dysfunction within our government from the appointment of officials to the decision making process itself. Tenet was appointed by President Clinton as Director of the Intelligence (DCI) in 1997, just 19 months after becoming deputy to DCI. It was noted that Tenet had never managed a large organization, worked as an intelligence officer or serviced in the military, all of which would have provided the experience and expertise needed

In the Fog of War, Former Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara recounted his experiences when serving for both the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. Throughout the film he shared eleven lessons that he learned as a result of the war and politics. The lessons range from empathizing with one 's enemy to the fact we cannot change human nature. This essay will discuss some of McNamara’s lessons and how they illustrated institutions, bargaining, cooperation, power and sovereignty.

George Tenet was the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 1997-2004. He was good at what he did; he was so good that he was asked to stay on as the Director of the CIA when President Bush won the Presidency. The one thing Tenet experienced with the Bush administration that he did not experience with the Clinton Administration is he became part of the President’s inner circle. Once George Tenet experienced the inner circle, he no longer was able to focus on rebuilding the agency (Stillman 2000). In George Tenet and the Last Great Days of the CIA, Richard White, Jr. gives us the rise and fall of the CIA under CIA Director George Tenet.

General Gates further showed leadership by providing purpose and direction to subordinate commanders. To reestablish good order and discipline, General Gates ordered that commanders conduct daily drills designed to instill confidence in the men and themselves.9 With this renewed confidence, General Gates' subordinate commanders had not the least doubt of beating or compelling the British to retreat.10 Leadership, is a commanders activity. In mission command, leadership influences all of the commander's activities.11 It is how commanders show concern for their Soldiers and provide direction to their subordinate commanders. General Gates exhibition of leadership from preparation to execution enabled his Soldiers and subordinate commanders

Defense Secretary Ash Carter has good new for Iraq War veterans struggling to pay back reenlistment bonuses and benefits that nearly 10,000 California National Guard soldiers received for agreeing to reenlist for six more years and serve in Afghanistan or Iraq. The bonuses were given in error a decade ago and the Pentagon demanded repayment plus interest, even going so far as to threaten veterans with wage garnishments or tax liens if they couldn't repay the money. While Secretary Carter announced the Pentagon will stop collecting monthly payments from soldiers, the debts are not waived yet, nor is there any word about what will happen to veterans who already paid their debt. Secretary Carter did made it clear that there is no blanket waiver

John Kerry is a successful bureaucrat as the secretary of state. Throughout his career he has positively influenced the administration of government. In this biography his career will be analyzed in regards of how he revolutionized policies in Afghanistan using leadership, incrementalism, and ethics.

Men in leadership positions have the enormous power to affect the lives of countless individuals around the world. When this power is abused, it can not only destroy lives but also have huge consequences that can affect several future generations. It is important that everyday citizens not only hold politicians accountable but also are knowledgeable about their actions. We must understand that like all humans government leaders are fallible and susceptible to the curse of greed and power. The documentaries The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara and The Trial of Henry Kissinger tells the tale of two men’s’ role in influencing politics in the Cold War and the repercussions of their decisions.

Bush 's foreign policy and defense advisers were trying to define a strategic framework and adapt U.S. armed forces to the revolution in military affairs. The president was beginning to speak more about free trade and remaking U.S. foreign aid. During the presidential campaign, Bush had talked about the importance of foreign policy and to strengthen our defenses.

In 2003, President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell launched an invasion of the nation of Iraq. United States Secretary of State Colin Powell outlined the reasons Iraq posed a threat to international security in a speech he gave at the United Nations. Iraq’s nuclear weapons program concerned the Bush administration. Fearing Iraq might use this program to act aggressively in the region, and wanting to secure oil supplies and a friendly regime, the administration pursued a plan of action to remove Iraqi President Saddam Hussein from power (FLS 2016, 43). A constant secure supply of oil stood as a cornerstone of the military-industrial complex thriving in the United States and a friendly regime in such an oil rich country remained an important objective of President Bush. This directly conflicted with the desire of President Saddam Hussein of Iraq to remain in power.

Eaglen have worked on defense issues in the House of Representatives and Senate and at the Pentagon in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and on the Joint Staff. In 2014, Eaglen served as a staff member of the congressionally mandated National Defense Panel, a bipartisan, blue-ribbon commission established to assess US defense interests and strategic objectives. This followed Eaglen’s previous work as a staff member for the 2010 congressionally mandated bipartisan Quadrennial Defense Review Independent Panel, also established to assess the Pentagon’s major defense strategy. Eaglen is included in Defense News “100 most influential people in US Defense” both years the publication compiled a list. A prolific writer on defense-related issues,

Rashid holds a BA in Economics and a BA in International Relations from Tufts University; an Officer’s Commission from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst; and an MBA from Columbia University.

As a leader, I believe I am obligated to enhance my organization by developing its main asset, the employees. These employees are often selected to undertake a temporary or permanent endeavor to create a unique product, service, or result. Intelligence professionals provide the Commander with products and services that lead to results on the combat zone or area of responsibility. Counterintelligence (CI) support to Special Operations is filled with such opportunities. Counterintelligence is an Army Intelligence Program that identifies, protects, manipulates, disrupts, or neutralizes the efforts of adversarial intelligence entities who wish to degrade or harm United States national interests. Such a robust mission demands programs that are funded,