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Introduction: The Importance of Leadership Philosophy
This essay will discuss the significance of having a leadership philosophy; how my leadership philosophy was created, as well as how it has affected my unit. Additionally, I’ll discuss the traits of a successful leader. Next, I’ll recap on my interview with a commander, in which she discussed a difficult leadership challenge; what influenced her decision-making process, and the skill sets used to resolve the issue. I also talked about approaches and resources that facilitated her decision-making. I’ll analyze her thought process with handling the challenge, and assess how my leadership philosophy lines up with hers and what I would have done differently.
One can agree that there are two types of leaders: effective and ineffective. To be an effective leader, one should possess the ability to effectively lead another person or a group of individuals to achieve a mission. Leadership is about motivating and inspiring others by what you say and do. It is essential that Military Commanders exhibit leadership qualities that inspire others with the desire to achieve the unit’s goals and vision. According to DeMarco, “Every leader must have a personal vision for where he or she is leading.” This vision is known as a “Leadership Philosophy.” This philosophy can be influenced by our work experience, social interaction, self-learning or simply being coached. Despite how a leadership philosophy was founded, it sets the tone of expectations. Having a leadership philosophy in the military is important because it is key and crucial to our daily operations and mission success.
The Building Blocks of My Leadership Philosophy
My upbringing and nursing experience exposed me to many different types of leadership skills; skills that I considered to be both negative and positive. However, it’s those exposures that played a role in shaping my previous leadership techniques. Upon joining the Air Force, the core values, integrity, self-before-service, and excellence in all you do, have reshaped and affirmed my leadership philosophy. I sincerely believed these are some important key values needed to gain respect and trust from those you lead. In addition to the core values, “leading by example,” describes my leadership philosophy. I lead the way through my actions by being a role model, showing empathy, and understanding and inspiring my members through effective communication.
Leading by Example: Traits of Effective Leadership
Leading by example, in my opinion, is one of those leadership traits that a true leader must have. Leadership involvement usually causes team members to be enthused and willing to demonstrate greater engagement and the potential to have successful outcomes. As a leader, showing empathy creates a positive environment that fosters open communication, allowing me as a leader to recognize any professional or personal problems my members might face. Clear communication, soliciting opinions, and input from my unit are extremely important in achieving successful outcomes.
My leadership philosophy allows me to influence, motivate and inspire members to become more involved with decision-making, build cohesion and give them a sense of partnership. My ability to encourage, excite and develop new perspectives within my members, displays transformational leadership. “Transformational leadership theory is all about leadership that creates positive change in the followers whereby they take care of each other’s interests and act in the interests of the group as a whole”, (Warrilow, 2012). Clear and effective communication is also paramount for achieving the mission.
Challenges in Leadership: A Case Study
I had the privilege of interviewing Lt. Col. M, who broached the topic of Generational Differences. During the interview, I realized that she too shares many of my leadership values which define my philosophy. Lt. Col. M has been in her position for approximately two years. During that time, she encountered many various situations; but the most challenging was one in which she experienced, members of her unit had many complaints and daily conflicts; behaviors that resulted in decreased morale and poor productivity. After many months of discussions and observations, she was able to pinpoint that generational conflicts were the culprit of these behaviors. She described that the problem was not so much age, but moral differences. She explained that the older generation had a willingness to accept things as they were, however, the younger and more innovative millennials yearned changed. This was supported by the older members in the unit, who echoed, “they don’t pay attention or follow instructions;” on the other hand, the younger members often say, “you guys aren’t listening to us.”
Bridging Generational Gaps: Solutions and Outcomes
From her standpoint, it appears that both generations desired respect, but their views of respect were completely different. Lt. Col. M’s determination to resolve the issue started with reminding the unit of its mission and vision statements. She aimed to bridge the generational gap with discussions and suggested solutions on how to rebuild unit cohesion. During the interview, she stated her decision-making process was influenced by her experience as a student, educator, mentor, NCO, and presently a commissioned officer. She believes that those positions held, distinct experiences, and encounters enabled her to manage many of the challenges her unit faced. She approaches every situation in a similar manner by asking herself; “have I been through this; how did I feel. Now how are they feeling?” She thought about the two diverse generations, and how those involved were feeling, then tried to discern the situation from both points of view. She stated that as leaders today, it is of high importance that we must be prepared to identify and remedy generational conflicts as soon as they are recognized. Her immediate response to the issues was to keep the communication gaps open. She firmly believes that “Everyone deserves the respect of sharing his or her opinion.” With the determination to bridge the unit’s generational gap, Lt. Col. M worked on fostering a safe, friendly workplace while increasing more successful outcomes, and building unity within the unit. She encouraged and aided her staff to form a mentorship program in which the mentor/mentee must be of varying generations. “Millennials aren’t lazy, and Boomers aren’t clueless. Both generations have their strengths, but instead of tension, we’re learning from each other.” Lt. Col. M approached her commander to whom she expressed the need for additional and frequent training on generational culture, diversity, intergenerational strengths, and benefits. This request was hastily addressed and eventually implemented.
Additionally, she stated that professionalism, knowledge, and a genuine love for her staff played an integral part in her response to the overall situation. She agrees that showing empathy, understanding, and inspiring members through effective communication plays a significant role in how she resolves any challenges that arise within the unit. By bridging the gap between the two generations, and the hard work accomplished, the unit was rewarded with the Team of the Quarter Award.
Lt. Col. M stated she didn’t receive any direct criticism for her decisions, but in the beginning, comments were made about her wanting to reinvent the wheel. She stated, “I welcome constructive feedback, it helps me to learn and grow.” After reflecting on the situation, the only self-critique was that she should have recognized the issue sooner. General Lorenz’s view on identifying challenges, “all have one thing in common: the sooner leaders can spot them, the more they can do to manage how the challenge will influence their organization.”
Conclusion: Aligning Philosophies and Lessons Learned
In analyzing Lt. Col. M’s success in understanding the levels of organizational culture, I relate this to Schein, who introduces the concept of levels to analyze organizational culture, and contended to say, “Artifacts—When entering an organization, the first thing one encounters is its artifacts, which represent the top levels or most tangible aspects of an organizational culture.” In her own unique way, Lt. Col. M used Schein’s four-step method for an organization to interpret its cultural norms. Her initial approach was to observe the behaviors and organize a meeting to share her observations. This led to a discussion with the unit about what is causing the issues, and she made a commitment to finding a solution to the problem. After many discussions, Lt. Col. M then evaluated the artifacts as either having a positive or negative impact on the unit. Due to these complexities in the unit, it took several weeks to build a solid plan. Along with the unit members, she created a plan on how to best approach the issue at hand. Lt. Col. M’s shared some of her own personal trials, in detail, which allowed her members to understand that their situations were not unique.
I believed that humbled admissions of her happenstances and open communication helped her to be successful in resolving the unit’s challenges. By encouraging mentees and mentorship roles she utilized accountability; to help foster the relationship between the two generations. It is my belief that Lt. Col. M successfully accomplished the difficult task of undertaking generational unity by building on past experiences and utilizing the leadership tools in her toolbox. General Lorenz stated that one of his goals is, “to leave the campground better than I found it and to make a positive difference in people’s lives.”. She made a huge impact on the lives of those around her which she hopes will continue when she’s gone.
After interviewing and analyzing Lt. Col. M’s leadership skills, I recognized that we shared similar leadership styles. My philosophy of leading by example, with empathy and clear communication, was seen throughout Lt. Col. M’s approach to the unit’s disputes. If confronted with this experience my course of action would have been very comparable. Lt. Col. M showed empathy by understanding and respecting the emotions and needs of both generations. In so doing, she created a positive environment, assisting the unit in identifying necessary improvements. Through clear communication, she articulated her ideas and created a positive outcome, by inspiring, as well as performing the changes with her devoted team members.
In conclusion, my essay discussed the importance of an effective leader, how my leadership philosophy was developed, and in what manner has it affected my unit. I also discussed the qualities that I understood are important to be a successful leader. Next, I recapped my interview with a commander, in which she discussed her most challenging leadership problem, and how she dealt with it. We discussed what influenced her decision-making process, and the skill sets used to resolve the issue. I also touched on approaches and resources that aided her in dealing with the situation and her thought process for handling the challenge. I briefly touched on how my leadership philosophy aligns with hers and what would have been my approach to a similar challenge. We concluded by showing the positive outcomes of an effective leader and clear communication.
References
- Air University, AU-1, Air University Style and Author Guide (Maxwell AFB, AL: Air University Press, April 2005), pg. 137.
- AU University, Leadership and Command lesson 3; Leading a Diverse Organization pg. 11 www.airuniversity.af.mil
- AU University; Leadership Philosophy 101; Who Are You, Col J. W. DeMarco pg. 1
- Interview with Lt Col from the United States Army, 22 Oct 2019
- International Review of Management and Business Research, June 2013, www.irmbjournal.com pg.1
- Lorenz on Leadership. Lessons on effectively Leading Teams, People, and Organizations Legacy https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/AUPress/Books/B_0130 pg. 42
- Making A Difference: Leaving a Legacy AU-2 Guidelines for Command February 2008
- Major Brian D. Yolitz, Organizational Change: Is the United States Air Force Doing It Right?
- Summary of Culture Levels – Schein. Abstract. Accessed 10/27/2019 www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_schein_three_levels_culture.html. pg. 130
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