In May 2018, I was promoted from First Lieutenant to Captain in the United States Army. By that time, I had served as a Troop Fire Support Officer, a Platoon Leader, a Battalion Fire Support Officer, Battalion S4, and an Assistant Brigade Fire Support Officer. I was proud of all I had done and took some time to reflect on my time in each of those positions and figure out what I would have taught myself if I could go back in time. I discovered that I had, unknowingly at the time, adjusted my leadership personality to fit the job that I was in. Why though? Each duty position offered its own unique challenges and opportunities, but at my core, I don’t think that I changed too much as a person.

Before I go on, I’d like to quickly explain what these jobs are for those that are not familiar with them or simply are not in the military. A Troop (or Company) Fire Support Officer leads a team of Fire Support Soldiers to provide an infantry or armor company access to bigger weapons than they typically have by calling for artillery, mortars, and attack aircraft. This is usually a second or first lieutenant working for a captain. A Platoon Leader handles the administration and training of a platoon within a company, while learning from more experienced non-commissioned officers who have been in the military for a while (and who the Platoon Leader subsequently leads). This position can be filled by a second or first lieutenant but is often assigned to a first lieutenant in the artillery community. A Battalion Fire Support Officer works at the echelon above a company, often in a planning role, providing guidance and direction for the Fire Support Officers in a company. A Battalion S4 is the primary logistics planner for a Battalion. Finally, an Assistant Brigade Fire Support Officer works at the echelon above a battalion and serves as a planner to facilitate those working in battalions and companies. All three of these positions are typically held by a captain.

As a Troop Fire Support Officer, I was hungry to learn, eager to please, and work hard. When I became a Platoon Leader, I was an incredibly aggressive and passionate leader, very different from my usual personality. After, I stepped into a Battalion Fire Support Officer position for a short time to fill a small, non-lethal effects role for an Engineer Battalion. Overnight, I became far less aggressive and took a soft and calculated approach to accomplish the job. After NTC (Brigade level training event), I was assigned as the Battalion S4 and found myself becoming more calculating and bureaucratic. Now, as a member of the Brigade Staff, I am some kind of blend between everything. Why, over the course of several years, did my leadership style change while my personal values and who I was changed very little? I began to explore and decided that I needed to revisit the root question: what is leadership?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines leadership as such: 1. The office or position of a leader 2.  Capacity to lead 3. The act or instance of leading. Unfortunately, that did not help me. ADP 6-22, Army Leadership, defines leadership as the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation to accomplish the mission and improve the organization. This definition, which I had come across dozens of times as a Cadet and Officer, was a great building block for what I was trying to answer. Still though, this definition leaves much to be questioned. Who defines these criteria? Is it the leader, the subordinate, or some other outside entity within the formation? It is very possible that my preferred methods for motivating and providing purpose are very different from another. So, who is right? There can be ten leaders in a room, with ten different leadership styles, who can all believe that they are successful leaders, and can all be right. How, then, do we come to a universal understanding of what leadership is?

I believe that the answer is this: Leadership is the ability to provide the personality that is needed by the organization. That is to say, subordinates define leadership. It is then mandated that an effective leader needs to have the extreme flexibility and adaptability to change their behaviors to provide the personality that is needed by the organization. Furthermore, the leader must possess the maturity and wisdom to discern between the needs of the group and its wants. All effective leaders are servants to their organization. These concepts can be applied from the largest of groups to the individual level. All the tenants of tactical efficiency are also the recipe for effective leadership. It is essential that we, as leaders, become the most flexible members of our organizations. If we learn this early and apply it thoroughly as we continue to grow, there is no situation in which we cannot be a successful leader.

If I could go back in time as Captain Plaziak to tell Cadet Plaziak, it would be this: to be a leader, is to be a servant. Be flexible to the varying needs of varying groups and individuals that you have been entrusted to lead. Have the wisdom to seek guidance when needed and to keep an open heart and an open mind to all those around you. Your subordinates are your teachers and your legacy. That is how you can be a successful leader.