*The following was the final paper I wrote for my leadership studies minor. It is long but it is just my thoughts on leaders and leadership style.*

Guidance Attitude

(Leadership Philosophy)

Leadership is something that I have been interested in since I was very young. Many times a big question about leadership is whether or not leaders are born or made? I think it is a little bit of both. Asking the question above is like asking whether or not athletes are born or made. People can be born with a ton of athletic talent but if it goes untrained and unused then what good does it do that person to have it. Some people are born with some athletic talent but they must work very hard to achieve their goals in whatever sport they pursue. Leadership is similar. A person can learn to be a leader just like with training an athlete can do better. With the proper training and the right attitude almost anyone can be a leader. I say the person must have the right attitude because without it no one can be a leader. A leaders attitude must reflect a willingness to be a leader. A person can have all the training in the world to be a leader but if they are not willing to step out of their comfort zone and take the risks that being a leader requires, then that training has done no good.

I mentioned earlier that I have been interested in leadership since I was young. I do not recall a time period in my life when I wasn’t in a position of influence or leadership. My earliest memory of being called out as a leader was in 5th grade. Myself and three other boys were kept in from recess one day to have a discussion with our teacher. She told us that the four of us were the leaders in that class and that the other students would follow our example. When we were talking during class and horsing around so was the rest of the class. When we were quite and paying attention so was the rest of the class. She asked the four of us to set a good example and pay attention during class so that the others would. This was a class of about 23 people so you can imagine the feeling of power I had. The rest of my peers were going to follow my example! It wasn’t until years later did I realize that leading by example is another thing that leaders must do. The above example illustrates my belief that leaders are born that way in some cases. At the age of 10 and without any formal training four of us were pegged as leaders. Thirteen years later two of us are officers in the Air Force and one is in training to be a youth minister. I have lost contact with the other guy but I would be willing to bet he has taken up leadership in whatever he is doing.

A good leader must also be ready to serve those entrusted to them. What I mean by this is one must be willing to put the good of the group before their own good. To state it another way, the attitude of a good leader must be, “How can I serve my constituents?” not “How can my constituents serve me?”

I believe these principles can be incorporated into every facet of our lives. One must not quit being a leader just because they are at home. This is a reflection of the integrity one must have to be a successful leader. A successful leader is one that is respected by his peers, his constituents, those in authority over him, his community and his family. (note: the word ‘his’ is used to mean either sex) A successful leader is not looking to be glorified for his actions. This respect can be earned by being a person with high standards of integrity all the while leading by example, being ready to serve, and being willing to lead. Success also comes from accomplishing the goals you have been given. Getting the job done is another way of gaining respect.

This philosophy of leadership has been formed over the many years of my life that I have been involved in leadership. I went to my first leadership conference when I was in 7th grade and it was a one-day trip. This last summer I went on a two-month leadership training, evangelical mission project. The goal of which was to spread the gospel of Christ but at the same time gain leadership experience and training. Much of my current philosophy is based on 1 Peter 5:1-6 from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Also though I have seen this philosophy work, time and time again, in many different situations with different circumstances. This philosophy has been reinforced with first hand experience. I base ethical decisions on the Bible. Through study of God’s Word I have found that many of today’s ethical questions can be answered by following the example of Jesus Christ.

Some might ask how a leader can have power and at the same time be humble servant to those they oversee. Power, as it pertains to leadership, is the ability to influence those around you to accomplish the vision or goal set forth by a leader or leaders. There are many different ways to carry out this definition. In this definition the phrase, “the ability to influence” is key. A person can be influenced by intimidation or by suggestion or by encouragement and everything in between. A good leader that will gain the respect of those entrusted to him will use positive means of influence without deceiving anyone.

Being a leader requires certain skills that must be developed over time to be mastered. One of these skills is conflict resolution. This is something that I am not that good at currently but have been taking steps to become better at over the last six months. To resolve conflict one must first determine why the conflict has happened. If the conflict is between you and somebody else you must approach them with a non-threatening attitude. You must make it clear to them why you think there is conflict, your assumptions and expectations, your feelings, desires and goals, and a plan of action. Conflict is something that is inevitable and if it is not dealt with it will grow like a bad spot in an apple. Like a bad apple it could spoil the entire barrel if not removed or dealt with. Solving problems is similar to resolving conflict. Reaching a compromise and understanding where the other person is coming from is very important.

My most successful leadership moment to date occurred last summer while I was on the mission project with Campus Crusade for Christ. About one month into the summer the Crusade staff that was there to help us get started left. They chose two students to take the position of project director and assistant project director. I was chosen to be the project director for the rest of the summer. I new it would be challenging but I welcomed the challenge. With the help of the rest of my leadership team we were able to finish the summer successfully accomplishing many of the goals we had set out to achieve. This experience really opened my eyes to what it means to have people under you and look up to you. I consider this to be my most successful leadership moment because I came away from this summer with great friends, great stories and much learned about what it means to be a leader that can only be learned through experience.

I have failed numerous times as a leader. Many times though the failure was because I only met the norm. I try as a leader to do more than what is expected of me. When I don’t reach that goal I consider it failure. I have also failed to make the right decision in a situation where people could get in trouble. I was manager of the Hoxie City Swimming Pool for four summers. During which time I learned a ton about what it takes to be a good leader. One summer I let some kids into the pool at 1:00 a.m. and didn’t think anyone would find out. Well, I got a call at 8:15 a.m. from my boss at the City Office and she was wondering why there were kids swimming at such a late hour the night before. I failed in my role as manager in that situation to see the big picture and assess the consequences. I wasn’t acting on integrity or being a good example. I could have lost my job. But, thankfully I was given a second chance and nothing like that ever happened again. True failure is when a person makes a mistake or fails to achieve a goal and doesn’t learn from that experience.

I have had so many leadership experiences since I have been at K-State I would bore you if I tried to list them all. I hold or have held leadership positions in the Air Force ROTC, the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, and Campus Crusade for Christ. Currently I am on the weekly meeting planning team for Campus Crusade. The most influential position I have held was Alpha Flight Commander within the AFROTC in the fall semester of my junior year. That semester I was in charge of about 13 freshman and sophomore cadets. It was my duty to make sure that they were informed, prepared, motivated, team orientated, and present at ROTC functions. I learned a lot that semester about how to influence people who look up to you at first because of your position. By the end of the semester they were respecting me and not the position. Since I had their respect they were willing to go the extra mile for me and because of this we won outstanding flight for the semester. When I was a freshman I had an outstanding flight commander. I tried when I was a junior to be like him. I found that it worked to a point but that I must develop my own leadership style to be successful.

The leadership minor I am receiving didn’t provide much leadership experience. What it did provide was dialogue and information. It provided a challenge for me to think about what is most important to me. It provided a way for me to analyze my past leadership experiences. It provided an eye opener to different cultures. It challenged my way of thinking about power. It made me open my eyes to different leadership styles. It helped me make new friends that have the same goal of being a leader. It made me realize the importance of credibility. It made me realize that even though people have differing views on politics and on religion, great conversation can take place when people have an open mind. It helped me realize that my faith in Christ is a large part of who I am and how I look at everyday life. How can I apply this to my chosen profession? The real question is, how can I not? I feel it would be impossible for me to pin on 2nd Lieutenant bars and not look back on the foundation the leadership minor has given me. I have tons of leadership experience and I am thankful for that. But sitting down and reflecting on what I have learned from those experiences through class discussion was just as important if not more important than the experiences themselves. I am looking forward to being an officer in the Air Force and starting a new chapter of experiences for the book I someday hope to write about leadership.