FORT SILL, Okla.-- Ethics are defined as "standards by which one should act based on values." Soldiers serving in the Army live by a set of values summarized by the acronym L-D-R-S-H-I-P loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage.
In April, 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade chaplain Maj. Robert Thomas hosted an off-site spiritual fitness trip for the brigade staff that focused on ethics and leadership.
The staff gathered at Oakridge Camp near Anadarko, Okla. The seminar was split in two portions, the inside classroom session and the outside paintball team-building session.
With the brigade staff due to deploy later this fall the seminar aimed at highlighting ethics in leadership and how leaders with varying ethical views can affect their subordinates both positively and negatively. The different types of leadership styles were discussed and the staff had a chance to see what the impact of the styles can have on their subordinates.
"This training really helped me identify better ways to lead and mentor Soldiers assigned to my shop," said Maj. Francisco Vazquez, brigade personnel manager.
"My biggest take away was that not everyone has the same train of thought, and that leaders must assess every situation differently. We as leaders have to take account of values and beliefs other than our own," said 1st Lt. Lashaunte Trotter, brigade adjutant.
Thomas hosted the training session in hopes the audience would acknowledge their own leadership style and how they can change or alter their style to better lead and mentor their Soldiers.
"I wanted to highlight how spirituality ties in with ethics and morals, and can have a huge impact on leadership styles. Being a spiritually fit leader can have a very positive effect on the way their subordinates are trained and mentored," said Thomas.
Once the classroom session ended, the staff took a short lunch break and then moved on to the paintball session.
During this session the staff used the spiritual fitness training they were taught and put it to use on the paintball field. The staff was split into different groups for different scenarios and was given specific objectives for each scenario.
"The ethics training really came in to play during the paintball session. We all had to get back to the basics of leadership and learn to work as a team and not as individuals," said Capt. Jose Lopez, brigade operations officer. "We built off of each others' strengths and weaknesses to accomplish the objectives of each scenario."
The brigade staff walked away from the training a little bruised from the paintball rounds, but overall they were much more aware of ethics in leadership and how their own spirituality and values play a huge part in their leadership style.
Social Sharing