Winston Churchill: A Legacy Leader

Churchill: A Legacy Leader

Winston Churchill is perhaps the most prolific character of World War II (WWII). His image is forever captured as the cigar sporting patriot who publicly ousted Adolf Hitler and rallied the British people to an allied victory.

The definition of leadership varies but the United States Army (Army) defines leadership as, “the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization,” (ADP 6-22, 2012, 1-1). Churchill displayed leader’s attributes and competencies of today’s Army and directly impacted his community in a time of war. These leadership qualities provide a great example for today’s leaders to emulate to ensure the

Often perceived as stubborn, Churchill would make firm decisions but admit mistakes when wrong and would challenge his subordinates to point out his mistakes. An example of willingness to admit mistakes is displayed in his quote, “We do not shrink from fair criticism.... Criticism in the body politic is like pain in the human body. It is not pleasant, but where would the body be without it?” (Hayward, 1998, n.p.). Willingness to accept when you are wrong displays leadership by setting the example. A leader’s willingness to admit mistakes sets the example for subordinates to accept when they are wrong and work to find a more viable solution to a problem. This encourages junior leaders to address mistakes up front rather than conducting damage control until the problem fully develops. Churchill developed his subordinates by drawing out their best qualities and focusing on individual strengths as a military leader in World War I. He remained receptive to subordinate’s opinions on the ground and was present to find out if leaders were engaged. This directly impacted Churchill’s understanding of the current situation and allowed him to improve the culture of his team by receiving honest feedback through trust (Longstaffe, 2005,

Today’s Army faces challenging times engaging in two major conflicts for the longest duration in the Army’s history. As a young NCO, I was challenged to motivate young deployed Soldiers daily for periods of over a year. I developed my leadership skills by getting to know my Soldiers and finding appropriate ways to grow them as an individual person, not just as a Soldier.

As a leader I hope to impart my legacy on the Army with an expectation my Soldiers can reflect on my leadership qualities and utilize my leadership style in conjunction with their own. Success in an organization can only be achieved through its people and people can only succeed through good leadership.

My leadership philosophy is; lead from the front, know and work hard for your team.

Conclusion

Winston Churchill’s legacy as a leader continues to influence today’s leaders. He displayed the same attributes and competencies the Army requires of its leaders today and provides actions and qualities relevant to leading and shaping the force in readiness for the next fight. Churchill personally influenced my leadership style based on his impact to his own community and serves as a model to inspire current and future leaders.

References

A brief analysis of Churchill’s impact. (2002, Dec 28). Daily Gleaner. Retrieved