With advancements in technology in todays society it has become a socially constructed norm to post photos, videos and entire lives on social media. The openness and availability of social media has had a direct effect on the military and the methods of leadership and professional development. So, here the idea of being ‘ON’ before arriving to a unit is not so unimaginable. Before i even arrived at my first duty station all of my leadership had researched me and my family on social media and knew all about me before arriving. While at my first duty station my commander was serious about what people would post on social media, and that once it is on the internet it is in a way ‘immortal’ because it will forever be circulating on the web and you never know where or whose hands it will end up in. These advancements in social media and the idea of being ‘ON’ make me think, with all these advancements in social media is there a perfect way to lead?

“Infallible leaders stifle creativity because they are not willing to present unrefined ideas for collaboration”. This quote, I view as one of the greatest consequence to the ideology that comes with the ‘Perfect leader’. In other words, a leader who can never be wrong lives his/her life by what institutions deem acceptable ways to accomplish tasks, and with this methodology of leadership there is a lack of passion and improvement. To say that the ‘Perfect leader’ exists is to say that there has been only one socially constructed way to lead, and that there is no diversity. However, we all know that diversity exists everywhere, and with that comes different methods of how leadership should be done. An example can be seen through the completion of an After-Action-Review (AAR). Where individuals ask what can be sustained, improved and review how new ideas can be included into future events. This alone tells us there is no perfect leader or perfect method to complete tasks or lead soldiers.

With the notion of a ‘perfect leader’ discarded, all Leaders, no matter how much they may lead ‘by the books’ need to embrace vulnerability, because just like the sun will set at the end of the day   some things cannot be controlled. Thus, vulnerability is inevitable. However, leaders can reduce vulnerability in a way by knowing the leadership principles: BE, KNOW, DO. First, BE a leader with integrity and admit when something is wrong. Second, KNOW your own weaknesses and strengths in your character, knowledge and skills. Always seek continua self improvement. Finally, DO, seek responsibility and TAKE responsibility for your actions.

The methods here correlate strongly with the quote “example overrides everything in leadership. Leaders need to make sure their example includes the missteps along the way.” Through these steps, leading by example, acknowledgement of being wrong, and how to properly endure and learn from it conveys to subordinates that admitting your wrong is an important step for development. Additionally, subordinates will respect a leader more for who he/she is as a person and as the person wearing the rank. A horrible thing to hear is that your soldiers only respect the rank and not the individual.