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My Leadership Path

CDT Brown, Colin D.

Leadership is the quality that my generation lacks. We require the type of leaders
that achieves victory, even when a task seems too difficult. Although all people are
passionate about something, many fail to follow through. There are many definitions of
leadership. The Army defines leadership as The Army defines leadership as influencing
people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation, while operating to accomplish
the mission and improve the organization in ADP 6-22 The book developing the leader
within you by John C. Maxwell defines leadership as influence as well. These definitions
are very similar in nature however the army definition attempts to expand on the ideas of
on influence being the mark of leadership by also in composing motivating, directing,
and organizing to the tasks of a leader.

It is my personal opinion that everyone is a leader in some area of there life.


Although you may be in a leadership role in some organizations in others you take on the
role of a follower. My definition of a leader is a servant. It is a good leaders job to serve
his subordinates so that they can perform better for whatever cause or common goal that
binds them together. This being said both subordinates and leaders are not better or more
important than each other but they play different roles.

There are many great leaders in the world both today and in the past with many
more to follow. Depending on what part of my life I am talking about my role modals for

leadership changes although these leaders still all share the same fundamentals of
leadership. In my military career I strive at this point to emulate my platoon leader 1st
Lieutenant Andrew Taylor. I have only been apart of my unit for a short while and in the
short time that I have had to work with him he has taught me many lessons both through
lecture and observation. Through watching his interaction with soldiers both above and
below him I have seen what a professional image should look like as well as the
importance of this in a work environment. In music I strive to be like bassist Victor
Wooten. Wooten has several achievements however; I feel his greatest achievement is his
way of teaching music. He doesnt believe in putting pressure on students to learn
difficult techniques or pieces of music. Instead he teaches music towards the students
individual interest so they will enjoy their instrument. By using this method, Wooten,
says that a student develops their interest in their instrument to the point that they will
practice more difficult things out of love for music instead of necessity. This method is an
example of leadership in a much more passive way. By allowing students to develop in
the way that they desire to they also develop intrinsic motivation. Being able to motivate
someone to motivate himself or herself is a truly great skill in leadership. I also want to
lead like my professor Miles Osland. Miles is a very accomplished musician and teacher
with many years of hard work and experience. Miles has little interaction with his
younger students but because of the name that follows him he can influence younger
generations of saxophonists. Every student in my studio looks up to Miles and strives to
be his equal as a musician. I want to one-day hold this kind of status that I can reach and
inspire many people that I may never meet because of my accomplishments. This is a

great example of the last level of leadership, personhood, reference in the book
developing the Leader With-in You.

At the beginning of this semester I was stuck in the production level of leadership,
however I was trying to skip the first two levels of leadership. Instead of first focusing on
a positional leadership as well as developing my personality to mold and work well with
others I have been focused on being mission oriented. All though this is not a bad trait
and will help me further in my path as a leader it is ineffective at this point because
without being in a position or relatable with others I limit my influence and come across
as arrogant and rude instead of hard working and driven as I had intended. This was a
hard lesson for me to learn this semester and also a tough concept for me to accept. I first
noticed this while working with the University of Kentucky Marching Band this semester
because of my age I felt as though I was some how above the incoming freshman who are
my peers. I tried to even assume the roles of some upperclassmen that were already
appointed leaders in the group. Since then I have realized my error and have had a long
hard fight to reclaim my status and prove my genuine care for those around me and the
organization they are apart of. The biggest thing Ive needed to learn as a leader this
semester is control of my pride. I do not claim to be perfect but I recognize my mistake
and am working to not only fix the problem but in doing so help develop others as well
by my example. I have not advanced in my level of leadership this semester but my
understanding of how to grow and now I will take step to conquer the first level.

I am a learned leader. Although I do not believe I was born with any specific
knack for leadership I am certain that I have grown up around it. My father is the owner
of a successful company and has always told me I was a natural born leader and tried to
guide me in developing that skill. At a very young age he put me in charge of several of
his electricians to teach me organization and how to manage people. This was an
excellent opportunity for me however; I believe this is why I am so production oriented
because in a work environment that seems to be the most important concept. I have lead
in several other capacitys including high school band as well as military related events.
These have all been wonderful opportunities for me to learn to leadership skills. College
is the next step in developing these skills by teaching me how to better work in a
professional environment but still be relatable with people.

In order to develop my leadership style I need to focus less on others and more on
myself. By developing my own self-discipline and people skills I will be a much more
effective leader. I feel that it is not yet my time to take such role however; I see the steps I
must take to achieve a beginning level of leadership. I intend to focus on my school and
also my physical fitness to develop this self-discipline. I feel that the fundamentals of
leadership are my most lacking and will help in every aspect of my life. I also intend to
take on a leadership role in both ROTC and band in the fall semester to gain more
experience working with people.

We, as humans, strive to progress in life; we do not simply conform to what is


around us. Instead, we wish to understand and mold it to create our own future. We learn

from our mistakes and use that wisdom to devise new solutions to problems. For
example, when we began to run low on space for people to live, we have built
skyscrapers to accommodate. We have developed technologies that allow us to
communicate and travel faster and more efficiently. We have found ways to pour our soul
into art to create intelligent connections of the heart with one another. Our progress has
been exceptional. However, there are more boundaries to exceed. We need to work, train,
and study harder than ever before. I wish to challenge the soldiers of today and tomorrow,
those just moving into the Army for their first time. Instead of reaching for the stars, we
must look past them and by doing so we will land among them. I want to be the best
officer I can be. I also want to teach in the art of music; not only to teach it, but also to
advance it. I want to rewrite the rules that have been laid before me and move beyond
them to greater knowledge. I want this to be the goal of all the young people of today, to
make this idea come to life in my soldiers thought process. Through greater
understanding, and dedication, we can change our system of thinking so that we do not
merely survive but live. By living we will achieve greatness. I will develop myself to be
the best possible leader I can be. I want to one day hold the status of all five levels of
leadership and attain mastery of them.

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