Leadership

“The test of a leader lies in the reaction and response of his followers. He should not have to impose authority. Bossiness in itself never made a leader. He must make his influence felt by example and the instilling of confidence in his followers. The greatness of a leader is measured by the achievements of the led.”
I ran across the above quote from one of the Army’s greatest leaders, General Omar Bradley. Finding this quote was ironic as it endorses my professional leadership philosophy which is leading by example. Reading this quote led me to reflect on how I developed my leadership style over the span of my professional career.
I began my military career in the enlisted ranks almost 24 years ago. My mother expected that I would receive a commission as I had earned a bachelor’s degree prior to entering military service however, for practical reasons I chose to go the enlisted route. My mother made the comment that she felt I had a “leader personality, not a follower personality”. I interpreted her statement as meaning I was bossy. Her explanation was along the lines of my role among my siblings i.e., even though I was not the eldest I was reliable and could be counted on to adhere to parental expectations and accomplish whatever tasks were assigned. I understood her explanation but also resounding in my brain was the army adage that in order to be a good leader you must first be willing to follow. In retrospect my decision to serve in the enlisted ranks was instrumental in my development as a leader.
To support my leadership philosophy I have values I follow, which consists of work ethic, teamwork, leadership by example, and integrity. My concept of work ethic developed during childhood from watching my grandparents and parents as well as adhering to their expectation that all members of the household contribute to the family’s well-being. While children were not expected to work outside the home to contribute financially we were expected to do household chores and look after younger siblings while our parents worked. This instilled in me a commitment to contribute fully to whatever organization I am a part of and I expect the same from subordinates. This contributes to my concept of teamwork. I believe every member of the organization is important and has the potential and responsibility to add something positive, from the most experienced to the ingénue. Seasoned team members are expected to contribute however the ingénue may provide a fresh perspective that can often times are overlooked by those who routinely manage the day to day organizational tasks.
Field Manual 6-22 defines leadership as “the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction and motivation, while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization”. In order to influence people I believe leadership by example begins with personal knowledge. Knowing me and seeking self improvement is paramount. I have to be cognizant of how what I do or say impacts others. I have to be aware of my weaknesses and utilize my strengths to gain the effect I seek. The education and experiences gained in my chosen career as a Social Worker has been of great benefit to me in this area as the training calls for self reflection as well as input from training supervisors. I must continually seek new knowledge in order to provide the best patient care possible. I also expect all providers in my clinic to seek new knowledge beyond the minimum expected for license renewal. Followers expect leaders to show them the standard and train them to reach it. They expect leaders to lead by example. I believe that if I present myself as a model of what I expect ( lead by example ), train people to standards, inspire their willingness to perform and consistently looked after their interest, they will be prepared and motivated to accomplish the mission.
The final concept of integrity supersedes the others in that the others can not be accomplished effectively without integrity. Integrity, like spirituality is something no one can take away. In order to lose integrity I must give it away by doing something that demonstrates a lack of integrity. Social Work is governed by a Code of Ethics to which all professionals holding themselves out to be Social Workers must adhere. This code admonishes the professional to conduct themselves within certain standards which incorporate those I have included in my personal leadership philosophy.