I define leadership as inspiring others to find drive within themselves to excel at a task or accomplish a common goal. The key elements to a successful leadership framework vary from person to person and mine are focused on trust, communication, and execution. Throughout my life, both in the Coast Guard and the civilian world, these three pillars are the strongest I encounter and when all three are met they typically result in the greatest potential a leader can have.
a. Trust is the first trait of any discussion surrounding leadership. If trust is not had, both up and down the chain of command, the likelihood of success is absent. Trust must be displayed by the supervisors to show they are working towards the best interest of the individuals and organization. The importance of trust to flow both ways along the chain of command is conducive to a productive environment in addition to future potential of the members. Trust is an important tool to build junior members, empowering them to find self-ownership and enhancing the future of the Coast Guard. To accomplish this, trust must be given to those junior leaders to allow and enable them the opportunity to grow while fine-tuning their own leadership style. Conversely, junior leaders must in turn trust their command has provided the tools and
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Communication is a key element to leadership because if there is a breakdown with delivering or receiving the message being portrayed, the task will not be completed as intended. Effective communication is one of the primary traits I push for my boat crew members while operating for training and cases alike. I must be vocal about my intentions and execution expectations. In return, they are expected to reciprocate with asking for clarification on any questions and vocalizing ideas they may have for an improved way of accomplishing the job at hand. Communication leads to efficiency and the possibility of constant improvement by being open to new ideas and