Who I Am As a Leader:

Although it’s odd thinking about myself in terms of a pre-defined leadership role, there are many factors that have contributed to my personal philosophy regarding teamwork and ability to function at any given role in order to ensure organizational wide success.

•       In retrospect, my upbringing was rather odd.  My father was a military psychologist, and my mother a nurse.  They divorced at a very young age, so I spent my elementary and middle school years under the care of my grandmother.  She was an extremely strong woman whose life experiences had a profound effect on how I perceive the world to this day.  She taught me that the decisions our ancestors made should serve as our guide in the modern world. She instilled in me many quotable values based on these ancestral journeys such as “The only thing they can’t take away from you is what you learn” and “People often talk about things rather than doing them.  Don’t talk about things until you’ve done them… and remember… you’re only as good as your next project”.

•       Throughout my high school years, I bounced between the duty stations of my separated parents and their respective (new to me) families.  As a result, I attended 6 different high schools finishing in an Adult Education program. The juxtaposition of living under one roof with an elderly role model (allowing me to learn historical perspective), only to then bounce around the globe into unfamiliar and uncertain living environments is, perhaps, the greatest gift any one person could have received.  The solid psychological foundation and ancestral perspective that my grandmother imparted prepared me to assimilate and adapt in any given situation that I was to encounter from that moment forward.  I learned quickly that observation was the key to successfully assimilating to any situation, and that the most powerful understanding of any situation is derived entirely on one’s ability to empathize with every single person involved.

•       My adult life has been defined by the application of the aforementioned values and adaptive abilities.  As a father, I’ve had to figure out ways to instill the same attributes in my daughter without subjecting her to such extreme living situations.  Fatherhood has been, easily, the most enjoyable and challenging experience I could have ever dreamed of, and the responsibility of raising another human being to function in the world affords me the confidence that any challenge as a leader in a professional environment will be, in comparison, easy to overcome.

What Leadership Means to Me:

In my professional career I have observed that true leadership is a concept that is impossible to define without taking into account the situational information surrounding each instance.  In other words, I do not necessarily believe that just because someone was a good leader in one role (such as a star athlete) that they will be able to successfully translate into another leadership role.  Each situation is different, and impossible to adjust to without the ability to empathize and adapt.

To me, a true leader is someone that enables everyone else around them to achieve goals that seem unachievable at the outset.  This is important, because a true leader should be able to work with any group of people on any given project and achieve successful results.  This places the responsibility of adapting squarely on the shoulders of the leader, and not the team.  It is my experience as a leader that everyone has the ability to achieve greatness, whether or not they’ve been afforded the opportunity to do so is the question.

Operating Principals:

1. I am here to learn.  Everyone is my teacher, no matter how high up on the payroll they are.  How can a leader understand the organization if they don’t pay attention to everyone involved?

2. I am here to serve.  If I’ve performed number 1. correctly, then I should be aware of anyone on the team that needs assistance.  If someone has to ask for my help, then chances are I’ve failed at observing their needs as a team member.

3. I cannot expect hard work and dedication out of any individual if I do not show you that I am willing to perform at the exact same level on any given task.  I don’t expect you to want to work hard because you are trying to impress me.  Team members will want to work hard only if I’ve made it an enjoyable experience to work hard alongside me.

Expectations for Myself:

I fail.  A lot. Every single failure affords me the opportunity to grow, not only as a leader, but as a human being.  It is my hope that I never lose this introspective stance, as I welcome the self-improvement and the benefits that everyone around me enjoys from that point onward.

It is my job to enable you to be the best version of yourself that you desire to be.  Whether that translates to your personal life is strictly up to you, but in respects to our team we need to support each other in order to achieve whatever goals that the team itself defines.

I have no set answers.  Every situation is different.  As a lifelong learner, if I do not have advice regarding any subject, I will do my best to educate myself in the matter at hand to provide whatever council you may require.

Every idea is worth exploring, and if you are afraid to express yourself at any given time then I have failed at creating a safe space for you to communicate in. 

Expectations for You:

As a member of the team, you are expected to welcome the opportunity for personal growth.  

None of us are islands, and we can all learn from each other.

Try.

Think about everything.

No idea is too small.

Don’t judge others.  You don’t know what it’s like to walk in their shoes.

Not everyone is a great communicator, but everyone can learn to be.  Ask me for help if you’d like to try. 

Don’t think bad of your team mates.  Tearing ourselves apart from the inside is the only way to ensure failure.

Non-Negotiables:

No opinions are wrong.  They are yours, and your experiences define your opinions.  If you are confident enough in your opinions to express them out loud then you are expected to also have the ability to clearly and calmly discuss the merits of them openly.  Chances are others may not agree with everything you perceive to be true, but that does not give anyone the right to discount your opinions.

Flattery will get you nowhere.  I am not here because I like being the center of attention.  I am here because I enjoy helping you achieve the greatness that you are capable of.  Empty platitudes are for politicians who thrive in an environment where discussion about change is the norm.  We are here to change the world.  We will know when we do something great, because we all will be with each other the entire way.  I will be the first to congratulate you on your efforts, and the last person leaving the building after the celebration.  

Addictions are not a disease.  We all enjoy the dopamine responses from pleasurable activities, and all of us have the ability to both control and lose control of these desires.  There are many ways to achieve pleasurable dopamine responses in your personal time, and some are much easier than others to implement.  I will not judge you regarding the decisions you make on your personal time, however if you feel that you’ve made a poor choice in your pursuit of personal pleasure, I will always be here to help you correct the course.  It is impossible for me to declare that your employment will not be affected by your decisions (for instance, if you are convicted of a crime in pursuit of this pleasure), but I give you my word that I will personally help you find stable ground, if that is truly your desire.  We are all brought together under the guise of employment, however… You are a fellow human, and we are on this earth together.

Closing Statement:

I have no grand plan to achieve worldwide domination.  I have no earth-shattering product designs in mind, nor do I possess any desire to create something that the world will credit me for.  As a leader, I am here to observe and serve the mission of the team.  If there is a hole that needs filling, I will do my best to fill it.  We are a team, and the promise of helping you fulfill your full potential is truly the greatest honor that I could have ever hoped to achieve.

(statement written for Advanced Leadership COM6207 Fall 21)