Introduction
Leadership, as a partnership between a leader and group members, is embodied in many roles (DuBrin, 2013). The skills of people occupying leading positions are of vital importance for ensuring the successful performance of the whole organization (Schein, 2010). My experience of being a Company Commander in Junior Reserves Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) played a crucial role in defining my priorities, improving my leadership skills, and influencing my plans for the future.
The impact of Being a Company Commander in JROTC
The experience of being a Company Commander in JROTC had a huge impact on my perception of leadership. My participation in planning and coaching activities contributed to my understanding of the importance of having teaching skills for any leader. I learned how to share my knowledge and mentor the members of the group. Such knowledge is of vital importance for any person willing to become a successful leader. This experience taught me that being a leader is not all about controlling and leading the people. It also largely depends on the ability to share knowledge and guide the people on their way to achieving new goals and attaining new skills.
The Contribution
While being a Company Commander, I made my best to contribute to the group’s good performance and develop leadership skills in its members. I put much effort into helping the members of the unit to develop strong motivation and choose the right direction for achieving the main goals related to the primary purpose of participation in JROTC. I believe, my hard work enabled me to make a contribution to the success of the organization by sharing its ideas with the students and developing respect for the U.S. Armed Forces.
The Knowledge
This experience helped me to learn more about my personality. I discovered that certain traits enabled me to be a successful leader and guide the people on their way to achieving particular goals. I learned that I am emotionally stable while dealing with stressful situations and competitive and decisive while overcoming obstacles on the way to achieving the goals. These traits help me to be an effective leader, as they contribute to better self-resistance and determination on results (Daft, 2015; Batra, 2011).
I also found out that my enthusiasm and self-confidence combined with an ability to find logic and practical solutions help me to take risks and successfully cope with them. Such experience taught me that the combination of willingness to be a risk-taker with skills in effective decision-making is essential for any leader (Sundheim, 2013; Mayers, Zepeda, & Benson, 2013).
The Influence on the Plans for the Future
The experience of being a Company Commander greatly influenced my plans for the future. The attained team-building skills and a better understanding of the importance of patriotism and citizenship motivated me to choose to become an Army Officer. JROTC helped me to reveal certain sides of my personality that enable me to become a competent leader.
Conclusion
My participation in JROTC as a Company Commander benefited me with essential knowledge about the specifics of a leadership role and helped me to understand my personality better and set the goals for the future.
References
Batra, S. (2011). Organization development systems (5th ed.). New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company.
Daft, R. (2015). The leadership experience (6th ed.). Stamford, Connecticut: Cengage Learning.
DuBrin, A. (2013). Leadership: Research findings, practice, and skills (7th ed.). Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning.
Mayers, R., Zepeda, S., & Benson, B. (2013). Call to teacher leadership. New York: Routledge.
Schein, E. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (4th ed). San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.
Sundheim, D. (2013). Taking smart risks: How sharp leaders win when stakes are high. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional.