Leading People Protocol and Uop

Leading People, Leveraging Diversity, Integrity/Honesty and Team Building

I have been a leader in various aspects of both governmental and private sector business environments for over two decades. If there is one thing that I feel I truly understand, it is the fact that leadership is a core qualification that entails having an ability to design and also implement viable strategies in the face of adversity that maximizes the potential of each and every individual within an organization. Leadership also is a powerful tool that, if used properly, can foster a system of ethical behavior and also to help all aspects of an organization to reach their vision, mission, and/or goals. A dictionary may term the definition of leadership simply as guidance or direction, but that takes away from a true capacity to lead. Leadership requires a plethora of skills and foundations of knowledge and a desire to utilize these tools.

I believe that my personal experiences in a leadership capacity meet the criteria of what defines a true leader. I have accumulated a vast amount of experience in regard to leadership for example in each of my distinguished careers; first as a noncommissioned officer in the United States Army and later as a senior civilian manager within the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. These positions do not by themselves move me in to the elite role of a leader because they encompass service to our Nation. I believe what sets me apart as a leader in these roles is my dedication to address the needs of each of my peers and subordinates in the face of dilemma and my inherent need to continuously learn everything I can about a topic or problem and then address change and the associated fears with a professional response and manner.

I have discovered that over the tenure of my career that leadership is all about coaching, mentoring and teaching. This is because to consider oneself a leader, one has to be able to envision various aspects of the future. To understand the future, a leader must be fully cognizant that change is an evitable factor of all aspects of life and business. Therefore, leadership requires a constant vigil of helping others deal with the aspects of change. Consider that all forms of business have people, budgets, materials, vendors, and the millions of other factors of the day-to-day operations. As a leader, the tools of mentoring and coaching help others understand that there is a viable solution to whatever problem is at hand and that change is the norm. We're living in a constant period of transition, and the shelf life of our solutions keeps getting shorter. Historically, what works has become history because a new problem takes the old problems place in a hurry. Thus, by understanding the core concepts of mentoring and coaching, a leader can help lead others through the never ending need to adjust to change.

Learning to be a leader begins with self-motivation and knowing and seeing oneself as a leader. To often organizations find out that an employee that was the best worker turns out to be the terrible leader just like better athletes not being good coaches. Performance and leadership are very different skills. I am a leader because I possess an ability to manage change, experience, an understanding of a potential outcomes, an ability to motivate, passion and a strong sense of responsibility. I also have a strong desire to take care of my people as well as need to motivate those folks.