In his book Leadership Lessons from West Point (2007), Doug Crandall discusses the need for a leader to establish the ‘moral philosophy’ of the organization they have been given responsibility over, explaining, “it is imperative that officers have the ability to shape the moral philosophy of their organization: they are instrumental in establishing the principles, rules, and values that their subordinates use in deciding what is right or wrong” (46). In consideration of this responsibility, I have developed a leadership philosophy that carefully details specific behaviors of myself (as the leader) as well as those under my leadership.
First, it is my firm and unyielding belief that the greatest leaders have always been the very definition of “lead by example”. Throughout history, the greatest military leaders have been those who lead their troops into battle, not just dictating actions from the sidelines, where all is safe. The very basis of effective and inspirational leadership is the ability to inspire those under your command to go into the fray, charging into a situation fraught with danger and peril. In every military conflict throughout history, those who led the people into battle maintained the core philosophy of: follow me. Obviously, the best way to inspire such inspired loyalty is to be at the head of the charge. An effective military leader only expects their foot soldiers to do what they would do, always “Do as I am doing” and never “Do as I say, not as I do”. In less warlike terms, this would require a leader’s actual physical involvement in matters, on a day-to-day basis. Whether this entails merely dropping by to check in on a long-term project, or meeting with NCOs to determine the necessary steps to accomplish a short-term goal, the physical presence of a leader can be the difference between loyalty and disdain.
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Second, accountability for all decisions – and the results that follow – is one of the hallmarks of a great leader. Anyone can be a leader when things are going well, but when things go south, that is when a true leader’s mettle is tested. This leads directly into the firm crucial ability to be receptive to suggestion and change. When things go wrong, it’s crucial to determine what happened, how things went wrong, and then open the discussion for suggestions, almost an After Action Review for leadership. Following the suggestions, it is imperative to accept and implement changes, ensuring leaders at all levels (from junior officers to lower enlisted) feel they are being heard and their ideas have merit.
Next, it is my philosophy that it’s vital to provide timely, accurate, constructive feedback to those under my command. After any action, decision, event, or issue, the first thing on everyone’s mind is: how did I do? In providing this valuable insight, and allowing others to expand on initial observations and comments, the essential framework of teambuilding is established. This is directly tied into my philosophy of developing and maintaining the highest quality traits, in order to establish effective leadership. The idea of quality traits in a leader is discussed by James MacGregor Burns in his book, Transforming Leadership (2004) wherein he sates, “the leader is characterized…by a strong drive for responsibility and completion of tasks, vigor and persistence in the pursuit of goals, venturesomeness and originality in problem solving…self-confidence, willingness to accept consequences, tolerance for stress, frustration, and delay” (19). These traits are the ideal that all leaders should aspire to, because they are the very definition of desirable qualities of a successful individual, and the epitome of an inspirational, motivating leader.
This brings me to the next part of my leadership philosophy: building a cohesive team through the development of individual strengths. In any area of leadership – whether it be military, corporate, or even an elementary school in the civilian sector – it is crucial to determine the strengths and weaknesses of each member of the team. Even those at the lowest rungs of the leadership ladder can have valuable insight, ideas, qualities, and input for a difficult task or undertaking. The ability to effectively assess and combine each individual’s strengths into one synergistic component is truly the basis of a true leader.
No matter the task, the greatest leaders are those who inspire those around them to make the best use of their strengths, improve on their weaknesses, and work together to attain a common goal. This can be enhanced by encouraging those under my command to improve themselves, in order to help them grow into future leaders. Effective methods for inspiring this growth can be attained through additional schooling (i.e. military schooling, or civilian-sponsored college courses), training in the military and civilian sectors, and empowerment in all aspects of military and personal life.
Essentially, my philosophy on leadership involves a synergistic combination of leading by example, remaining accountable for all decisions and results, being consistently receptive to suggestions and implementing change. It also requires high-quality leadership traits, and the commitment to provide accurate and constructive feedback in a timely manner. Finally, my philosophy requires the team develop and maintain cohesion and function as one, utilizing the strengths of all members, and fostering their essential development into future leaders.
- Burns, James MacGregor. 2004. Transorming Leadership. New York: Grove Press.
- Crandall, Doug, and Institute Leader to Leader. 2007. Leadership Lessons from West Point. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2007.
