Leadership Through Time

WHAT?

            Last Tuesday in my Leadership Agriculture class we had a guest speaker come and talk to us about her leadership philosophy and she focused on the importance of morals and ethics when it comes to leadership. She passed out a card with a picture on it to every person in our class. Each picture somehow related to leadership. The pictures ranged from scenery grass fields to families to pictures of airplanes. All pictures of random things. She told us to relate our leadership philosophy to the picture we were handed. I was handed a black and white picture of an old man with lots of wrinkles. The man was dressed in an air force uniform. He reminded me of my own grandfather who had served in the Vietnam War. I look up to my grandfather in many ways and he has demonstrated many forms of successful leadership throughout his life.

SO WHAT?

            Throughout my grandfather’s life he has many times demonstrated how leadership is an important aspect of being successful. I have heard so many “when I was young” stories and I never really appreciated the meaning behind them. I have heard his stories from when he was overseas. His stories involve the importance of courage. As we just learned from The Art of Leadership by George Manning and Kent Curtis, values such as honest, respect, service and integrity are all imperative characteristics that a leader must have. He would tell me stories about the other sergeants and how important service leadership was in the war. servant leadership is an approach of leadership that involves access, communication and support. He used this approach a lot overseas in the air force. Along with servant leadership, my grandfather would constantly remind me the importance of character and values. He would tell me stories about while overseas how he became such a better person because he was forced to re-evaluate his life and life choices. Before going overseas he wasn’t focused, he didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life and he had just gotten married to his wife and his wife was now pregnant. He told me how my mom, his daughter, changed his outlook on life. He now preaches to me the importance of character because it is the basis of leadership. Once my grandfather came back to the U.S with a changed outlook on life he then attended college and got a degree. He then owned his own convenience store and gas station and created a great life for my mom and grandmother.

NOW WHAT?

            My Grandfather is now getting older each year and I listen very closely every time he starts a “when I was young” story. I now realize how many amazing lessons he can teach me and all of the experiences he has had. I look up to my grandfather in so many different ways as a veteran, businessman and overall inspirational leader; I hope that one day I will be able to tell my grandchildren all of the wise lessons and experiences I have had in my lifetime and be able to touch their hearts like he has touched mine.