As part of US navy honor code, commissioned officers and enlisted swear an oath to abide themselves to: Honor, Courage, and Commitment. In situations of high risk and stress towards a decision, certain poor leaders will fade away their core values and rely on one’s own conscience. These types of actions/decisions can lead to avoidable instances and end lives. A great leader should be able to maintain confident courage during extreme adversity, and commit to being an upstander; will uphold fact, transparency, and truth in all his actions.
Secretary Colin Powell addressed the UN and stated that he believed there to be solid evidence of an occupation and threat of WMDs in Iraq. He proceeded to recommend for an immediate action to take place of
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planting soldiers and invading Iraq. However, the secretary of state made the mistake of breaking his own code of courage to realize the true facts and to adhere to the evidence presented by his subordinates. “The phrase doing what is right is deceptively simple.” (Hughes 151) In this situation, Colin Powell should have realized that he was more towards “going with his gut” rather than focusing on the true matter of legitimacy. Nevertheless, there have been many situations like this matter, whether it be the idea of going to war in Vietnam or Hitler rushing into a campaign to attempt to seize Stalingrad in the winter. All of these leaders’ main issue was the fact that they couldn’t forge courage in the face of extreme adversity. And in the end, all these leaders had to face the consequences of their actions. These consequences can range from lost information to lives lost. But of course, these leaders didn’t wish upon deaths or even a loss at all. All leaders with the authority to make decisions such as these tend to have been very successful. Had Colin Powell or any other leader not been as successful and inspirational in his past with decisions, these issues wouldn’t arise. Leaders in these positions may not comprehend the amount of trust that the subordinates have in them. “It is just as important for leaders to broaden their leadership knowledge and experience if they want to succeed in high-stress situations… this additional scrutiny may cause leaders who were previously successful to perform poorly.” (Hughes 219) So that when a question of deciding comes up, many subordinates will shy away or even just close their minds to allow for the “upper-man” to take charge and lead them to the other side. That is where the leader needs to humble himself and understand that he needs people under him, and to mirror their trust. Every single major leader started out as just an E-1 or an O-1 or even an intern; realizing your roots and looking towards your past is what helps your future. As Winston Churchill famously stated, “If we do not study history, then we are doomed to repeat it.” The simple idea of asking yourself, what would you say if you were the employee or the ensign in the room, is what could have saved these leaders from getting hot-headed and overlooking their subordinates for the aid and their fresh ideas for success. Two months preceding the UN counsel, Colin Powell was handed information on several occasions to lead to facts of there being no WMDs, nor any real conflict necessary to start a war.
The naval intelligence community was on top of this at USCENTCOM and for several months had been trying to configure the slightest option to proceed with war, it was never truly obtained. (Bloomberg) Colin Powell had neglected his code of leadership and favored certain rules over others in his thirteen rules of leadership. Colin Powell chose rules such as, “You can’t make someone else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours,” over more appropriate rules such as, “Be careful what you choose; you may get it.” (Dimon) Colin Powell failed to examine his options and rushed his options. In this scenario Powell went against his own honor and commitment to his set of leadership rules and fell to his own knee-jerk reaction. Leaders who fail to commit to the correct ethics and values will have less and less authenticity to push others to work hard for them. “Authentic leaders behave as they do because of personal conviction rather than to attain status, rewards, and other advantages.” (Hughes 167) A successful leader will stay true to his commitments and true to this own ethics. In Saltwater leadership, a group of sailors were faced with a difficulty of having a commanding officer that had sudden changes of emotion and leadership. Transferring from a charismatic and personable leader, to a rash and stubborn officer. (Wray) This not only left the subordinates unsure of what to think of their commanding officer, but also worried as to when he would snap. The inconsistency of leadership left the sailors to eventually avoid or fear of running into their leader at the wrong time. This disrupted the officers image and his own commitment to his ethics were exposed, leading to him being replaced. Leaders that cannot stay committed or have the honor of being true to the navy and themselves
can only be expected to fault in their decisions. At the first thought of weapons and/or some sort of major terrorist activity, the idea of going to war was not favorable, due to it being so early and the fear of having another Vietnam war. The support of the American people was still at a pretty decent high and the people would back it, but after a victory as successful as the hundred-hour war people just weren’t prepared mentally for what was next. Colin Powell had the idea, even as someone who opposed to the Vietnam war, that a plan of attack was the necessary immediate action. The concept of already having a decision made and planned is a fallacy of any leader becoming too emotional and connected towards a decision. This was just the first step, but had a major snowball effect. If a leader already has a bias towards a situation, he has given up his transparency and is already focused towards certain evidence. “Leaders who themselves do not honor truth do not inspire others.” (Hughes 151) It takes risks to make large decisions and a sense of personal ethics should be considered in a decision. But per the Navy’s hierarchy of loyalties, our own sense of ethics is considered the last go-to. Our personal ethics needs to be in every decision but it shouldn’t be the driving force that weighs the decision. Therefore, poor leadership such as Colin Powell’s case will search for clues and hints of any reason to blow up a situation to one’s favor. The answer that Colin Powell was looking for was right in his own set of leadership rules. However, Colin Powell and leaders alike will sometimes abandon their personal ethics that they have developed, and rush decisions towards short-term goals. Leaders that are stuck in these high stress situations should have reached out towards their subordinates or other peers with more knowledge of the situation. These leaders would have then been more prepared for the situation and in the case that they share credit, the leader will still be glorified and not have to suffer the consequences of rushing into a dilemma alone.
Military leaders may find themselves in questionable situations: perceived as unethical; lack moral consciousness, or question their character. Dwight Eisenhower demonstrated moral courage by leveraging the ethical principles of duty, loyalty and subordination in endorsing the French Vichy leader Admiral Darlan.
The history of Lieutenant General Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller is not well known outside of the U.S. Marine Corps, but as the most decorated marine in history his legend will live on and continue to inspire the marines of tomorrow. The enlisted corps has idolized him, frequently encouraging one another to do that last push up when motivated by fellow marines saying “Do one for Chesty!” The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that Chesty, using current day leadership theories, was a visionary and ethical leader who exemplified the characteristics that our nation’s military needed during World War II and still needs today. I will explain how he embodied some principles of Full Range Leadership Development that are taught today. Then I will describe how he demonstrated his ethical leadership through combat actions when faced with general military ethics situations. Finally, I will examine how my own leadership abilities, though noncombat focused, compare to how Chesty led his marines. Let’s begin by exploring the visionary leadership that Lt Gen Puller exhibited.
For years I have aspired to become a part of an elite organization such as the military, and more importantly, the United States Navy. Its reputation for instilling high moral character was encouragement for me to develop into a more mature, responsible, and independent young citizen. There are certain qualities that an officer must possess such as: honor, courage, commitment, and attention to duty, responsiveness to orders, cooperation, loyalty, leadership, integrity, and discipline. Throughout my high school career, I showcased these qualities while an active member of The American Legion of Ohio Buckeye Boy’s State, The National Honor Society, as a leader in the Ohio State Highway Patrol Junior Cadets, Clay and Waite High School Marching Band Alumni, Quiz Bowl, and Top Ten Scholars. I was actively involved in charitable activities such as Math and SOS tutoring, community volunteering, and the Indian 100 Leadership Team, (a volunteer organization on my high school campus). I have shown strength, perseverance and leadership in my participation in wrestling, cheerleading, and bodybui...
Commanders are given their positions because they have demonstrated their ability to execute sound judgment. Judgment is the key factor when committing to actions that could be either favorable or disastrous, or anything in between. Moral decision making, however, takes more than sound judgment when complex problems with undiscernible outcomes arise. When developing leaders to understand decision making in high-stress or combat situations, a thorough understanding of moral judgment is warranted. Case studies provide leaders with valuable tools to stimulate thinking and challenge subordinates. When evaluating the decision the commander of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) has to make, understanding the difference between moral dilemmas and
“In order to be a good leader, there are two things to remember. Lead from the Front and always set the Example. From these two leadership principles, everything else will fall into place.”
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.
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.
All soldiers, especially leaders, are highly recommended to keep a certain set of values that radiate throughout the entire U.S. Army. They are challenged to keep them near and dear to their hearts and to define and live them every day. A leader is one who takes these challenges serious and abides by
Powell uses “The Hershey, which is a Blanchard Situational Leadership model that explains how to match the leadership style to the readiness of the group members” ( ). There are four quadrants that Powell looks at prior to making his choice. The four quadrants are directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating. Each quadrant has a specific time when it is most effective. Powell used most of these quadrants throughout his military career. He would use direction when giving orders to his troops. He would coach his troops during a time of war, as he wanted their feedback and ideas. Being able to take others ideas shows he was open to input, as the troops might know something he did not and in the situation it could be life or death. If Powell was not open to the ideas and opinions of his troops many more deaths could of occurred. Powell was supportive of his troops during training times. He would make the decisions, but they had the control. Powell was always supporting his troops and giving them motivation in any situation. The last quadrant is delegation, which Powell did not use much during his military career as he needed to be the one in control at all times.
Colin Powell’s military career as a Commissioned in the U.S. Army helped him understand the significance and estimation of followership. A follower must have the capacity to comprehend and support the team, have discipline, to follow orders, and acknowledge obligation regarding their responsibilities. The individual attributes that creates a great follower are strength, responsibility, genuineness, skill, and morality. The most imperative one is morality. An individual’s morality in the military is the most vital followership characteristic, for example, military personnel must display morals and principles in order to become effective leaders. A prime example of extraordinary followership that has these characteristics is Ret. General Colin Powell. Colin Powell is one of the best military followers in this current nation's history. Powell started in the U.S. Army as a Second Lieutenant and eventually rose through the ranks to Secretary of State under President George W. Bush. According to Kinder and McConnaughy (2006) Powell rose through the ranks at a fast pace during his military, for example, Powell was the youngest general in the U.S. Armed Forces at the time.
Snider, D. M. (2008). Dissent and strategic leadership of the military professions. Carlisle Barracks, PA: Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College.
Loyalty is a massive trait when it comes to leading. A superior chief must be able to keep his or her
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.
The second characteristic of professionalism is responsibility. General responsibility creates the moral responsibility of marines and helps us understand the set of values which guide us. In addition, however, marines must also possess the values of other human beings and question service to a society which does not respect these values. These values include justice, common courtesy, human dignity and humbleness. A government which does not respect these values is illegitimate and cannot be said to serve the society it directs. In the case of United States marines, the values of the United States must be examined in the context of the military profession. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution provide clear statements of these values and Ethics. Ethics are standards by which one should act based on values. Values are core beliefs such as honor, courage, and commitment that motivate attitudes and actions. Not all values...
First is the capability to fulfill all of their responsibilities and obligations to others and to themselves competently while also being capable to recognize not only when to lead, but also when to follow. Second, is the unyielding commitment to their organizations and to the people they are serving with. Last, but not the least, is having the ingenuity to be flexible and to be able to formulate different means of solving certain conflicts as the times demand it. These are just some of the traits that I believe constitute an exceptional leader and it is my motivation to have these qualities as I serve our country, the United States of America. In the U.S. Navy, I will rise to the challenges that will present themselves to me by utilizing the knowledge and skills that I have gained in the past and combining them with those that I will learn while in