[I]The US Naval Academy’s Trident newspaper asked sixteen midshipmen from the brigade staff what they think is single most important leadership skill they have learned during their time at the Naval Academy. Here are their answers:[/I]
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Midshipman 1st Class Jocelynn Knudsen, 1st Battalion Commander
“My answer is honesty. Honesty builds trust. Something I learned over the past three years is that being simply straight forward about what is going on, what you see, how things are run, is the best way to gain someone’s trust. People know when you are and are not telling them the truth, and the moment they see the latter, they will never respect your words again and all trust is lost. But we must also be honest with each other. It is our job to be able to call one another out on things we see that we know are not right. This is what binds us a family. If we don’t, then we aren’t truly being honest with each other. And those who cannot take the criticism are not true members of the family. Trust is nothing without honesty, and both are vital to completing the mission.”[/B][/I]
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Midshipman 1st Class Hannah M. Legler, 2nd Regimental Honor Advisor
“The single most important leadership skill I have learned during my three years at the Naval Academy has been to communicate effectively. Plebe Summer Detail really magnified this leadership skill because you are in charge of a unit of 18 year olds who look up to you for instruction and orders. Being able to effectively communicate with my fellow detailers helped us get our platoon where they needed to be on time with strict accountability. Communication is what drives the Navy and Marine Corps. Without communication there is chaos and confusion. Communication allows leaders to let their subordinates and superiors know what the plan is, how it will be carried out, and any additional information that is pertinent to the mission at hand.”[/B][/B][/I]
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Midshipman 1st Class Colin Bruton, Brigade Physical Mission Officer
“Delegate, but make sure you lead by example. Don’t try to do everything but do enough to show others you’re setting the standard for work ethic.”[/B][/B][/B][/I]
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Midshipman 1st Class Ben Watson, Brigade Assistant Character Officer
“Be yourself. Everyone has a different leadership style. You just have to find what works for you and tweak it a little for different situations.”[/B][/B][/B][/B][/I]
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Midshipman 1st Class Andrew Price, Brigade Conduct and Aptitude
“Patience.”[/B][/B][/B][/B][/I]
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Midshipman 1st Class Kameron Wright, 2nd Regiment Executive Officer
“Keeping your chin up. For us stoic early-nuke selects, this personality trait does not come easy. Command climate is a reflection of leadership attitude, and when you let the fact that you are having a sub-par day show on your face, your people and your peers notice. Keeping a positive attitude and an upbeat chin is key to remaining a charismatic leader. Also, delegation. Delegate, delegate, delegate, and let your team impress you with the results they come up with.”[/B][/B][/B][/B][/I]
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Midshipman 1st Class Matt Yates, Brigade Midshipmen Information Systems Liaison Officer
“Be willing to let those working for you solve problems their way. Even if you believe that your solution or process is best, those actually solving the problem will put more effort into it if they have control.”[/B][/B][/B][/B][/I]
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Midshipman 1st Class Eric Washkewicz, Brigade Training Officer
“Resourcefulness and competency. No challenge is impossible with the right means (resources) and knowledge (competency) to overcome it.”[/B][/B][/B][/B][/I]
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Midshipman 1st Class Alex Kornick, 1st Regimental Executive Officer
“The most important leadership skill I have learned at the academy is that leadership is actually service. I don’t know if that counts as a skill or more of a realization. Understanding that people are relying on you for answers, not orders, and that you are expected to be accountable to and for those below you has been a valuable realization.”[/B][/B][/B][/B][/I]
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Midshipman 1st Class David Towle, Assistant Operations and Academics Officer
“Prompt, effective and honest communication. Whenever something needs to be accomplished, I try my best to ensure that everyone is informed of all of the pertinent details as soon as possible. I have also found that I am much more willing to help with a task if I am told the genuine purpose for doing it. ‘Make it happen’ is enough to get people started on something, but it is always better if they are told why it needs to be done.”[/B][/B][/B][/B][/I]
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Midshipman 1st Class Angelo Briccetti, 6th Battalion Commander
“The single biggest leadership skill I have learned is that you can’t handle everything alone. Without trusting your people and delegating tasks to them, you will never be able to accomplish the endless list of jobs to be done.”[/B][/B][/B][/B][/I]
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Midshipman 1st Class Katelyn Davidson, Brigade Adjutant
“The most important leadership skill I’ve learned is that there is more than one solution to a problem. In order to be effective and find the right solution, it requires resiliency and a certain sense of self-assurance. One must believe in oneself in order to be effective and competent. Without that basic fundamental concept, you will be rendered ineffective as a leader. In the words of the bard, ‘To thine own self be true.’”[/B][/B][/B][/B][/I]
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Midshipman 1st Class Samuel Strelkoff, Men’s Glee Club President
“Flexibility.”[/B][/B][/B][/B][/I]
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Midshipman 1st Class Ashleigh Share, Brigade Assistant Adjutant
“Respect across all levels. Remember that people are people first and treat them as such.”[/B][/B][/B][/B][/I]
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Midshipman 1st Class Joshua Sohn, Brigade Safety Officer
“Through my time at the academy, I have learned the importance of developing character as a leader. Without character, those I led will not respect me. Without character, I cannot stand for that which is right. Character is not merely doing the right thing. Character is also enjoying doing the right thing because it is right. Though I am not perfect, I constantly seek to develop my character due to its importance for leadership and life.”[/B][/B][/B][/B][/I]
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Midshipman 1st Class Brian Gureck, 4th Battalion Commander
“The single most important leadership skill that I have learned at the academy is ownership. Many of the positions at the academy are open-ended where the duties as reflected on paper leave a lot of room for interpretation. With ownership, one can take an open-ended position and make it great. That leader seeks challenges and fights to make that particular role better every day. If something is wrong, fix it. If you mess up, own up to it and move on. Ownership also means not placing the blame on anyone else. If your superiors feel that you have not been meeting the standard, you need to collect your thoughts before you delegate a solution to the problem. Conversely, if you are given praise in a particular position, never hesitate to always put your subordinates and coworkers on the pedestal before yourself. They deserve credit far more than you do.”[/B][/B][/B][/B][/I]