1. John Quincy Adams said “ If your actions inspire others to dream more , learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader” I view leadership more as an action than a theory. Leadership requires thought, insight, and experience, but in order to have an impact, you must take action.
2. As a junior member of the Coast Guard, unfortunately, I witnessed more negative examples of leadership than positive. Coming up as a young Food Service Specialist leadership was more of a punch line than reality. The majority of my supervisors demonstrated clear examples of what not to follow. “Do as I say not as I do” was the common motto. Because “I said so” was another frequently used phrase. I did what was required of me, though my growth was limited. Most of my early career, I felt if I was on an island. This bred anger and frustration. There is a big difference between managing and nurturing. The sad truth is, I truly did not figure out what real leadership was until I was advanced …show more content…
The ability to speak, listen, understand and render feedback is an art. There is a significant difference between talking and communicating. While I have no problem talking, I do struggle with communication. Clearly stating my point is a challenge, I have worked to correct throughout my career. I often make my point well known, but then I continue making the same point in a conversation. Repetition is not always a bad thing because people need to hear things in different ways to learn and to have an impact on their thinking. However, I need to gage the audience to determine if I have made my point and move on. While I genuinely care about others and welcome feedback, I opening omit that actively listening is attribute that I lack. I have invested time and effort in improving this vital skill, though it is far from natural. I am an avid problem solver , but I need to give others the opportunity to express their opinions, ideas, and thoughts without interrupting and imposing my
2. As a junior member of the Coast Guard, unfortunately, I witnessed more negative examples of leadership than positive. Coming up as a young Food Service Specialist leadership was more of a punch line than reality. The majority of my supervisors demonstrated clear examples of what not to follow. “Do as I say not as I do” was the common motto. Because “I said so” was another frequently used phrase. I did what was required of me, though my growth was limited. Most of my early career, I felt if I was on an island. This bred anger and frustration. There is a big difference between managing and nurturing. The sad truth is, I truly did not figure out what real leadership was until I was advanced …show more content…
The ability to speak, listen, understand and render feedback is an art. There is a significant difference between talking and communicating. While I have no problem talking, I do struggle with communication. Clearly stating my point is a challenge, I have worked to correct throughout my career. I often make my point well known, but then I continue making the same point in a conversation. Repetition is not always a bad thing because people need to hear things in different ways to learn and to have an impact on their thinking. However, I need to gage the audience to determine if I have made my point and move on. While I genuinely care about others and welcome feedback, I opening omit that actively listening is attribute that I lack. I have invested time and effort in improving this vital skill, though it is far from natural. I am an avid problem solver , but I need to give others the opportunity to express their opinions, ideas, and thoughts without interrupting and imposing my