The Leadership Style Of A Veterans - 1451 Words

The majority of humanity proceeds through life at an unfluctuating or even mundane pace. It is not until we experience a noteworthy event in our personal or professional lives that, we pause and contemplate the impact. For some individuals, this crucible event provides clarity to the point that life becomes more meaningful. For others, the impact of the experience alters the course of their life forever. I experienced such an event in my professional life during a moment in which an elderly World War II Veteran quietly revealed to me that unassuming heroes inconspicuously walk among the rest of us every day. This realization forged within me a sense of duty, purpose, and values, which has strongly influenced my leadership style. I†¦show more content†¦The ship on which the Veteran served was in close proximity to the attack and therefore, diverted course and raced ahead to perform rescue operations. Upon arrival, the Veteran described a gruesome and horrifying scene of bodies floating in the water among the debris of the wreckage. The men on the rescue ship immediately set out to rescue the remaining survivors at the scene. The Veteran described having a long rope or strap tied round his waist and his shipmates repeatedly lowering him over the side of the ship throughout the night in order to locate survivors among the debris and floating corpses. The Veteran reported that he and his shipmates repeated this process person by person and hour after hour until the rescues were, completed. The Veteran reported this as being not only physically demanding work, but mentally taxing as well. As the Veteran shared his story, I could not help but notice his frail, elderly wife sitting in a chair beside him. She beamed with pride as he recounted the events of that night and clung to his arm ever so tightly. At that moment, I realized that she beheld him as that young, handsome man t hat she had married decades earlier, and I could almost see her eyes erase the years and feebleness that had taken a toll upon his body. The story that I heard through watching that video and through the oral history provided by the Veteran profoundly influenced me and served as a crucible experience. I