Military Leadership Philosophy

The purpose of writing a philosophy is to provide others with an overview of what

kind of leader I strive to be. In developing a leadership philosophy, the first thing that

comes to mind is the Creed of the Non Commissioned Officer, the oath that I took when

first becoming a leader. This creed plays a major role guiding future leaders in

becoming outstanding military leaders.

In 1984, I enlisted into the United States Army and served six years of active duty

at Ft Polk, Louisiana as a radio operator in the 105th Military Intelligence Battalion. In

1990, I enlisted into the California National Guard and served two years as a combat

medic with the 649th support company. In 1992, I separated from the military to pursue

my civilian education.

In 2012, I was

deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom to Afghanistan and served as the S-1 for

the 132nd Engineer Company. In 2013, I accepted a transfer to Joint force

Headquarters and was assigned to G-1. My total combined military service equals

sixteen years.

My leadership philosophy encompasses many attributes of my own personality

and the experiences that I have had over the years. My leadership philosophy

attributes are as follows: be the example of what is right, put Soldier’s needs before my

own, empathic to others, and humble enough to listen and/or accept another’s point of

view.

As a leader, I will always be the example of what is right. I will follow the same

directives that I lay out for my Soldiers, if they cannot drink alcohol, then I will not drink

alcohol. There are no double standards, if I expect Soldiers to follow my guidance,

then I better do as well. There is a saying “monkey see, monkey do.” Soldiers will

emulate their leadership, good or bad.

I will put the needs of my Soldiers before my own. I took on this responsibility

when I became a noncommissioned officer and take this commitment seriously.

Being an empathic leader is important to me, in that I show others I can be

understanding to what they may be feeling or experiencing at that moment. When a

Soldier chooses to open up to share their feelings to me, and I fail to show empathy; I

may have jeopardized the trust between myself and that Soldier in that I just discredited

their feelings. The chances that they may confined in me again are very slim.

I will always show humility in that I will not be too proud to consider another

Soldier’s thought, point of view, or idea. I am an open minded person, and realize there

Leadership Philosophy

is more than one way to tackle an obstacle. I don’t want to be the type of leader that

believes that “it’s my way or the highway.” I want to create an environment where

Soldiers feel comfortable to share their thoughts and ideas without being ridiculed or

ignored.

In conclusion, having self-awareness of my leadership philosophy is very

valuable, in that it allows others to an insight of the type of leader that I strive to be and

it also provides myself with a more in depth insight of my own leadership