LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY

Leadership Philosophy

I believe in the timelessness of integrity and universal respect for others. My family has held these values for generations, and I have come to cherish them during my service. I always desire to make the right decision given the facts and stand by my decisions regardless of opposition. My decisions link to the above values through unwavering belief in doing right for my country and my team at all times. In army leadership, I believe that commitment to my unit’s and the army’s goal is essential to any successful endeavor. As such, I always put the mission first and try always to see the bigger picture when making decisions. In the last several years, I have led small units through significant challenges. I expect this trend of challenging terrain to continue long into the future, and I expect the people who report to me to be ready and prepared for the challenge that is ahead of the United States Army at all times, with no exceptions.

Naturally, I wish to have these values in the people who report to me. I expect my direct juniors and all members of their respective teams to exhibit the highest level of integrity. Integrity means sticking to the mission and the mission alone. Although some interaction with the civilian population is inevitable, I expect all interactions between military personnel and civilian individuals to remain professional at all times. This dedication to integrity means that I expect all military personnel to have a rational justification for why they do anything they do on the battlefield and within the course of active duty. I may not always ask for the justification, but I expect it to be within the soldier’s grasp and on the tip of their tongues should any desire to find out what it is, either on my part or from any of the team’s superiors, arise. The second value of universal respect for others is self-explanatory. I expect my team members to perform only activities that are essential to complete the set task. This includes working against enemies of the United States following the rules of engagement. I expect that all military personnel under my command will respect all other individuals within the confines of the military authorities of engagement.

I carry out my responsibilities based on the available evidence at all times. This means that I collect as many facts as possible at the time and make the right decision for my country, service, and unit. I ensure that I always stick to my decisions and only change them to accommodate new facts as they arise, whenever possible. I expect to maintain operational knowledge of all my unit’s activities within reason. This expectation requires that my team members appraise me of any situation as soon as possible before a problem becomes a crisis. I believe that the earlier we can confront a problem, the easier it is. Therefore, my team members should report any problems before they become crises and come prepared with tentative solutions, however simplistic they may seem. I will often ask for input from my team members before making a decision, and I find that having a ready unsolicited answer than a blank face when asked for input is better for unit morale. However, despite this indulgence of the team’s wishes, the chain of command takes priority once orders are given.

My priorities are completing the mission objectives with the least cost to my unit’s resources and personnel. As an army man, I understand the perils of the job, and I expect that all servicemen understand these risks. However, even when there are losses, I expect my men to prioritize the mission first and trust that I shall sanction any necessary action to recover our men or their remains. This commitment to my team comes only second to my commitment to the country’s constitution and the army’s objectives in every mission. To this end, I expect that my team’s focus will remain on the mission until its completion and that all other agendas are secondary to this goal. Although there may be instances when it is impossible to follow this rule, I expect rational explanations for these scenarios as referenced above.

My people can always expect to choose what is right for the country, the army, and the unit. This commitment remains for all situations and is expected to be a guiding light to the unit, as it is to me. My people can expect that I will consider their lives as priceless and formulate my plans with their safety in mind and that any risks they are exposed to are necessary. I will always appraise them as more valuable than the enemy, and all calculations will start with their return at the end of the operation as a distinct outcome. With these expectations, I anticipate genuine trust within all unit members that the other party acts in their best interests. I sincerely expect that these trusts will support a successful partnership during service and