My purpose of the MSLD program
My purpose of continuing my leadership
and managerial education is to develop me into a leader that can move both
an organization and people. I opted to take this program because
I recognized that I was not as strong of leader, as I believed. The MSLD program has
provided me with a myriad of thought provoking mechanisms on how to critical
think about my own deficiencies and strengths. A fundamental question tends to appear as I move
through my education: am I qualified to be a manager, and a leader to move an
organization or a project, or people? Building upon this question into my
daily life: am I qualified to make the decision I am about to make? This
simple question is not aimed at the black/white answer do I have the
training but rather do I have the trust in myself that I can make the
decision (whatever it may be).
At the start of this program, on the very first day I
questioned my own definition of critical thinking, Robert Ennis
defines critical thinking as "reflective thinking that is focused on
deciding what to believe or do (Nosich, 2012). Critically thinking on
what defines me as a manager and a leader are furthered explored throughout the
MSLD program. Whetten and Cameron (2016) identified five
critical areas of self-awareness that help me critical explore my own
framework as a leader and a manger. In my growth and development, it is important that I have a
solid framework that is sturdy enough to hold the decision of which I might be
asked to make. Do I have what it takes as a manager to develop a new
search engine or to develop a commercial space industry or council an Airman in
suicidal distress?
People around me have started to notice a change. I tend to take
the time to go through inductive reasoning and critical thinking standard to
actively apply ethical decision making. For example, I recently struggled
with an Airman that was struggling with a spouse's medical issue. She was
diagnosed with Acute Mountain Sickness, a debilitating sickness for people that
live in high altitude bases (that most Airman and families get on arrival).
He struggled at home and work and his supervision jumped to conclusions
and did not take extra measures to help. His performance suffered as did
the organization, this is typical of all Airman when getting accumulated to
high attitudes. When I took over as command, I immediately jumped into
action by helping the Airman find a job that benefited the organization and the
member. I applied my knowledge, my core values, my ethical decision-making
ability, my cognitive style toward my attitude to find an assignment that
everyone benefited that was not at high altitude. While this decision was
unpopular amoungst my and his peers, it was the right thing to do. Now I
am faced with the consequences of setting the wrong message for an Airman that
needed help.
Throughout
my leadership growth in the military I have learned how to council Airmen, write
appraisals, or manager resources (The Airman handbook, 2015). However, I
need to constantly asses my core and ensure that the decision that I must make
is cored around five core aspects. I need to know where my emotional
intellectual levels, my values, my cognitive styles, my attitude toward change,
and my self-evaluation (Whetten & Cameron pg 47). These pillars help build my own pentagon
of development providing five cornerstones to hang all
other attributes, layers and levels on (pg 49).
References
Nosich G.M. (2012) Learning to think Things Through;
Critical Thinking across the curriculum. (4th ed)
Columbus , Oh Prentice Hall
The Airman's Handbook (2015). Department of the Air Force
Whetten, D.A., & Cameron, K.S. (2016). Developing
management skills (9th ed.). New York, NY:
Pearson.
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