It seems as leaders, we get short-sighted sometimes. I experienced a great joy this evening. Nine years ago, while I was a soldier at Ft. Bragg, NC assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), I had a young soldier named Michael P. that worked for me.
One of the things that I did with new soldiers was have them write down their personal and professional goals. I couldn't help them achieve them if I didn't know what they were. Michael's goals were to go to Officer Candidate School (OCS), finish his degree and eventually become a Special Forces Qualified soldier.
Michael and I stayed in touch over the years as he completed OCS. Then attended degree completion for his Bachelor's. We talked more as he was a Rifle Platton Leader in the 101st Airborne in Kentucky, before and after his deployments to Iraq. We spoke even more as he returned to North Carolina to attend the Special Forces Qualification Course.
I had the tremendous honor of watching my former soldier, and good friend Michael P. earn his Green Beret this evening at a ceremony at Ft. Bragg.
See, leadership is about influence. We often get short-sighted about the task or project at hand, and neglect to look at the bigger picture. Leaders with values, who really care, influence lives, not just company's, projects or tasks.
Well done Michael!
De Oppessor Liber!
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