At the end of last class, I know we were told to write a post about a great leader. I cannot remember the exact criteria for the assignment, but I will do my best. Major Richard Winters was the third commanding officer (CO) of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division during World War II. While serving as a 2nd Lieutenant for Easy Company, Winters earned the respect and trust of the other men, due to his hard work, integrity, and the way he looked out for them. During the drop at Normandy, the 1st Lieutenant of Easy Company's plane was shot down, and Richard Winters became the CO, commanding officer, of Easy Company. Winters led the men of Easy through Operation Market Garden, always at the front and in the line of fire. He stayed with Easy Company until the end of the war, also holding the line at the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, and capturing Hitler's Eagle's Nest. In an interview, Winters outlined what the qualities he sees as important in a leader. He says, "You get the respect of the men by living with them, being a part of it, being able to understand what they are going through and not to separate yourself from them. You have to know your men. You have to gain their confidence. And the way to gain the confidence of anybody, whether it's in war or civilian life or whatever, you must be honest. Be honest, be fair and be consistent. You can't be honest and fair one day, and the next give your people the short end of the stick. Once you can achieve that, you will be a leader." In his book Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters, Winters gives a list of leadership principles:
1. Strive to be a leader of character, competence, and courage.
2. Lead from the front. Say, “Follow me!” and then lead the way.
3. Stay in top physical shape--physical stamina is the root of mental toughness.
4. Develop your team. If you know your people, are fair in setting realistic goals and expectations, and lead by example, you will develop teamwork.
5. Delegate responsibility to your subordinates and let them do their job. You can’t do a good job if you don’t have a chance to use your imagination and creativity.
6. Anticipate problems and prepare to overcome obstacles. Don’t wait until you get to the top of the ridge and then make up your mind.
7. Remain humble. Don’t worry about who receives the credit. Never let power or authority go to your head.
8. Take a moment of self-reflection. Look at yourself in the mirror every night and ask yourself if you did your best.
9. True satisfaction comes from getting the job done. They key to a successful leader is to earn respect--not because of rank or position, but because you are a leader of character.
10. Hang Tough!--Never, ever, give up.
Richard Winters is a hero for his actions during World War II, because he saved many lives and helped protect our country. And he is a great leader, because he lived out the principles he set forth.
Emily, this was a great post, despite the fact that it didn't address some of the things I required for the assignment.
ReplyDeleteFor future reference, you can always find the criteria for your assignments either on the blog or, in this case the last slide of the class powerpoint from Wednesday's class. And always feel free to talk to your classmates via the blog or to reach out to me.