Leadership

a How would you define leadership?

Leadership is the ability to see a situation or problem and be able to provide a solution or a means to the ends. While also ensuring that you provide the tools vision and guidance needed for your subordinates to meet those ends and succeed.

b As a leader, what do you do when people on your team aren’t pulling their weight?

As a leader it would be my responsibility to take them aside and inform them of the issues or the events that have me concerned as a leader. I would also empower them by providing them with guidance on what actions they would need to do to meet the mission. I would ensure that I had providing them the tools needed to meet the mission.

c What is one of the greatest leadership challenges you have ever faced? What did you do? What was the result?

When I was at the Joint Spectrum Center I had to fill the role of three positions at one time due to the change over of personnel without back fill for three months. It was a very challenging time. Especially since I was unsure how to do one of the jobs. I relied allot on my subordinates to provide me guidance and support where I was lacking in know how. But I continued to push forward and ensured I followed up on all issues and tasking’s and I also ensured that if I did not know something I used the personnel I had that where the experts to assist me in making the proper choices. In the end I was able to not only succeed but excelled to where several of the job requirements I retained even after the new personnel came on board.

d How would you describe your communication style?

My communication style is open and direct. I will provide you with guidance on what needs to be done. I will provide you with the path to get to the end if needed, but I would rather empower you to meet the mission in your own way. I am also straight forward and not one to skirt the issue. If there is a problem I will point it out directly.

e Describe a situation in which effective interpersonal communication skills contributed to your success.

When I was a Troop Commander there were several situations that I needed to sit down with one of my subordinates and discuss issues with them directly. This provided me the ability to present my side as well as being able to see the others point of view on the issue or event in question. Most of the time I was able to empower the subordinate to see the right path and become a better soldier in the end. Although there where times when I had to provide direct guidance and over sight to ensure what was needed was done even if it was very painful and difficult for the Soldier in the long run.

f Describe your personal actions by which you convey to your staff that ethics/ethical behavior is a high priority with you and that you also expect it to be a high priority with your staff.

I make it a point to ensure my subordinates understand what is ethical and expected to meet the mission correctly without taking the easy way out. Sometimes the right way is not the easy way but the hard way. There have been several time that I have had to take responsibility for my failures even if I did not feel it was warranted. The ability to know you are wrong and ask for help is one of the best behaviors a leader can have.

g Related to the previous question, describe how your personal actions (demonstrating ethics is a priority) have impacted your staff and/or colleagues.

Describe a situation where you recognized a need to communicate clear expectations for ethical practice. How did you recognize that expectations had to be clarified? What did you do or say to clarify the expectations?

When I was a troop commander I had several junior officers under me and it was essential that my actions where very ethical and I required it of my junior officers as well. There where a few times where I had to not just pull my subordinates aside to correct them, but actually counsel them on improper actions to the point that two of my junior officer’s needed to be relived of their positions due to unethical or improper actions for a officer in the US Army. The actions I took where to made sure that I put out a guidance that clearly expressed my expectations and my ethical requirements. Additionally I had one of my junior officers provide me with a 1000 word essay on what the penalties where in the state of Washington and in the Uniform Code of Military Justice for the unethical actions he had done. I will say though in retro spec I would do the same things again in the fact that 1 of the two officers because an exceptional staff officer. The other unfortunately left military service and, went back to school on a better note. He is currently working on a law degree. Hopefully he has learned from his mistakes and will excel in the future.