Grace Sohoel-Goldberg

10-29-2015
Eisenhower Reflection

2. President Eisenhower got his formal training and much of his experience in
leadership in the US Armed Forces. Do you think the military has an effective
system of developing leadership skills in general? What specific leadership
skill set is the military well suited to develop? Do you think military training
crosses over into other walks of life, such as education, politics and
technology? Why or why not?
I think that the military has an effective system of developing leadership
skills. This is done by ripping down a persons ego and sense of self and
rebuilding it with a team-oriented and selfless view of life. The military helps
its trainees develop leadership skills such as, team-building, reaction under
pressure and resourceful thinking. Although some skills of military training
cross over well in many fields (i.e. team work), I have learned through
personal relationships that the military generally doesnt transfer well to
real life. It is difficult for people in the military to adjust to a non-timeregimented and strict life to a more loose and self-directed attitude.

4. Every important contribution relies on the talents of multiple players. Even

great works that are created individually must rely on the involvements of

Grace Sohoel-Goldberg

other people to get that product to a market or audience. What have you
learned about teamwork so far that relates to leadership? How do you think
one develops a capacity for both working on a team and for managing a
team?
Teamwork would be impossible without leadership. There is always a sense
of healthy competition and hierarchy among a group of people and it is
therefore impossible for all people to perform on a team at an equal level.
There is always one person who leads the group whether that is obvious or
not. One develops a capacity for working on a team by stepping back and
learning to not only listening to the opinions/needs of others but also letting
others take control. One develops a capacity for managing a team by
applying the ideas and opinions of other to a project while keeping in mind
what is best and what will work most effectively.