Is The Common Definition Of Leadership - 1483 Words

1. The common definition of leadership that has been taught throughout the Coast Guard is â€Å"You influencing others to achieve a goal†. When boiling it down to the most simplistic form, that definition is sufficient. The problem with that definition is that it is very vague. It doesn’t quantify how well the goal was achieved, or what type of influence was used to achieve it. A leader can easily use negative motivation to achieve a goal, but the quality of the completed product may not be as high compared to times where positive motivation is used. If a leader were to threaten their subordinates with the potential of holding up their liberty until a job is complete, the subordinates may rush to get the job done, but the quality of their†¦show more content†¦When he would correct you, he would make it a point to do it in front of others, usually in a way that would demean you and embarrass you. In each one of these cases, you would get the impression tha t he was trying to out-do his previous attempts to demoralize you. I can remember one such instance where I was assigned the role of berthing area captain as a young PO3. During patrols, the Chief Master At Arms (CMAA) would perform a random walk-through of the berthing areas to ensure cleanliness. Supply berthing was not clean enough to meet Senior Chief’s standards. I was piped to lay to the Chief’s Mess. When I walked in, there was probably around 10 Chiefs sitting in the Mess. My Senior Chief proceeded to yell at me about the unclean berthing area. From my perspective, he enjoyed having the other Chiefs witness this display of his power. The term â€Å"praise in public, punish in private† had no meaning to this man. He was so universally disliked on the ship that when he had to leave a patrol early for a minor cardiac episode, people were actually happy about it. 3. When the above mentioned Senior Chief was tour complete, he was replaced by a Chief. As luck would have it, that Chief turned out to be the most positive and long-lasting influence on my career. That Chief went on to retire as a CWO4, but I still contact her on a regular basis for advice on personal and professional items. From the moment