My Leadership Philosophy Essay

Leadership is not about barking orders or being the smartest person in the room. Instead, leadership is having a relationship with your subordinates, knowing their strengths and weaknesses, and placing them in a position to be successful and a valuable member of the team. Leaders should be judged based on the performance of their subordinates.

a. The main pillars of my leadership philosophy are humility, approachability, and initiative. Humility is a cornerstone of leadership because we are human, and humans make mistakes. Taking ownership and accountability for failures and poor decisions is a necessity in leadership. Bad leaders look to shift blame, and good leaders take ownership, no matter the circumstances. Another aspect of humility

Finally, all leaders should possess the ability to take initiative. There will be times in the fleet where there are no formal instructions or guidance on how to tackle a given issue. In order to keep moving forward and complete the mission, a decision needs to be made. When everyone is looking around for someone to step up and be decisive, the leader in the room needs to be that person. These pillars of leadership are vital for any team or organization looking to perform at a high level.

2. With each pillar of my leadership philosophy comes personal experience. The first leadership lesson comes from a personal failure in leadership. It was senior year of high school, and I was the co- captain of our varsity water polo team in the middle of the semi-final playoff game. The game was not going well. My coach was struggling to find the words to motivate us, and there was a moment of silence where someone else needed to step up. But I remained silent, and we lost the game badly. The leadership lesson here is that humility does not equate to silence. There comes a time when the team needs a renewed sense of hope and motivation when all seems lost. Lead by example, and never lose

Coast Guard Officer Candidate School is an incredible challenge. Overcoming the many trials of Officer Candidate School will only be possible if we work together, helping each other along the way. I am learning techniques and gaining experience in the act of inspiring others in the pursuit of a common goal, especially when morale is low. I am gaining confidence in public speaking and motivating others. As a follower, the ability to brainstorm and deliver useful advice when appropriate is a skill that I am working on mastering. Finally, I am building a network of Junior Officers that I will need to be successful in the