Coast Guard Knife

In the military and in life, a knife can be used as a tool, a weapon, and a rescue device. In the Coast Guard, we use our blades in various ways; splicing line, performing deck work, untangling marine life from entrapments, cutting free mariners in distress, and on the rare occasion, to defend ourselves from an attacker. It is this versatility and practicality that led me to choose a knife as the framework for my leadership. At its most simple, a knife is broken into six major components: the handle, the blade, the spine, the point, the front bolster, and the rear bolster. Each part represents a different facet of my leadership style, as depicted in the image attached. The handle of a knife is what the rest of the blade is built upon: without it, the knife cannot be wielded to perform basic tasks. As such, the handle of my leadership is integrity. To me, integrity is remaining true to my morals in the face of adversity, and always choosing to do what is right, no matter the consequences to myself. That is the promise I will always make to my people, and out of them I will expect nothing less. My followers should know that I will always be a man of such integrity, and also know that, while under my command, they shall carry themselves in a similar manner, especially while representing our unit, the Coast Guard, and the United States of America

Achievement is an important facet of my leadership, as it is what I will strive for, day in and day out. Accomplishing the mission is the first concern of a leader, following the safety of their followers, and I will emphasize safely and effectively doing so by giving my followers a sense of purpose and achievement for accomplishing their missions, no matter the size. It is important for them to develop this sense of achievement, as it will be a source of motivation and serve to keep morale high within the