AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP RELECTION 2
The Effects of Behavioral Leadership Approach on Military Personnel
Leadership is all about building trust, sparking new ideas, and living out values that make
the workplace welcoming and efficient. Looking back at my career and the different roles I've
played; I see that being a truly effective leader goes hand in hand with being genuine. Authentic
leadership is a way of leading that's open, ethical, and deeply rooted in personal values
(Northouse, 2022). It really speaks to me, both personally and professionally. In this paper, I'm
going to share my journey as a leader and how I've grown, making the case for why authentic
leadership is my chosen path. I'll dive into my own leadership experiences and back up my views
with research. I'm set on showing how this leadership style doesn't just fit my own values but
also boosts my ability to guide and motivate others, whether I'm leading or following.
Self-Evaluation of Leadership Traits and Skills
My path to truly knowing myself and being a good leader started when I took a hard look
at what I'm good at and where I need improvement. Figuring out my strengths has helped me use
them well, making me a more influential and effective leader. For example, keeping cool when
things get tough has helped me think clearly and make smart choices when chaos builds. On the
other hand, seeing where I tend to struggle, like not wanting to be confrontational, has been very
important. It pushed me to work on being more straightforward in my conversations. This is key
to dealing with disagreements in a positive and open way.
My leadership style is all about what I believe is right, like being honest, fair, and taking
care of my responsibilities. These important beliefs help me decide what to do and affect how I
work with my team and the people I work with. For example, because I think being fair is key,
I've made sure that how we decide who does what and how we see if someone is doing well is
clear to everyone. This way, everyone on the team feels important and treated right. Sticking to
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these good practices has not only made people trust me more but also built a team environment
where everyone trusts and respects each other.
One thing I always focus on as a leader is making sure I talk openly with my team. I think
being clear and open is important because it builds trust and respect, which you need for a team
to work well together (Northouse, 2022). I like to have regular meetings with everyone and meet
with people one-on-one. This way, everyone knows what's happening with our projects, what's
changing, and what I expect from them. I also make sure to tell them how they're doing, giving
them the good news and the areas they need to work on in a way that's clear but kind. I believe
this helps everyone get better at their jobs and stops small problems from getting bigger.
I always make sure to include my team when it's time to make decisions. I think working
together on decisions helps us do better and makes everyone feel important and included. Let's
say we have a big project decision to make. I set up a meeting where everyone gets to share their
thoughts and ideas. Doing this uses the different ways we all think to come up with creative
solutions. Plus, it shows I really value what the team knows and thinks, which makes my way of
leading open and welcoming to everyone.
I lead with a strong focus on ethics, keeping my decision-making consistent (Skopp et al.,
2023). This is not just important for keeping true to myself, but also for setting an example for
the team. I always aim to base my decisions on what we value together like fairness, honesty,
and being answerable for our actions. Like this one time when we had to deal with budget cuts, I
didn't just decide how to divide the resources by myself. Instead, I got the whole team together to
talk about it. This way, we made choices openly and stuck to our ethical principles, which helped
keep everyone's spirits up and trust strong, even when things got tough.
Examination of Career Path and Job Positions
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Looking back at my journey in the professional world, I can see how each job has helped
me grow into a true leader. When I first started working in the military as a young solider, I
quickly figured out how important it is to be flexible and communicate well. Moving up to
leadership roles in bigger levels, I faced more complicated problems that needed more than just
basic skills. I had to really understand how teams work together and how to make strategic
choices. Now, as a senior leader in charge of many teams and projects, it's key that I use my
genuine leadership style. This helps guide our organization towards its big goals while keeping
our morals strong (Jansen et al., 2020).
In each job I've had, I've gotten the chance to work on and get better at being a leader.
When I was a small team leader, part of my job was to help sort out any disagreements in the
team. I always made sure to be fair and open, which helped fix problems well. Now, my job is
more about guiding young leaders. I teach them how important it is to know themselves and
make choices that are right and good. Doing these things has helped me grow and has shown
how committed I am to being a true leader at every step in my work.
Throughout my work life, I've always looked for and taken chances to show real
leadership. A big moment was when we had to completely change our project because of new
goals at work. I knew some of my team might be unsure or not agree with the changes. So, I was
open and honest about why we were making these changes and how it would be good for our
team and the whole company later. I made sure everyone could talk about what worried them or
give ideas. This way of doing things helped everyone get used to the changes more easily and
made our team trust each other and our leaders more.
Every time I've taken on a leadership role, it has been a lesson in staying tough,
understanding others, and always aiming to get better in both my personal and work life. Like the
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time we had real trouble with not having enough personell. I had to figure out where to best put
our resources and who should work where. That tough time showed me how key it is to always
be open and stick to what's right, even when things get hard. It also showed me how important it
is to keep everyone on the same page to keep spirits up. Going through stuff like that has made
me see how genuine leadership can really make a workplace better and more welcoming for
everyone.
Discussion of Preferred Leadership Style
Being an authentic leader has made a big difference in how much team trusts each other
and how well they do their jobs (Jansen et al., 2020). By always being honest, open, and really
caring about how my team members are doing, we've made a place to work where trust is
important in how we treat each other. This trust has made us do better at our jobs because
everyone feels safe, appreciated, and eager to do their best. For example, when I let team
members help make decisions and tell them honestly about the good and the bad things
happening in the company, I've seen more new ideas and a stronger desire to reach our goals
together.
A great example of when true leadership worked well was during a big operation in
Afghanistan. I made sure to clearly share what needed to happen and listened to what others had
to say. By also talking about my own challenges and how I was dealing with them, I made it
simpler for my team to come to me with their thoughts and concerns. This helped us work
together better and made it easier for everyone during the operation. It also made our team
stronger and more flexible.
As a person who believes in real leadership, I expect leaders to be honest, stick to their
morals, and involve everyone in decisions. It's important to me that leaders talk openly and stand
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firm on being fair and ethical. These traits make a work environment where I can trust our
leaders and feel good about the choices they make and where we are headed (Jansen et al., 2020).
I really like it when leaders share not just the details of decisions but also the reasons behind
them. This helps me get a better grasp of our goals and how we're trying to reach them.
Working with different types of leaders has really shown me how much I value honesty
in leadership. When leaders weren't open or didn't follow ethical guidelines, their teams often
had a hard time feeling happy or staying long-term (Aguilar, 2019). On the other hand, leaders
who were genuine helped build teams that were lively, energetic, and dedicated. One leader I
worked with often held reflection sessions with us. These weren't just about improving our work;
they also made our professional relationships stronger. Those moments showed me how
important being real is for a team to do well and feel positive. These personal experiences are
supported in the research findings of Merrits and Kivipõld (2022).
Conclusion
Authentic leadership’s power is because it builds trust and boosts how well teams work
(Reitan et al., 2024). This kind of trust comes from being clear and honest during discussions and
always making sure our choices are good and right. This has helped many teams act cohesively
and confidently, no matter if things are steady or changing. Being open about both the tough
times and the wins makes a place where everyone works together well, which lets everyone
come up with great ideas and do their best. As I go on, I plan to keep growing as an authentic
leader. I want to know myself better, always do what's right, and keep talking openly. My goal is
to encourage and help grow new leaders. Being a real, authentic leader will always be my main
way of doing things. I'll use this to make good choices and have a positive impact on my work
and the bigger world around us.
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References
Aguilar, S. (2019). A review of the linkages between emotional intelligence and leadership in the
military forces. Business Ethics and Leadership, 3(2), 29–38.
https://doi.org/10.21272/bel.3(2).29-38.2019
Jansen, M. M., & Delahaij, R. (2020). Leadership acceptance through the lens of social identity
theory: A case study of military leadership in Afghanistan. Armed Forces & Society,
46(4), 657-676. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095327X19845027
Meerits, A., & Kivipõld, K. (2022). Leadership competencies of first-level military leaders.
Leadership & Organization Development Journal. ISSN: 0143-7739.
Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and Practice (9th ed.). Sage Publications.
Reitan, T., and Stenberg, S.-Å. (2024). We (All) Want You? Perceived military leadership
potential and actual leadership role occupancy in working life: A longitudinal study of a
Swedish cohort. Armed Forces and Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095327x241228845
Skopp, N. A., Kaplan, D. A., Todd, B. L., Drell, M. B., & Pratt, K. M. (2023). Pilot outcomes of
cognitive processing therapy implementation in military health system outpatient
behavioral health clinics. Psychological Services, 20(3), 496–505.
https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000611
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