Military Leadership Analysis

Why should anyone be led by you? A fitting question for a weekly response being that in a mere year and a half we, as lady and gentlemen officer cadets of the Royal Military College of Canada (RMCC), are expected to leave the confines of the peninsula and are expected to take various leadership positions across Canada as members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). To explore this question it is first important to ask what makes an effective leader. Plainly, the effectiveness of a leader stems from his ability to influence those around them to achieve a common goal. In the context of the military ethos, this goal involves 4 main priorities: the key being mission success, followed by member well-being and commitment, external adaptability, and

I was assigned a task in which a barrel needed to be transferred up a wooden slope, over a gap large enough for the barrel to be dropped through, and then provide a controlled descent for the barrel down the reverse of the slope. In addition to the challenge of getting the barrel over the slope, the slope itself was located about 3 feet off of the ground and we were unable to touch the ground directly beneath the structure. The only tool available was 10 feet of rope and the 5 man team assigned to me to complete the task. In order to complete the task I decided to split the team up into those who were able to most easily climb the structure and prepare to receive the barrel when it would be sent up to traverse the gap. Of the three men I sent with that group, I put one in charge to ensure that when the time came the barrel would be able to cross the gap without my presence there, as I was busy coordinating the with the group who would need to receive the barrel. Given the time limit and the nature of the task difficult, if not impossible, to be in all locations at therefore it was essential to delegate this task to that member of the team, and have confidence in his ability to accomplish that task. The task was completed within the given time, and the team received a great mark on the obstacle. This is just one of the many examples in which a delegation based leadership style centered on empowerment is an effective form of leadership in given situations, and why I believe that I am capable of being an effective leader in the