In this paper, I will cover my leadership philosophy and a challenge of a squadron leader who I interviewed. My leadership philosophy is derived from my experiences over the years, namely from observing the failures and shortcomings of leaders. As for the interview section of the paper, a lieutenant colonel in my chain-of-command related his experience of dismissing a master sergeant some years ago from duty due to substandard performance.
With nearly twenty-years of work experience in three military branches, I have seen my share of leaders and colleagues come and go over the years. I have observed many leaders fail or make a misstep. A truism of life is that not only do leaders succeed, they fail. Not only do great leaders make sound …show more content…
The Lt Col said his most difficult leadership challenge was firing an Air Force master sergeant (MSgt) from his duty as the non-commissioned officer in charge (NCOIC) of a command brief team. One day, out of the blue, the NCOIC complained of migraine headaches and stated he could not brief command leadership shortly before his early morning brief. The MSgt’s short-notice announcement forced the Lt Col to immediately move another Airman into the NCOIC’s place to brief and forced the Lt Col to revamp the brief schedule. In the following days, the MSgt continued to complain of migraine headaches and added a new dimension by stating he could not drive in snow due to his illness. The medical staff on base could not conclude the MSgt was in fact in pain from migraine headaches. The lieutenant colonel believed the MSgt was retired on active duty (ROAD) as he already had the required twenty years of duty for retirement and the onset of the of the migraines was …show more content…
When a unit member’s issues start affecting the morale of other unit members, removing the member with the issues is a common action. By discussing the matter with the member’s supervisors and receiving their inputs, the Lt Col was likely better prepared to deal with the issue. In the end, the MSgt received reduced ratings on his enlisted performance report due to his substandard performance and he was allowed to accept Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders for duty. The Lt Col was probably correct in his assessment the MSgt was ROAD. The MSgt remarked that he had job security for two more years upon receiving the PCS
With nearly twenty-years of work experience in three military branches, I have seen my share of leaders and colleagues come and go over the years. I have observed many leaders fail or make a misstep. A truism of life is that not only do leaders succeed, they fail. Not only do great leaders make sound …show more content…
The Lt Col said his most difficult leadership challenge was firing an Air Force master sergeant (MSgt) from his duty as the non-commissioned officer in charge (NCOIC) of a command brief team. One day, out of the blue, the NCOIC complained of migraine headaches and stated he could not brief command leadership shortly before his early morning brief. The MSgt’s short-notice announcement forced the Lt Col to immediately move another Airman into the NCOIC’s place to brief and forced the Lt Col to revamp the brief schedule. In the following days, the MSgt continued to complain of migraine headaches and added a new dimension by stating he could not drive in snow due to his illness. The medical staff on base could not conclude the MSgt was in fact in pain from migraine headaches. The lieutenant colonel believed the MSgt was retired on active duty (ROAD) as he already had the required twenty years of duty for retirement and the onset of the of the migraines was …show more content…
When a unit member’s issues start affecting the morale of other unit members, removing the member with the issues is a common action. By discussing the matter with the member’s supervisors and receiving their inputs, the Lt Col was likely better prepared to deal with the issue. In the end, the MSgt received reduced ratings on his enlisted performance report due to his substandard performance and he was allowed to accept Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders for duty. The Lt Col was probably correct in his assessment the MSgt was ROAD. The MSgt remarked that he had job security for two more years upon receiving the PCS