Throughout history, many great political leaders got their start in the military. A shining example is President Dwight Eisenhower.
As the head of the Allied Command in World War II, Eisenhower was responsible for organizing and orchestrating the famed D-Day invasion of the Normandy beach that culminated in Europe’s liberation. He later went on to become president, and his accomplishments in the Oval Office included the planning, funding and construction of our interstate freeway system.
Eisenhower’s success didn’t happen by accident. Much of it was due to the values and leadership skills he learned as a military officer.
An organization like the military requires things like a clear chain of command and standards of conduct. There are expectations for performing assigned duties and consequences for failing to do so. Complacency is not a part of the military culture.
The 25 years that I spent serving in the military taught me much about the accountability that accompanies positions of leadership. I feel that experience will help me lead the residents of Clackamas County towards a brighter and more prosperous future as their new commissioner.
I consider leadership to be the sum of those qualities of intellect, human understanding and moral character that enable a person to inspire a group of people to successfully focus their collective efforts to achieve goals.
Among the biggest lessons I have learned is that true leaders don’t delegate difficult tasks or simply send out memos stating what they want done. Being a leader involves much more than issuing orders and commands.
A real leader must set the example they want to see followed. That involves an inner drive and the significant resolve and discipline necessary to see potentially complicated projects through to completion.
My style of leadership centers heavily on responsibility. I have always been devoted to accomplishing the mission at hand and strive daily to display competence, courage and commitment in whatever I do. The pursuit of constant self-improvement relies on regular assessment of personal traits such as bearing, decisiveness, dependability, endurance, enthusiasm, initiative, integrity, judgment, knowledge, loyalty, tact and unselfishness.
I have constantly strived to use these kinds of proven leadership principles in the various military and civilian work environments in which I have been put in charge. These skills will be invaluable in helping me represent you as Clackamas County Commissioner.
My day-to-day approach is to ensure that I’m knowledgeable of the details and the experiences of the people within the organization I am managing. I learn to know what their strengths and weaknesses are and how to bring out their best performance.
It’s also important to me that I keep everyone around me well-informed. That way, they understand their tasks. The teams under my supervision are always inclusive and free of cliques and crony clubs. The decisions I make are both sound and timely.
All of this will be done and implemented with the end goal of ensuring that the county government is run efficiently and within its capabilities.
I am committed to making Clackamas County a better place to live for all our citizens and businesses. With faith, hard work the kinds of effective leadership and devotion to duty that I’ve demonstrated throughout my career will get us there.