The Mentor Leader by Tony Dungy

Tony Dungy's book, 'The Mentor Leader' is one of the most widely read lucubration. Its status among the best books is attributable to the many insights that it offers in the realm of leadership. It is the dream of every person to become a good leader. Consequently, many people search for Dungy's book in their pursuit of the status of a 'good leader'. Authored by a person with vast knowledge and experience in leadership, this book serves as the best reference for any leader in not only the corporate world but also the military or government agencies. This discourse, therefore, is a personal narration of how Tony Dungy's book massively influences my mentor leadership ability in the U.S army.

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As a second lieutenant, I will be tasked with several jobs in the U.S army. One of the roles that I will play is to be in charge of commanding all-purpose combat units. Besides that, I will be tasked with leading infantry soldiers in combats as I liaise with the platoon sergeants as well as two leaders of the squad. In this role, I will be the one to give orders, which are then taken up by the platoon sergeant, who then executes them through the soldiers. Apart from the above duties, I will be in charge of training soldiers by ensuring that they are always ready to take up any combat role if and when necessary. As a second lieutenant, I have the mandate to solve problems by multi-tasking in the U.S army. I am in charge of ensuring that the relationship between civilians and the Army is cordial (Defense, 2017). Lastly, I will have to enhance delegation and offer general leadership in the U.S army.

From the above description of roles of a second lieutenant, there is no doubt that they entail proper leadership style. In my role as a second lieutenant, I will use lessons that I have learned from Dungy's book on mentor leadership. The book talks about practicing to achieve the desired results (Dungy, 2010). In the U.S army, there are so many challenges, especially when out for combat. I will have to be at the top of my game to meet the goals of the U.S army. In light of that, I will always ask my platoon members to embrace the practice. As the adage goes, practice makes perfect. Therefore, I will not relent on asking my soldiers to engage in regular training to improve their physical skill as well as their cognitive aspect to handle any combat.

Mentor leadership entails looking out for the specific ability of every person and nurturing their skill (Dungy, 2010). This initiative is an essential lesson in my role as a second lieutenant. Any second lieutenant desires to have some of the best soldiers in his platoon. These soldiers offer an additional incentive to the platoon due to their extraordinary abilities. Therefore, as a leader, I will have to look out for some of the best soldiers within the platoon and train them harder so that they can harness on their top-notch ability to deliver for the platoon. This approach is vital as it also motivates these soldiers. Apart from that, it gives hope to the rest of the squad members who yearn to become the best in the infantry.

Successful leaders make the people that they lead better members of society. They achieve this goal by ensuring that their subjects lead a better life at work, at home and in any other circumstance of life (Dungy, 2010). As a second lieutenant, I will focus on this aspect of developing the status of my soldiers. These are people with families, and they have other roles in society apart from serving in the United States Army. Therefore, as I interact with my soldiers, I will not relent on encouraging them to become useful members of society. I will urge them to respect ethical settings of the nation by remaining on the right side of the moral tenets of the society. Besides, I will always ask them to become responsible family members. By staying within the right side of the community, the soldiers will have a settled mind even at their workplace within the army.

I learned a lesson that mentor leaders can only achieve their goal by making sure that their subjects are aware that their leader harbors good intentions for them (Dungy, 2010). For my case, I will keep talking to my soldiers about their welfare. These are people who work under challenging conditions, yet are determined to succeed and make their country better. Besides, they work in the army with the hope of securing their financial freedom. In light of that, I will ensure that I regularly talk to them about my desires to see them flourish at both their workplace and in life in general. Apart from speaking to them, I will periodically act in a manner that suggests that I care for them. If they have valid complaints or compliments, I will not hesitate to listen and act based on their suggestions. By so doing, I will foster a good relationship between soldiers and I.

As a second lieutenant, I will keep in mind the lesson, which asks for the regular evaluation of the focus (Dungy, 2010). When dealing with the platoon in combat or training, I will always look out for the nature of progress made. In the army, focus and targets are essential since they determine the goals of the force. Therefore, after every training session, I will often look back and evaluate the progress made. This step is crucial since it serves as an eye-opener. In case my platoon made some mistakes, this process will accord me a chance to detect them. However, if we made progress, I will have the opportunity to find better ways of making my platoon one of the best in the United States Army.

Mentor leadership involves nothing but serving the subjects as well as other people who may get affected by the administration (Dungy, 2010). As a second lieutenant officer, I have many roles as highlighted in the discourse. The leadership of the platoon in training and combat is critical, and in my leadership role, I look forward to serving my soldiers more than they help me. I will try my best to meet their moral and material support as a way of motivating them in their role as soldiers. In case of challenges in the combat, I will ensure that their safety is guaranteed while I urge them to fight on. In any case, the work of a soldier is to fight on even when the enemy seems to be stronger. In my role of multi-tasking, I will ensure that the relationship between the U.S army and people from various backgrounds remains cordial and peaceful. I will aspire to eliminate any form of discrimination based on race or any other cultural difference in my platoon. This approach will make my soldiers feel equal, and they will respect one another amid their engagements daily.

Evaluation of the values is another significant element of mentor leadership style. Any leader has to ensure that his leadership values rhyme with his character (Dungy, 2010). In essence, the leader should practice what he asks his subject to do. In my role as a second lieutenant, I know that soldiers expect a lot from me. They look forward to me as their role model at the workplace as well as in general life. My mentor leadership will involve offering proper advice to soldiers on the general aspect of life. Therefore, I will have to conduct myself respectfully. In any case, there is no way soldiers can do what is right when myself, who is their leader, exhibit poor conduct. I will ensure that I respect my family as well as my seniors at work. When soldiers perceive these traits in me, they will be ready to follow my footsteps as we interact at the workplace as well as in the civilian world.

As a lesson learned, mentor leadership entails evaluating the vision and mission of the organization (Dungy, 2010). In this case, the infantry mission is to locate, close and destroy the enemy with fire and maneuver by repelling the enemy by close combat and fire assault. As I interact with my soldiers, I will always remind them about their mission and vision. These two elements of leadership are crucial for the progress of the platoon, especially during the combat. The mission and vision serve as the engine that drives soldiers. When they feel like relenting in their duties, I will always remind them about their mission and vision.

In conclusion, I must admit that the book by Tony Dungy is rich in information on mentor leadership. He wrote it in a manner that motivates any leader to achieve the best in his role. By reading it, I learned what it means to be a mentor leader. Its content is of enormous help in my role as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. I yearn to stick by these lessons to not only better my skill of leadership but also to take the United States army to greater heights.

References

Defense, U. S. (2017). The Armed Forces Officer: Edition of 1950. Washington D.C., DC: Potomac Books: National Defense University Press.

Dungy, T. (2010). The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People and Teams That Win Consistently. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.