CPOA Reflective Essay

Chiefs Petty Officer Academy (CPOA) is an extremely effective tool to help refine leadership and understand one’s self. CPOA offers a great opportunity for self reflection and learning how to communicate with many different personalities. There is a plethora of great topics that were taught during the 5 week course, however the topics that had the most influence and inspired me the most, were the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI), Disc profile, ropes course. As stated above the LPI offered a great opportunity to see where I saw myself as a supervisor. It looked into how I as a leader, modeled the way, inspired a shared vision, challenged the process, enabled others to act, and encouraged the heart. It also gave me the ability to see how my supervisors, peers, and subordinates perceived of me as an inspiring leader, did I model the way for them, was I able to inspire a shared vision, when the time came could they depend on me to challenge the process, and did I did encourage their hearts through praise. People say “You are your toughest critic”. This LPI validated that statement for me by showing me that what I perceived was much lower than what my supervisors, peers, and subordinates thought. It taught me that I am a much better leader than what I give myself credit for and I have inspired many of …show more content…
It is a great opportunity for self reflection and learning how to communicate with many different personalities. The tools I was able to pick up while attending CPOA will have great benefits for me not only in life professionally, but personally as well with the areas needed for improvement towards leadership, personality traits and team building. I would like to see all E-6’s and above at the very least if they are not able to attend CPOA then to at least have an LPI survey done, conduct a Disc assessment, and promote more team building