Pondering the 11 Principles of Leadership

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists. Not so good when people obey and acclaim him. Worse when they despise him. But of a good leader who talks little when his work is done his aim fulfilled they will say: ‘We did it ourselves." -Lao Tzu

The 11 Principles of Leadership

1. Know yourself and seek self-improvement.

2. Be technically and tactically proficient.

3. Develop a sense of responsibility among your subordinates.

4. Make sound and timely decisions.

5. Set an example.

6. Know your people and look out for their welfare.

7. Keep your people informed.

8. Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.

9. Ensure assigned tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished.

10. Train your people as a team.

11. Employ your team in accordance with its capabilities.

Pondering

“Know Yourself and Seek Self Improvement”

Every leader should adhere to the 11 Leadership Principles of the US Army because they embody the value of critical thought and a sound mind, particularly when carrying out field tasks.

 “Know Yourself and Seek Self Improvement” 

As a result, before we can critique others, we must have the ability to assess ourselves, recognize our strengths, and accept our flaws. We deal with this and learn to overcome our shortcomings once we are aware of our weaknesses and the areas where we easily become confused. We lead regimented lives as students at the Philippine National Police Academy. We each have unique skill sets, skills, and shortcomings, yet we were all formed in a uniform training program. While some will flourish intellectually, others will excel despite the hardships of rigorous physical training. Two distinct skill sets, each with strengths and limitations, are combined to form one player capable of competing on both sides.

 “Technically and tactically proficient” 

  It is one of the most important leadership tenets to remember. Technical and tactical mastery inspires confidence in ourselves as leaders and our followers. Being a subordinate gives us comfort in knowing that our superiors are skilled in technical and tactical matters. It gives our subordinates the impression that we know how to perform things properly and carry them out while also boosting our confidence and public image. The uniformed service follows the same rule; we look up to leaders who can handle themselves impeccably and with the assurance that they can complete even the most difficult duties.

“Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions”

We should not just take the glory for the favorable reputation as responsible leaders. Even when things go wrong, we accept responsibility and give credit where it is due. The most frequent error we observe in our profession is the transfer of accountability and blame when anything goes wrong. Any leader hoping to leave a legacy of integrity to their underclassmen or subordinates should adopt this leadership concept. Assuming responsibility entails not just taking leadership but also acting, no matter what the outcome. Having the guts to man up and take responsibility for the mistakes and failures in leadership is a sign that you are eager to grow and take on new challenges. Seeking and accepting responsibility for your actions represents maturity in decision-making abilities.

 “Set as an example"

As you climb your preferred job or industry, it is about passing information along while learning from your underlings. Everything will go smoothly the longer we do our share to oversee and guide the individuals we serve or work with. As leaders, we must never place our team members in danger or in a situation we wouldn't want to be in ourselves. We ought to put our words into action and discover the capabilities and limitations of our subordinates. Despite the challenges we face, as leaders, we must determine what our team members need and how far they can push themselves. We will only know what to teach them and how to leave a lasting legacy.

 “Know your people and look out for their welfare"

Considering your subordinate's sentiments and asking how they're doing don't require much time or effort. We often conceal ourselves and constantly persuade ourselves that we are excellent, even though reality indicates otherwise, especially in our work and job, where we are required to continuously cover up our feelings, practice mind over body, and pocket our emotions. To establish ourselves as men's leaders and allow our followers to establish themselves, we must make them feel comfortable in our presence. Being a compassionate leader means you should occasionally put yourself in your subordinates' position to understand how they feel.

“Keep your people informed”

Not only in the cadet corps, but also in the sphere of service, this leadership concept establishes the chain of command or the communication protocols. The success of your mission depends on keeping your guys informed. Accurate information is essential in our line of business since it always helps operations and missions run well. The assignment of tasks also informs the soldiers that every job finished requires feedback to be sent to the leader or the person at the top of the chain of command.

“Ensure the task is understood, supervised and accomplished”

 The work should always be managed, comprehended, and completed in such a way that it is already under supervision as of the initial stage of execution. While supervision is sometimes required to carry out a work skillfully and without error, this does not equivalent to reliance. As long as it is balanced, monitoring will always be there. According to this leadership tenet, duties should be completed, comprehended, and thoroughly carried out.

“Develop a sense of responsibility among your people”

  In making judgments and taking action, we should be structured and accountable. However, we should also allow them to carry out their jobs and other chores. Knowing your employees' capacities and allowing them to work in their areas of expertise are the keys to success in this situation. Allowing children to exercise a sense of responsibility makes them happy and motivates them to improve every day. Additionally, it encourages individuals to exercise initiative and do activities without being ordered or instructed. Giving them this will also present them with difficulties and chances to experiment. They each have talent sets that they are aware of and skill sets that they haven't yet identified.

“Train your men as a team”  

Your guys are being trained as a team to enhance their technical teamwork or cohesiveness on specific activities outside the academy. Training your guys in a team environment will enable them to reach their full potential, particularly the expertise they bring to the group.

“Make sound and timely decisions”  

This might imply that a leader should be prepared to make decisions and do tasks quickly, without having to stop and think about the results and potential consequences. No matter what happens, simply determine or arrive to a choice, as they constantly say in fight. There are two possible outcomes: either the mission will be successful or won't. The odds will not always be in our favor as a leader; there will be difficult periods when we must take unpleasant acts and make terrible judgments. Decisions, particularly in a crisis, will always be challenging since lives are on the line. Making wise and timely judgments as a leader in the uniformed military is essential to accomplishing missions. A leader should be certain, educated, and empathetic about the decisions that need to be taken in order to make them in a sound and timely manner.

“Employ your men in accordance with their capabilities”

  Knowing your capabilities and your men's skill sets can help you plan operations and missions and will provide insight into how, when, and where to use your troops. You will also grow a sense of cohesiveness, or working together to complete tasks, in this area. Employing your guys according to their skills will improve teamwork and cohesiveness as well as each man's commitment to achieving their ends and goals since they will only be given tasks they are completely capable of doing.