The legacy a leader leaves is critical to the continued excellence and the future of the Army. In creating a legacy an Army leader inspires and motivates his soldiers, peers, and leaders to exceed their potential. In this paper, I hope to convey the lasting legacy one such leader left on me and to demonstrate the qualities he exhibited that inspired me to become a Noncommissioned Officer (NCO). Staff Sergeant (SSG) Daniel Minahan made a significant impact by motivating and inspiring me at a formative time in my career. SSG Minahan was the standard by which I measured myself and other NCOs by. His influence has guided me through my career as I have developed my own leadership legacy. I hope to also leave such a lasting legacy when my service to the Army and the Nation ends. SSG Minahan was one of those NCOs that could run for …show more content…
He set himself apart from his peers by his tactical and technical knowledge. His competency as a leader reached beyond just his soldiers and his company. Every soldier in the battalion came to know SSG Minahan and respect his professionalism and dedication to the unit. He was always the First Sergeant’s go to NCO to lead ranges or fulfill important taskers for the battalion. SSG Minahan also had an incredible understanding of our role as signals intelligence professionals. Where other NCOs would refer us to our Warrant Officers, he would take the time to help us understand the mission. SSG Minahan also displayed confidence daily never showing doubt or hesitance in his abilities or that of our platoon. This confidence trickled down and inspired us to be better soldiers and leaders. This strong sense of professionalism, competence, and dedication to the mission has helped inspire my leadership philosophy. I greatly benefited from SSG Minahan’s mentorship in a formative period in my career and I know many others felt his influence directly and
COL Freeman beloved by his men, finally left the RCT at noon on 15FEB1951 with tears forming in his eyes. He was devoted to his Soldiers and his ability to assess the situation and ultimately secured a successful mission in Chipyong-Ni. He would issue orders with a “handshake, a grin, and provided words of encouragement before dangerous missions.” Chipyong-Ni was that type of mission. He didn’t like the situation, but issued the order as if he thought of the idea. He set the climate that extended down to the lowest Private in the RCT, to be proud and be victorious.
Introduction. Common Attributes of military leaders are just that, common. The accomplished Generals, Colonels and Majors that contributed to the most successful wars of our country have been molded a certain way. They are molded through vigorous training both in scholastic training and in the field along with rigorous mentorship. Colonel Lewis McBride was a rare exception to the rule. As a renowned Chemical museum curator so distinctively puts it, he was, without a doubt, one of the most interesting and industrious officers in the history of the US Army Chemical Corps.
The question of “What makes a leader great?” is without one solitary answer. Effective leaders in the corporate and political arenas are deserving of praise, but because of the nature of their work, military leaders are arguably more complex and intriguing.
There are many types of leaders not only in the military, but also in every civilian company around the world. We rarely see a leader who possesses both vision and an ethical style of leadership; however, CMSgt Paul W. Airey, the first Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, was this type of leader. Throughout this paper I will discuss his ability to be both a visionary and ethical leader, which resulted in CMSgt Airey being labeled a “legend” (LaGrone, 2009, p.2). He was described by the former Chief of Staff, General Norton Schwartz as an “Airman’s Airman and “one of the true pioneers of the service” (LaGrone, 2009, p.2). CMSgt Airey has left a legacy that will impact generations of Air Force Airmen based on his traits of vision and ethics.
...e leadership characteristic that popped out at me was how Cap. John Goodwin was his resilience to overcome all the horrific parts of this deployment and still stayed with it and worked his hardest with no breaks until he was forced to go on that leave to rest and then as soon as he heard something bad had happened, he stopped everything he was doing and got back to his men as quickly as he could it showed how much he cared, he also listened to his men and what they needed and tried helping them all the time. One thing he did not do a good job of was letting Kunk get to him and knock his confidence down and taking care of his own health so he could be awake and alert as company commander each and every day. His soldiers mentioned how weak, and tired and malnourished he looked from being next to the radio 24/7 which should never happen when you are calling the shots.
We can identify three major cultural dimensions that help us to understand what leaders must focus on as they guide the transition of the Army. First, professional Identity, which is guided by Soldiers at all levels who are striving for excellence in their functional specialty, i.e., HR Sergeants. Soldiers who have goals and ideals of the Army to ethically put service and duty first. HR Sergeants are trained and well educated in their field. They are taught to put Soldiers first and have great customer support skills. Second, community, the sense in which Soldiers stop thinking about “I” and start thinking “we”. The bond among units who not only believe in cohesion with Soldiers, but their families too. The HR Sergeants are there to take care of Soldiers when financial issues arise with them or their families and don’t back down until the situation is solved. Last, hierarchy, which leads to order and control and provides Soldiers with moral reference and a sense of direction. The HR Sergeant has the mentality of mission first, knowing who to contact at the next level for assistance helps get the mission
The purpose of this paper is to write about the attributes, competencies, impact to the Army by First Lieutenant (1LT) Audie Leon Murphy and the personal growth I have gained. The reason for this is that 1LT Audie Murphy, through his unparalleled valor and heroism, is a great example of what to strive to be. The Fort Knox chapter of the “Sergeant Audie Murphy Club” states he earned a battlefield commission for his courage and leadership ability. He also received citations and decorations including every medal for valor that America gives (The Sergeant Audie Murphy Association 2016). 1LT Audie Murphy is who many young
My leadership can expect a top tier performer who strives to be one of the most competent Non-commissioned Officer’s within the unit. I will do this by adhering to the regulations, unit sop’s and any other guidance which governs my section. I will ensure my soldiers do the same, holding them to strict but attainable standards and expecting nothing less. I will teach, coach, counsel, and mentor these soldiers-teaching them what a leader is and grooming them to be leaders also.
...n was yet another display of the most beneficial style of leadership. Putting together teams, holding regular meetings in locations that were conducive to deep thinking, allowing debates, and discussions to take place, not choosing sides and arriving at a consensus is the very core of team building and fostering inclusive environments. Doing it all while displaying sound ethical principles routed in being a southern Baptist Minister enabled Dr. King to achieve huge successes as the primary leader of the Civil Rights Movement. Taking notes from one of the great leaders of yesteryear can and does help senior non-commissioned officers get better. Being an effective motivating speaker, putting the organization before self, team building, and having appropriate ethical principles to back it all up go hand in hand with leading Airman in today’s United States Air Force.
In December 1945, America lost one of the most successful combat leaders of World War II—George S. Patton. By the end of WW II, Patton rose to the rank of General in the US Army and was the commander of 15th Army in occupied Germany. However, just five years prior at the start of his strategic leadership phase, then Brigadier General Patton began as Commander, 2nd Armored Division in Ft. Benning, Georgia. Several factors undoubtedly contributed to his swift rise from 1-star to 4-star in just five years. Key among those factors was leadership. His leadership style was unique even for his time. He believed “a man who would qualify as a leader must lead—lead not by the cold incandescence of his super-refined intellect but by the fiery passion
I’m a prior enlisted officer with many years in the service. My long Air Force career and current leadership characteristics have been molded by incidents in my life and career. These incidents include my grandfather’s influence, significant events in my Air Force career, and my contributions to Air Force and national intelligence objectives in my current job. These three things are the leading factors that have made me the leader I am today. Each of these things contributed to different traits like; dedication to hard work, honesty, goal setting, initiative, persistence, and many more.
As our forefathers before us stated, ‘‘No one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of soldiers. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as “The Backbone of the Army (“The NCO Creed writing by SFC Earle Brigham and Jimmie Jakes Sr”). These words to Noncommissioned Officer should inspire us to the fullest with pride, honor, and integrity. The NCO creed should mean much more than just words whenever we attend a NCO’s school. For most of us this is what our creed has become because we learn to narrate or recite. The military from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard has an overabundance of NCOs who fall under their pay grade of E-5, E-6 and etc. Yet somehow there still not enough leaders. I believe that the largest problem afflicting the military today is our lack of competent leaders, ineffective leader development, and how we influence our subordinates under us who are becoming leaders.
LM01, Ethical Leadership. (2012). Maxwell Gunter AFB. Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education (AETC)
The ambition to serve my country as a Marine officer stems from the desire to “lead by example”. To do this is an immense responsibility, and I expect it to be difficult - if it wasn’t, then the Marine Corps wouldn’t be the Marine Corps. But I am confident that through discipline, courage, and integrity, I can overcome these obstacles and take my limits higher, both mentally and physically. By doing this, I hope to set a example for not only my own Marines, but everyone I meet.
Regardless of the career you choose in your life, whether it be an accountant or a Soldier in the United States Army, someone, somewhere most likely had an influence to bring you to that decision. The Army defines leadership as the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization (JP, p. 1). Now imagine you are a young Private, in one of the most dangerous places in Iraq and you have constant leadership changes, and not much support from your direct leadership. I am sure at this point you can imagine, it is not the best scenario to be in. Throughout the duration of this essay you will read about Sergeant First Class Rob Gallagher and Sergeant First Class Jeff Fenlason, their leadership abilities, and the techniques they attempted to use to resolve the issues in this Platoon that was in a downward spiral after losing many leaders to the hell of war.