What makes me feel frustrated is the thought that I cannot find better avenues for exploiting the knowledge and experiences that I have amassed as a First Sergeant in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. Since my retirement, the transition has been a little frustrating; especially while in the military I practiced emotional and social intelligence which help to have made my unit one of the best in the 28th Infantry Division. Waking up to a civilian life is so unusual to me. In such an environment, there are various predicaments that I grapple with. For instance, I struggle to fill the empty puzzle on whether the military knowledge and concepts that I had acquired over the years can be applicable outside a military or war-tone world. This hard question continues to confront me as I try to find meaning in a new world.
My vital source of energy is the desire to deal with the challenges that I faced in the past and present moments. As a responsible and law-abiding citizen, I feel that I am obliged to make a difference to the society in many ways. For instance, I hold the view that I am responsible for ensuring that people live in a safe environment that is free of conflict, crime, violence, and poverty. Furthermore, the American society is increasingly becoming morally degraded as more and more people get into drugs and other social problems (McMichael, 2016). These challenges are what give me the energy to continue to live and contribute to social change. One of the challenges that I had was that I underestimated the wealth of knowledge that came with operating in a military environment. However, the sudden realization that I was multitalented drove me to re-examine myself and seek a better future for myself and my community. I believe that I can use this knowledge to improve what I love most: engaging in motivational talks and speeches.
Military leaders often exert high command to their followers (Taylor & Roscoe, 2010). What holds me back from achieving my dreams is the fear that I may fail in the process. Being an individual who has held a leadership position in the military for a long time, seeking ways of doing things without leadership privileges in a different environment, sends feelings of fear and uncertainty. The task of engaging in motivational talks and encouraging current military personnel to improve their skills and work hard is not also easy, since it requires constant research and practice.
One of the problems that I faced that shut down my mind was the loss of a soldier. This is because it killed my motivation to continue to lead my unit. I found myself in a situation where it was hard to put on a face of strength when I know that there is nothing different that I could have done to avoid this problem.
On one occasion, I proposed to my colleagues that we go to engage in a constructive discussion and listening to encourage team cohesion. Managing diversity and team cohesion can sometimes be challenging (Taylor & Roscoe, 2010). My team was composed of people from different races, and disagreements ensued about team composition. It was a tough issue for me to address since it was likely to attract criticism from dissatisfy members.
One incident that shut down my open will was a situation in which I was in problem and I needed assistance from my unit members. However, being the First Sergeant, the thought of seeking assistance was like sending a signal that I was incapable of handling some problems. Captain Abrashoff defines a good leader does not force his ideas on his juniors but listens to every person’s opinion on what is the most favorable way to handle certain situations in order to achieve the best results (Abrashoff, 2012). Therefore, pride sometimes held me back from achieving my dreams of becoming a good leader.
References
Abrashoff, D. M. (2012). It's your ship: Management techniques from the best damn ship in the
Navy. New York: Hachette
Hughes, M. J. (2012). Forging Napoleon's Grande Armée: Motivation, Military Culture, and
Masculinity in the French Army, 1800-1808. New York: NYU Press.
McMichael, P. (2016). Development and social change: A global perspective. New York: Sage
Publications.
Taylor, R. L., & Roscoe, W. E. (2010). Military leadership: In pursuit of excellence.
New York: Read How You Want.
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