FLDR 220 Individual KEY Assignment Quadrant II Approach

Completion requirements

Participants will write a 4-6-page paper (APA format) in which they conceptualize their personal growth through effective personal management. Participants will articulate a management plan on building relationships, personal mission statement, long- range plan, and preparation.

These papers are designed to develop critical thinking, analytical evaluation, and advocacy communication skills while encouraging a systems-level understanding of organizational development. Students engage in reflection, reasoning, and analysis to examine ideas, problems, and assumptions. This assignment assesses intellectual inquiry, information literacy, and critical, analytical, and reflective thinking.

Above is the Key assignment instructions. I have attached some sample writing that I have completed for the course. The paper must be written about my military experiences because it’s the only thing I have done for the past 17 years. The instructor has a VERY STRICT no AI rule. I use grammarly for edits and nothing else and it was flagged as AI on his turn it in so this is the second paper I have to turn in. When I say high school for academic level I mean sophomore level not smart high school. if you need to reach me you can at 210-364-8100 any time for questions on how I think. Also no references are required APA 7 format

Introduction

Building relationships

Personal mission statement

Long-range plan

Preparation for Longevity

Critical reflection and systems-level thinking

Conclusion

below was created by AI but gives you an idea of what I want to write about as im not sure if you have even been in the military

Sustaining Leadership Over 20 Years Essay

Introduction

17 years of military life have taught me more than how to implement tactics and procedures. They have taught me about people. How they grow. How they burn out. How leaders can positively or negatively impact units over time. When I was young, I thought leadership meant being tough on Soldiers, knowing doctrine, and accomplishing the mission. I thought leadership was making sure the task in front of me got done. As I have matured, I have learned that sustaining your leadership capability over a career requires intentional personal management. If you do not manage yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally, your ability to perform will fade over time. Here are the four things I have learned about sustaining your leadership abilities over a 20-year career.

Building Relationships Over Time

One thing I have learned in 17 years is people. Relationships determine your long-term success. When I was young I thought rank alone gave me respect. I thought because I knew my job and could enforce standards I was enough. As I have grown, I have learned that some leaders lead only by rank. Many of these leaders burned out and grew old before their time. They became isolated from their Soldiers. Soldiers did their job but did not trust their leader. I have watched leaders fall out from stress not because they had a lot of workload but because they failed to build relationships with those around them. When life gets hard and stress increases, trust becomes everything. Units with strong relationships thrive under pressure while units who only know discipline fall apart. Over my career I have learned that sustaining leadership is investing in others daily. It is listening more than you speak. Accepting feedback from young Soldiers. Correcting the standard not the Soldier. Recently, I have learned that you cant enter the latter half of your career without maintaining healthy professional relationships. Its not possible. Leaders who fail to build trust with their Soldiers will have a hard time being effective long-term. My plan for personally managing my leadership ability begins with cultivating trust by listening, providing mentorship, and treating everyone the same.

Personal Mission Statement

After watching leaders fail and succeed over the years I have formed a personal mission statement: To lead in a manner that develops others, maintains personal integrity, and prepares future leaders to think critically under pressure. This mission came from studying leaders who plateaued early in their careers and those who grew with time. Leaders who sustained their leadership ability over a long career were not the loudest or toughest leaders in the room. They were consistent. They lived by discipline. But most importantly, they focused on developing others around them. My personal mission helps remind me that being a leader is not about how successful you are today. Its about the impact you have years from now. If I only care about todays mission I will only be effective today. But if I work to develop others I can impact Soldiers well after I leave the position. Sustaining leadership over 20 years starts with why? What is your mission? If you have not taken the time to define your purpose as a leader you will become frustrated, bitter, and eventually complacent.

Long-Range Plan

As I look to the future, I know that if I want to finish my career strong I must manage my future like I would a mission. I have watched too many leaders become lazy in their final years of service. These leaders stopped bettering themselves. They became complacent with how they conducted themselves because they got by in the past. That will not be me. My long-range plan focuses on three things. Continuing education. Leadership, Army teaching, and war changes constantly. To stay effective and relevant, I must continue to educate myself. Not only will this help me become a better leader, but it will teach me how to think instead of reacting from experience alone. Secondly, I will stay physically ready. As you get older, staying physically fit becomes more and more difficult. I know that fatigued leaders make poor decisions and leaders who are out of shape become impatient. If I demand my Soldiers to hold standards, I must hold them as well. Lastly, I will maintain a strict mental and emotional discipline. Over the years frustration happens. We have all had many deployments, field problems, and high-tempo operations that try our mental strength. When I allow myself to become frustrated or feel like giving up, my attitude affects the entire platoon. My long-range plan consists of taking care of my mental strength by staying adaptable to change. The Army of 2019 is not the Army I joined in 2002. Instead of fighting change, I will embrace it.

Preparation

Preparing to be a leader for one mission is a lot different than preparing to be a leader for 20 years. Preparing for longevity in the Army requires habits instead of bursts of motivation. I have realized that leadership can become burnt out just like Soldiers. If you are constantly reacting to situations instead of taking the time to prepare you will burn yourself out. Preparation looks different for everyone. For me, preparation starts with setting boundaries for myself and managing my time wisely. It also means coaching and mentoring other Soldiers. Nothing keeps me more engaged than knowing I am teaching someone to take my job in the future.Another important aspect of preparation is personal after-action reviews. Like we are used to conducting in the Army, I take the time to reflect on situations where I think I handled myself well and where I can improve. This allows me grow continuously.

Systems-Level Understanding

My 17 years of service has taught me that leadership does not operate on a single level. When a leader at the senior level becomes burnt out or negatively affects the unit morale.Standards drop. When that leader maintains discipline and leads by example, watch how that positively affects the system. All of your personal management habits affect more than just you. They affect your team and unit.

Conclusion

Leadership over 20 years is possible. But it is not accidental. It comes from your intentional preparation and self-management.During my 17 years of service, I learned that sustaining your leadership ability comes down to four things. Building lasting relationships, having a defined personal mission, creating a long-range plan, and preparing yourself for tomorrow. I used to think leadership is only enforcing standards or beating a gun range score. But now I realize leadership is about discipline over time and developing others as you go. If I continue to manage my body, mind, relationships, and daily routine I can go out strong at the end of my career having a positive influence on others.