We all know that ROTC is about leadership. But what is leadership? What does leadership mean? And how can you become a leader? John Quincy Adams once said, "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." Honestly when I decided to transfer to UTC and register for ROTC, I was thinking “what am I getting myself into?” I always had passion for the military, but I couldn’t believe I was wavering a Track and Field scholarship to join an organization I hardly knew anything about, apart from commercials, documentaries and films. However, the more I think about it, the more I realize that during the past two years I’ve learned so much about myself and the qualities it takes to become a great leader and a great person.
This semester along with participating in LTC over the summer I’ve learned leadership is more than being in charge. It’s about, “utilizing and developing skills to influence a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.” The goal is attained by mutual cooperation and cohesive behavior. A leader infuses a sense of positivity and directs others to reach the specified goal. An individual who stands not only for his cause but takes responsibility and motivates others also. There is a clear difference between being a boss and a leader. A leader is a motivator for others and inspires individuals to aim high and attain that aim. However a boss only supervises over his subordinates. Power naturally comes to a leader but that power is not a tool of leader. Rather if one tries to control the circumstances with power it turns out to be authoritarian or even suppressive in its expression.
For example, in ROTC we have both bosses and leaders. Most notably, BN cadet leadership d...
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... campus but at camp too. Another exceptional display of leadership during the semester was by our cadre. Handling certain situations that arose over disputes between cadets or amidst the government shut down conveyed to myself the skills taught in ROTC like mental agility and innovation happen daily. For instance, configuring multiple plans to continue through with a fall FTX for the MSIII. Reinforcing my trust within my cadre to best prepare my peers and myself to excel both at camp and during our careers in the U.S. Army.
In conclusion, it has always been a matter of controversy as to what makes an individual different from others. Some emphasize that is an innate quality while some advocate that it is a matter of practice only. To sum up, leadership is a quality which is if present naturally is welcome or otherwise can be developed by acquiring desired skills.
The most notable difference between these two levels of leadership is the part that leaders take in soldiers’ training. Both types of leadership are actively involved in the training process. Tactical Leaders participate directly in the training process on a daily basis, whereas organizational leaders act more as supervisors. Tactical leaders always are close to the front, right next to their subordinate soldiers both in the barracks and on the field. They mostly exert their leadership by personal presence and “lead by example” model. The organizational leaders will be more involved in providing a broad vision, developing concepts, setting up the goals and guidelines, and planning the training process rather than executing it. These different dimensions of responsibilities require different levels of education accordingly.
Serving in the Army for the past fifteen years, as a Soldier, Non-Commissioned Officer, Cadet, and Commissioned Officer, I have gained a wealth of military leadership knowledge and experience. Since completing my undergraduate studies and earning my commission in the Army, I have held a variety of command and staff positions. I have led Soldiers in garrison, as well as on combat and operational deployments, each having its own unique challenges and rewards. Throughout the years, I have had the distinct honor and privilege of serving on many great teams and with many outstanding Leaders.
The topic of leadership has been explored and written about by thousands of authors who are considerably more qualified than I am to write about the subject. However, I’ve always maintained that developing, evolving and articulating one’s own leadership philosophy is an essential part of a professional’s growth. Through academics and experience, I’ve concluded that leadership is a “soft” skill, more art than science, and that leadership principles can be universally applied. As a topic of discussion, leadership can be ambiguous and seldom does everyone agree on a single definition. Organizations and the people they consist of crave leadership, even if not overtly. Undeniably, strong leadership is essential to achieving
Leadership is all about having the right amount of heart and determination to help make a difference in someone’s life. It takes certain qualities to be considered a good leader. A leader should want to help inspire others to make a change and to be the best that they can be. A true leader does not need to feel powerful, instead they empower those around them. Throughout my life I have come across various leaders who have made an impact on my life. It takes a very special person to inspire and touch people’s lives. Leadership is so much deeper than having power and bossing people around.
Over decades and with the evolution of different political systems, the world has come across innumerable charismatic leaders. Despite of in which century they became preeminent, they all had some particular traits that were common among each great leader Leadership is defined as ‘the process in which an individual influences the group of individuals to attain a common goal.’ Niccolo Machiavelli's, "The Prince" has played a significant role in highlighting the traits of a great leader.
In many formal and informal settings, we have often heard the word “leadership”. Although this term is found in many textbooks, writings, news clippings, college level courses and papers, leadership is a concept that is consistently evolving. Leadership isn’t an attribute that individuals are born with. Although individuals are born with certain characteristics and traits of a leader, those traits are honed throughout the course of a lifetime.
Leadership is being able to direct or guide other people by either your own actions or by actually guiding them into the right direction (Acumen). Inspiration to be a leader might come from many different areas like your family, friends, peers, or even teachers. My inspiration didn’t really occur to me until I started attending college in August 2013. In all actuality I never even thought of how to be a leader until I was in Mrs. Moore’s Perspectives class. I now have a desire to be a great leader, and the inspiration has come from Mrs. Moore, and my family. I am the first to attend college out of my family, so in a away I have already started leading my siblings in the right direction. Being a leader means inspiring others to pursue their dreams, and aspirations and helping throughout the journey to success. Being a leader has nothing with authority or being able to tell other what, and how to do things, it’s about having people who look up to you and want to follow your example.
A great leader, in my opinion, should know their subordinates and must understand that leadership is not about the leader. For example, if subordinates are doing drugs, the leader should be aware of this and they should be able to spot the signs. Two girls in my squad were addicted to something, but it was not drugs. One of the girls was addicted to pur...
I soaked up all the information I could about leadership from my peers and guest speakers, but most of the information came from my band director. I learned many things that year about leadership and how to work hard to achieve my goals. First and foremost I learned that being a leader has little to do with giving out commands or instructions. Being a leader really means to help lead others to their full potential through encouragement an constructive criticism. To be a leader, one does not require an official title. You can be a leader no matter who you are or where you are in life. Being a leader means leaving an impact with those around you. Showing modesty, compassion, responsibility, and workmanship all at the same time. To be a successful leader, one must first lead by example. These are only some examples of the the knowledge I attained on leadership throughout that year. In that year I also learned how to work hard and continue to pursue my goals and aspirations. I gained new work ethic and appreciation for the resources provided for me. I learned to branch out and try new things and ask questions. However, most importantly, I learned how to persevere through the bumps and challenges in order to truly achieve my goal. That year after applying for a second time, I achieved my goal in getting into the leadership program, and had my family not been relocated I would
Webster's Dictionary defines leadership as “the power or ability to lead other people,” but for most people, there is a lot more involved. Leadership in the military is far more complicated. As seen in the movie 12’O’clock High, it shows the struggle between fulfilling the mission and caring for the needs of personal. In order to succeed in the mission, the Commanding Officer must fulfilling the mission, because if commanding officer establish a final state this will provide the which will motivate the Airmen, strengthening the body and spirit of commitment to the achievement of the mission. Without a doubt, a leader has to take care of the personal, but always looking to fulfill the mission.
Leadership at times can be a complex topic to delve into and may appear to be a simple and graspable concept for a certain few. Leadership skills are not simply acquired through position, seniority, pay scale, or the amount of titles an individual holds but is a characteristic acquired or is an innate trait for the fortunate few who possess it. Leadership can be misconstrued with management; a manager “manages” the daily operations of a company’s work while a leader envisions, influences, and empowers the individuals around them.
As an officer in the United States Army, it has been imperative for me to understand every facet of leadership and why it remains important to be an effective leader. During this course, I have learned some valuable lessons about myself as a leader and how I can improve on my leadership ability in the future. The journal entries along with the understanding of available leadership theories have been an integral part of my learning during this course. For all of the journals and assessments that I completed, I feel it has given me a good understanding of my current leadership status and my future potential as a leader. All of the specific assessments looked at several areas in regards to leadership; these assessments covered several separate focus areas and identified my overall strengths and weaknesses as a leader. Over the course of this paper I will briefly discuss each one of these assessments and journal entries as they pertained to me and my leadership.
I like the fact that the teacher pointed out that leadership can be found everywhere. Leaders don't necessarily exist only in a company where there are a lot of people following you. “Everyone has the potential and possibility to be a leader”. They could be the best at inspiring others, or best at solving problems or dealing with criticism. By and large we all have the necessities to lead and I find, during the group discussions, that the difference and uniqueness of us that give us our own perspective to view and do things. Leadership is also about understanding and combining many different talents and to make them work together to create the best result. There are many kinds of leaders out there, and so many leadership styles. Yet I think we shouldn’t categorised ourselves into one or identify our superiors into one. Why? Because I think it is crucial to be flexible and adapt to which way to lead according to the situations For example, the Democratic style maybe the most popular and most effective, yet it is proved to be counter-productive in urgent occasions requiring instant and firm decisions from one person only, and that is the
For many years, I have been told by teachers, family, and friends that I am a good leader. Until fairly recently, I had never truly thought about what it means to be a good leader and just took it as a compliment. Leadership is an intangible concept which cannot be properly outlined in a dictionary, but one which must be formed and explained only through one’s own philosophies and experiences.
There are many different things I think of when I think of what leadership means to me. My idea of leadership is to be able to inspire others, get them excited to do something, motivate them and set an example to others. I also think that showing respect to others is a key part of leadership. You don’t just need leadership qualities, but you need to be a successful leader. To me being a successful leader is being able to have people follow you and not disrespect you. If you are a great leader your followers start to respect you more. To be a leader you also need to have certain qualities like being sociable, intelligent, have patience to deal with situations. A leader needs to be motivated or they will be a failure. I think I show leader ship all the time inside and outside of school. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way (John C. Maxwell).