Across several organizations, including the United States Army and student organizations, I found that the audience you are attempting to lead and the environment where you are leading are critical factors. There is no style of leadership that fits every environment, a fact that I discovered during my time as an officer in the Army and as a leader in a student organization. The Army required a more authoritarian style of leadership in an environment premised on rank with no tolerance for insubordination, while serving as a leader in a student organization necessitated a more collegial style, given its democratic environment and relatively low consequences for defiance. Consciously adapting my leadership style to the audience and environment of the organization enabled me to be an effective leader in these two settings.

 

The military is a rigidly hierarchical organization that requires obediently following orders. From verbal to physical customs and courtesies, the military prides itself on its discipline, particularly with regard to rank between members. As an officer in the Army, my soldiers were expected to follow my orders in all environments, so that when it comes to warfighting, there is no unexpected opposition when lives are at stake. I learned during my service that the ability to make decisions and give orders authoritatively is a key component of being a military leader, relying on others for advice, but knowing that ultimately the decision making was my responsibility. Over time, I adjusted my leadership style to reflect this authority, allowing our unit to effectively carry out our missions.

 

After completing my military service I spent a year outside the leadership realm, but as I returned to an academic setting, I was prepared to employ the same style of leadership I had internalized from the Army. During my first year of graduate school I became involved with a fundraising student organization and was elected to serve as the Treasurer of the organization after a short period. I quickly found that the leadership methods utilized in the military would not work, meeting stiff resistance to this authoritarian style of decision making. Only after reevaluating my audience did I realize that the mechanisms that facilitate obedience in the military do not exist in an academic setting, prompting me to adjust the way that I interacted with members to accomplish our shared goals through collective decision making. I learned to cede greater power to the opinions of other members, rather than unilateral decision making by one person. This move to a more collegial style of leadership was a necessary adjustment without which would have resulted in a dysfunctional and ineffective organization.

 

My experiences as a leader in two very different environments taught me that there is no leadership style that is applicable to every situation. I learned that to be most effective, I need to assess the environment I am leading, as well as the audience that I am charged to lead. With consideration of these two factors, I am able to adapt my leadership style to most effectively lead organizations to achieving their goals.