Personal Philosophy of Leadership
Personal Vision Statement
I find it interesting this assignment is coming up at the time it is in my life. I take it
this is more for me and not necessarily for a grade in this class. I will try to get the most
out of it that I can and not put so much fluff in this assignment. Hopefully by the end of
this I will have a clear vision on where I’m going and what I’m doing with my life. This is
an especially tough topic for me because I feel as though God is bringing me into a new
chapter or a whole new book in my life. My marriage is very likely soon coming to an
end. My time in the Army is at a crossroad, I can either retire in two years or submit a
warrant officer candidate packet and continue to serve in the Military and progress
further if I choose. If I choose to get out of the Army I will either pursue a Juris Doctor or
try to get hired on by any of the three letter Federal Agencies as an investigator. Those
are the uncertainties in my life. As far as the things I am certain about I want to come
closer to God and my friends and family. If I decide to stay in the Army it will be as a
single unmarried investigator with US Army CID. I want to fully throw myself into the
role and help as many people as I can get the justice they deserve. I have not been
able to successfully balance my family and work life since being married in the Army
and both career and family have suffered as a result. At this point my wife and I are
amicable about divorcing, it’s for the best and there are no hurt feelings. If I stay in the
Army I will have even less contact with my children unless by the grace of God I am
stationed near them, which is unlikely.
Personal Philosophy of Leadership
Personal Mission Statement
This is probably the most difficult assignment I’ve had with Liberty University thus
far and of course I wasn’t being a very good student and just noticed this is an
assignment today. So what is my purpose in life? This is a question I have struggled
with my whole life actually. I was born to an unwed teenager who was about as mature
as the four year old I was when she gave me up for adoption to her Aunt and Uncle.
When I was 12 years old she told me had she known about me she would have aborted
me but she said God hid me from her until it was too late in the pregnancy to go through
an abortion. So I’ve wondered what my purpose is here on Earth ever since. When I
turned 18 I joined the Army because I didn’t want to live at home anymore and refused
to go to college. I figured I would have a decent paying job and learn useful skills I
could transfer to a civilian career at some point. A few years after joining the Army I
thought it was God’s will for me to have a family and raise children so I married my
girlfriend/high school sweetheart, and had two daughters. Apparently being married
and having a family isn’t what God intended for me either. What I have learned from
these past lessons, joining the Army, having a family, doing things for the wrong
reasons is I haven’t found what my purpose in life actually should be. I was reading in
Matthew a few months ago and part of the book that struck me was how the disciples or
other followers would leave their families and all their worldly possessions and follow
Jesus. So I am certain that is what is supposed to happen but I’m not sure what that
even means, I thought the other things I did were because God was telling me or
showing me the way or path he has for me. What feels right to me right now is to
Personal Philosophy of Leadership
divorce my wife, submit the warrant officer packet and continue to serve and help
people in the Army. I feel this is the most likely path to reaching people.
The things that mattered in my life have changed in recent years. The things I
think really counted 10 years ago now don’t seem all that important. Those things were,
my family and simply existing as a family, going on vacations, enjoying ourselves and
living for ourselves. So what really counts? The bottom line is what counts is making a
difference in the World. In my current situation with my family this seems an
impossibility. Which is sad I know, but it’s been this way and hasn’t changed and wont
change. I know on some level this is my fault being the “man” of the house. I should
have directed and led the family on the path it was meant to go on, but we are so stuck
in our cycles and rituals and there is no common ground or future to work toward. The
future I want I can’t have in this situation. With my wife and family all we did was focus
on the concept of the family. We did nothing to make the family or world a better place
we existed in our own compartmentalized sections doing our own things in our own
selfishness.
The things I want to accomplish in life are simple I think. I have no delusions of
grandeur, I want to advise decision makers and provide the best information for them to
make the right decisions. Having been in leadership positions since 2012 I honestly
don’t want to be in that position again, the spot light, and be the “leader” anymore. I
learned I am not suited for leadership positions after being put in the position by people
who thought I was over and over again. I prefer to be in the back ground doing the
actual work either by myself or with people I trust to accomplish a common goal. My
accomplishments in life don’t need to be something I hang on my wall or put on my desk
Personal Philosophy of Leadership
or adoration from people about the things I’ve done. I want to see someone years or
decades later and hear from them that I made a difference in their life in some way or
see the results in real time.
This is most likely the wrong answer entirely for the purpose of this assignment
and this class but as far as the type of leader I want to be, I don’t want to be a leader or
leave a legacy. I don’t need to leave my mark on this world and have a lasting
impression. If people remember me and my accomplishments great, if not oh well. I
had a seminar on leadership by a Military Police officer years ago who touted some of
the same stuff as far as leadership is concerned. The argument she made was leaders
are created or trained not born. I disagree to a rather great extent. I have been in the
Army for almost 18 years, wars are fought and won by leaders such as Sergeants and
Staff Sergeants who are usually the youngest of leaders, ranging from 21-26 years old.
They have minimal leadership training other than a few institutional courses and yet
when you watch the news the people who receive the congressional Medal of Honor are
usually in this same rank which I think speaks volumes on born leaders not
institutionalized.
The Christian World View of this assignment has largely if not solely to be like
Jesus and to lead as he led. He is the ultimate teacher after all, his teachings and
example he set can answer any and all leadership problems or questions that can come
up if you think about it. My favorite scripture for my own mission statement would be
“But;seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these. things shall
be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).” This scripture reminds me to frequently take a
“azimuth” check to make sure I am on the path God has set for me.
Personal Philosophy of Leadership
Values Statement
For my values statement I took Aristotle’s 12 Virtues and condensed it to 10 that I
value the most. I took out pride and magnificence because they don’t suit me, the rest
do.
“1);Courage – bravery and valor
2) Temperance – self-control and restraint
3) Liberality – big heartness, charity and generosity
4) Honor – respect, reverence, admiration
5) Good Temper – equanimity, level headedness
6) Friendliness – conviviality and sociability
7) Truthfulness – straightforwardness, frankness and candor
8) Wit – sense of humor – meaninglessness and absurdity
9) Friendship – camaraderie and companionship
10) Justice – impartiality, evenhandedness and fairness”
(Rayner 2011)
Reference:
Rayner, V. (2011, June 12). 12 Virtues Introduced by Aristotle. Retrieved January 26, 2020, from
https://aesthetichealingmindset.wordpress.com/2011/06/12/4706/
The Bible
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
