An effective leader is indeed a sight to see. But behind its successful façade is a person who sacrificed and went through a lot. Becoming a leader is not done overnight. No one became excellent at something directly on the first try. To reach the level of “an effective leader,” a person must go through different phases. In military training, you never start at the top upon entry to the force. Instead, you start at the bottom of the chain. As the training goes on, you can begin receiving certain privileges. This kind of setup is important because it allows an individual to experience different levels and walks of life. Before becoming a leader, one must become a follower first. This idea was tackled in the first two chapters of the said book. The authors emphasized the importance of every level.


Going through each leap before reaching the top. In the succeeding chapters of the book, building a good foundation in your leadership should be done next. One of the essential aspects of being a leader is the ability to follow. How you are as an underclass determines how you will be when you become an upper class. It creates the notion that when you truly understand the essence of your duty as a follower and underclass, you will also know what you are to be dealt with when you become the one in power or the leader. Followership allows one’s leadership to prosper. Be a good follower to be an excellent leader.


In the aspect of becoming a leader and reaching the point wherein you would already be the one holding power, many temptations are present for you to fail at exemplifying how a true leader should be—the reason why humility is practiced at all costs. Staying on your course and maintaining your character, virtue, and ethics were also emphasized in the book. Almost all veterans understand that leadership at its best is never autocratic, abusive, or arbitrary. Instead, it relies on commitment, communication, and character. You have reached that point of already becoming a leader through undergoing a lot of previous character development. You need to be confident that you will overcome any challenges that may come your way as long as you stick to your morals and virtues.

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Being a leader takes work. Many books tackle how to become a leader and what people should go through to become successful. This book by Patrick Townsend and Joan Gebhardt went out of its way to deliver the step-by-step procedure of becoming a leader. As a takeaway, the quote above summarizes what the book tries to convey. As mentioned in the first part, your intentions on why you are doing what you are doing determine how you will become a leader. It doesn’t matter what kind of leader you think is essential in a particular case as long as you care for your constituents. As long as care is there, you are already on your way to becoming an effective and good leader.

 

As a cadet officer, I have also personally experienced the journey of followership to leadership. Indeed, it had never been easy. You have to juggle a lot of things, manage what seems to be unmanageable, and face barricades which you thought was impossible to conquer. But one thing that I have acquired throughout the journey was that the message of the book is true. When dealing with your constituents, care must really be present in order for you to be able to do your job well. That’s what I did. I poured out utmost care on the job I am tasked to do, and here I am, already on the far end of the journey I only used to dream of.

 

 

I have also personally gone through the process of developing from a cadet officer to a leader. It had never been simple, in fact. You have to manage obstacles that appear to be insurmountable and overcome barriers you previously believed were impossible. But one thing I learned during the process was that the book's message is accurate. To be able to accomplish your work properly, you must truly show concern when interacting with your constituents. I took that action. I put my everything into the task at hand, and now here I am, already at the endpoint of the path I could only have imagined.

 

As a Cadet, I also have firsthand knowledge of transitioning from follower to leader. It had always been complex. You must juggle several tasks, control the seemingly uncontrollable, and overcome barriers you previously believed were insurmountable. However, I learned that the book's message is accurate during the journey. It would help if you treated your constituents with genuine concern to do your duties effectively. I took that action. I gave my job my all, and now I find myself already at the destination of the journey I could previously only imagine.