¶ … responsibility require leaders in today's world to demonstrate the appropriate leadership skills. This mandate is even more pertinent in today's military structures. The call for a holistic understanding of personal, interpersonal and group dynamics is loudly heard by those who understand the global battlefield and all of its enormous schematic layout. The purpose of this essay is provide a self-reflection on two of the most important management skills highlighted by Whetten & Caneron's text. For this analysis I've chosen the two skills of developing self-awareness and motivating others. Synthesizing past experience and the management skills presented to me in this course, I will gain understanding in a new direction of furthering my military career and reaching my highest potential.
Whetten & Caneron presented nine competency skills contained in three differing categories to help break down and simplify this process. Personal, interpersonal and group dynamics are the three categories in which the skills correspond. In my first skill to analyze, and the one to which I believe the most important, falls in the personal category of this system. Self-awareness is the most important and overreaching skill of the group, in my opinion, to continually monitor, improve and analyze personal growth. At the end of the day, we are required to live with ourselves, and the primary need to satisfy one's own understanding of how they are indeed motivated is paramount to healthy mental stability. When the leader becomes self-aware, and as this awareness continues to grow, the ability to lead, and demonstrate the other interpersonal and group skills, becomes easier to understand contribute towards.
The unique characteristics of the processes of developing an improved understanding of self-awareness highlight this skill's relevancy and overall importance. Self-analysis is a key requirement into tapping into this awareness. Honest assessment should be paramount over temporary emotional placation, yet human nature continually steers us in the opposite path. Applying discipline in self-analysis becomes a requirement in reaching this point of self-awareness. The simplicity of taking quiet individual time, whether in prayer or meditation, along with encouraging myself to look inward are the two key requirements in beginning the process of self-awareness. For me personally, the demands and challenges of my everyday life do not always allow for this ritual. Every military unit is required to meet certain training standards, and applying this disciplined approach in becoming more self-aware will certainly help to create an environment designed for success in attaining my potential. The question becomes how do I specifically set out to do this?
While I am not incompetent in understanding my own mind and system of thought, I could stand to make marked improvement. The use of certain language and demonstration of habits should be the focus of my attack. Before judging anyone, a peer, a superior or subordinate, identifying with this person in the terms of which I might demonstrate similar behavior, certainly creates an empathetic environment in which to add context to my own personal standards of behavior. Remembering the emotions I experienced in receiving feedback, positive or negative, should help in creating this atmosphere of understanding amongst a unit. Quietness and reflection, while sometimes mistaken for shyness and weakness, should be embraced as a tool for me and others who are looking for new methods of attaining potential through increasing our self-awareness.
The next skill I have chosen to focus my improvement efforts upon, deals with the interpersonal skill of motivating others. The holistic approach of this course and the accompanying text, requires the leader to focus and narrow his vision on only a couple skills in developing the entirety of the others. For me, motivating others to inspiration may be the only similar task anyone may be asked to do in any given situation. The all-encompassing nature of motivation and inspiration is my preferred skill on which to focus in an attempt to master, or at least attain a better understanding, of the remaining techniques.
The group dynamic is based upon interpersonal skills, so the ability to motivate one another seems overriding and primary before leadership can actually take place. The power to de-motivate someone should also be taken into consideration in an examination of this particular skill. Understanding that everyone is feeding off and contributing to the energies of those within the environment, makes the ability to control and inspire others, without unnecessary coercion, certainly helps in maintaining useful and productive relationships.
Certain catchphrases and rules of thumb, often dismissed, become helpful in examining my current competency...
Asking a subordinate to accomplish a task in which the leader has no intention of ever doing or has ever done, sets off a series of motivating exchanges, radiating both up and down the chain of command and around the entire unit. On the other hand, motivating the actions of others are demonstrations of empathetic contribution that strengthen the unit and develops close bonds within the group. The golden rule, seems universal in this instance, and indeed treating others as you would like to be treated serves as the ultimate behavioral goal.
To help improve the interpersonal skill I've chosen, I will seek the opinions of my peers and others close to me in examining my proficiency within my capabilities of motivating others. Discovering and identifying those behaviors and characteristics I demonstrate, which are interpreted as inspirational motivational, become important data, useful in interpreting my approach and its effect on others. Re-examining old evaluation reports and after action reviews, that also serve to identify either motivating or the motivating factors I have demonstrated in the past and can also contribute to this process of understanding.
PART II
The current situation in Darfur, Sudan signifies a complex and interesting scenario for the United States Americas Armed Forces and its ability to accomplish the mission set out by the commander-in-chief, Congress and the American people. Geographically, Sudan rests in a particular area of interest that is important to the stability of the American forces in the Middle East. Great natural resources in high demand are being constantly fought after by different sects, usually in illegitimate circumstances. The purpose of this essay is provide an all-encompassing examination of the situation in Darfur, specifically aimed at giving the Department of Defense, Congress and all interagency networks a holistic view of this pressing and immediate state of affairs.
In investigating the many different options and choices our nation has to choose from in dealing with this problem, I will recommend that a position of no new military actions be adopted for this specific issue. The situation is much too complex, and the other pressing issues of the current day events do not justify any immediate or extreme action. I will present reasons for and against certain military intervention, however in this examination I will present a case of non-action in this difficult and complicated case study examination.
Probing the facts of this or any situation is necessary to first grasp and subsequently deliver an honest and accurate recommendation based on intelligence. Sudan is the largest country in Africa, strategically located on the Red Sea, as the strategic value of this waterway should not be dismissed. The Arabian Peninsula, and all of its important resources and political figures, along with the now unstable northern sector of Africa, have helped create an environment of this scope. Sudan is rich with oil resources, natural gas and precious metals. The interests of controlling these resources is ultimately the aim of any kind of investigation into this situation. Free markets and democratic values are the preferred as the ultimate goal within this country and all others, but unlikely outcomes may be too risky for our nation and its interests of desire.
Taking another look at this country, we see problems of a different nature. Sudan is mostly a destabilized country with warring factions, large-scale famine and civil unrest. The situation, while not unfamiliar to previous operations, is politically confusing and often much too dangerous for any human. The many different factions operating within the region creates a theme of instability not unlike Somalia years ago. To complicate things worse, famine and genocidal actions by different sects of different forms of authority, which no one is clear of who's is superior, create a confusing situation, perhaps not worth risking our valuable and scarce resources for this particular theater.
International focus on this conflict is present in the placement of certain demands upon United States defense resources. Supplying a high demand of American military superiority, while seemingly feasible 10 years ago, is not the case in today's world. Humanitarian missions need to be properly placed in their proper perspective as the defense of the United States of America needs to come before the wishes of others. That's not to say to ignore the problem, we first need to figure out a priority list and determine where the Darfur genocide appears in that list of priorities.
The Sudanese government is uncooperative with American interests which also complicates the situation and makes it difficult for military interests to be successful. Understanding the delicate balance…
