Army Leadership Principles

As the State Personnel Security Manager for the Oklahoma Army National Guard my leadership philosophy contains seven key principles that have shaped me into the leader I am today. Instilling these principles in me took many years of mentoring from the leaders above me as well as many life-changing events. It is my goal as a Non-

Commissioned Officer (NCO) to always leave each workplace better than I found it, for anyone to seamlessly step into my position, and to leave a positive lasting impression on every Soldier that I have the honor to lead.

2. My seven basic principles of leadership are:

a. Communication: Open communication is the key foundation to building a solid and successful team. Information must flow openly and in all directions

I believe one of the biggest mistakes leaders make is thinking that all Soldiers are the same and not taking the time to know and understand each Soldier assigned to them and the situation. We as leaders can develop leaders within our ranks if we simply take the time to know and understand each of our Soldiers and more importantly, mentor them.

c. Caring for the Soldier: As leaders we sometimes forget the needs of our

Soldiers due to our own workload. It is my intention that my subordinates and I always remember that the reason we are here is to care for our fellow Soldiers. We should never let our rank or our position overcome the need to help Soldiers and care for them.

d. Empowering our Soldiers: As a leader we must empower our subordinates to make decisions on their own. I believe none of us would be leaders today if somewhere along our path, leaders had not trusted us to make our own decisions and stand-by them. The greatest life lessons are failures turned inside out and lessons learned. We must be there to offer guidance for our Soldiers in their decision making process but most importantly mentor them along the way.

NGOK-DMI-SCS

SUBJECT: Leadership Philosophy

e. Knowing and Understanding Ourselves: As a leader I must know