The contents of this paper will describe and identify one of the crucible experiences of my lifetime, which have influenced my philosophy, personal leadership style, values and convictions and will also illustrate how these traits have influenced my abilities to function as an organizational leader. The word crucible is defined as an experience that serves as the catalyst for change among humans that causes them to alter their way of life, behavior and Identity. The crucible experience causes individuals either to reaffirm their beliefs and values or adopt a new way forward or approach in the environments in which they exist.
In the summer of 1988 I was a Private First Class assigned to an Air Terminal Movement Control Team participating in Operation Bright Star, a biannual desert exercise that was held in Egypt, Jordan and Somalia simultaneously. During this exercise was when I had a crucible experience that was one of many events which shaped my leadership philosophy, helped me to become a mature leader and reinforced my ambition to become a successful contributing individual to our society. During the exercise the Movement Control Team was divided into two teams because the exercise was a twenty- four hour operation and we were responsible for the allocation of seats on all aircrafts to all destinations, redeployment and intra-theater. One team worked the day shift while the other night, the officer’s in charge of these two teams were two female Lieutenants who had nothing but disdain for each other. Their relationship affected the morale of the entire team and also caused the non-sharing of critical information that was mission related.
The withholding of critical information from each other between the two shifts officers in charge, eventually led to several redeployment flights being overbooked and subsequently delayed. During one of these subsequent delays because of the flight being overbooked, I was the senior person on shift from my unit,...