Senior Chief Jay Fripp Leadership Philosophy Essay

Introduction Effective leadership is an integral part of any successful organization, and the Coast Guard is no exception. Leadership has been defined, debated, and analyzed by countless military leaders, sociologists, politicians, executives, and anyone else who wants their organization to excel. While complicated definitions exist, every leader needs a personal definition that guides their own leadership philosophy. My definition of leadership is the ability to inspire others to act by cultivating a belief that following you is in their best interest. Influences People follow a person because they believe in that person, because they trust them. One of the best leaders I ever had the privilege of working for was Senior Chief Jay Fripp. Senior

If he led a mission, you knew it would be successful, and you wanted to train with him whenever you could, because you knew it would make you better. He used to say that faith and family came before the job, and he modeled that behavior. A new Chief arrived at the unit and stated that it didn’t seem to him that we liked the Senior Chief very much. Our MK2 quickly piped up and corrected him, saying, “We’d go to war with that man.” That was it for me, right there. That’s what I wanted to be as a leader, the guy my crew would go to war with, so I set out to master my craft and to take a vested interest in my crew, to lead first by example, holding true to my values and keeping my promises whenever possible. Values The main value that drives my behavior is love. I have it for my family and for what I believe in, both spiritually and idealistically. If I could model the way my five main values work, I would say that love is the wind in my sails, honesty and integrity are my route, my family are my passengers, my faith is my compass, and the pursuit of happiness is the reason I’m

My love for my mission, my faith, and the belief I have in God and His country inspire me to be the best I can be at what I am asked to do. My devotion to honesty and integrity compels me to follow through on my promises, earning the trust of my crew. The pursuit of happiness, codified in 1776 by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence as “an unalienable right,” is the root cause of why I do what I do. By saving lives and protecting our waterways both physically and economically, we give folks another chance at that pursuit, and that is a worthwhile endeavor. This endeavor also provides stability and shelter for my family, which are necessary for their happiness. These values hold me accountable to myself, and that is the first step in cultivating a belief that following me is worthwhile. If I don’t believe in myself and in what I’m doing, no one else will either. Reflection: Despite my values and my philosophy, I don’t always get it right. Considering my definition of leadership, it concerns me a bit that I am less skillful at showing others how their long-term interests can be realized by enlisting in a common