PsychoBabble Dribble...

I had to write a paper for PL 300 "Military Leadership". The class itself is relative bullshit...some good jewels to pull from the text, but overall, trying to turn what is really a personal art into a science. Frankly, either you can lead, or you cannot, and no amount of sitting in a class and learning about what good and bad leadership is (nor watching Band of Brothers video clips for analysis, which is the majority of classtime) is going to help.

Our first paper, a "leadership reflection essay" is due tomorrow and I spent a good twenty minutes on it. I called my mom, talked to Graf, checked on my plebes, and shined my shoes while writing it. I had thought about posting the entire essay online, but it's kind of long (5 pages) for a blog...so, instead, I'm posting some of my favortie "nuggets" of wisdom. These little jewels are mined straight from my brain, so sit back, kick up your feet, and prepare to become a better leader...

• Particularly, social awareness and relationship management are two areas in which I have a natural ability to excel that I use to my advantage to strengthen my leadership skills.
• This was not because I was any easier than any of the other Squad Leaders, but it was because the way I carried myself, by design, was in a professional, yet approachable manner.
• Chapter 5 of the PL 300 book reads, “Good relationship managers are able to build rapport and establish resonance by finding common ground…[and] are able to inspire and motivate people through a compelling vision” (53) Doing so has allowed me to create relationships with my subordinates, and superiors, which help the platoon to run smoothly and efficiently.
• Now that I see how my behavior and standards, let alone those of my Squad Leaders and Team Leaders, affect the plebes, I realize that I have to hold my peers and upper class members of the platoon to the same, if not higher, standard as the plebes; only by doing this will the plebes see that the behaviors and values we are trying to inculcate in them is actually important and valuable to retain.

Lest you think this paper was created from a buzzword generator, I readily offer to send this piece-O-crap to anyone desiring to read it. You see, I've come to realize that certain classes expect you to say what they want to hear...not think for yourself. That is why these classes are miserable, they are forced upon everyone, and I always get a crappy grade in them.