“Leadership Journey”

By PLT PATRICK JAMES S DELA CRUZ

PSOBC CLASS 2019-36/ECHO COY
Are Leaders born or made?
One of the most common questions associated with the topic of “leadership” is, “Do you
think leaders are born or made?” So, my answer to this question would be “Yes, leaders are either
born or made.”
Leaders are born in that we all have different inherent talents. Sometimes some people are
lucky that their natural talent corresponds well with good leadership, as well as the challenges and
opportunities that they might encounter.
On the other hand, leaders are also made because even if people are born with inherent
talent, it is no guarantee of a good leadership performance. For instance, an inborn talent for art or
music does not translate into performance without learning the specifics of art or music. One still
has to develop such talent to be an effective and efficient leader to others.
Hence, always remember, leaders may be born but leaders are always made.
Do you have what it takes to be a Leader?
Every leader has their own personal chemistry associated with their behaviors, thinking,
actions, performance, and ways of connecting with people.
Leaders need to meet the needs of people. They need to focus not on themselves, but on
others just like our commitment as law enforcers, which is to serve and protect the people.
Also, leaders need to be able to communicate openly, to listen more, to be honest with their
dealings, to have a dynamic vision, and to be accountable for their actions especially with the
execution of the law and the authority they are exercising towards others.
Furthermore, leaders also need to be compassionate despite their strong personality and to
be able to use both emotional and social intelligence to build relationships with the community
that they will served.
Therefore, Leadership is about using the head and the heart. It is about motivating others
especially their colleagues or subordinates and gaining their commitment to delivering exemplary
performance and services despite the challenges or hardships that they may encounter throughout
their journey.
Self-reflection on my Leadership Journey
Throughout my career, I have discovered that leadership is more than just a science, more
than just an art, and more than just a craft. Leadership is founded on human chemistry which is the
ability of a leader to look inward and become fully self-aware, and the ability of a leader to look
outward and build an understanding of others.
 Good leaders are constantly growing, evolving, and developing with the aid of this training
or schooling. I have learned to develop my abilities to engage, not to control others, but to gain
regular and constructive feedback or criticism, and have a passion to drive for more success in this
field of public service.
My leadership wisdom is based on experiences and knowledge throughout life. This
wisdom had an impact on my judgments, decisions, and actions. I have learned to have a clear
purpose and mission. My wisdom is founded on actively listening, on building engaging
relationships, and on communicating efficiently and effectively.
So, here are some of my personal wisdom acquired and developed from my leadership
learning journey of being an authority of law / law enforcer:
 Always find the good and positive in everything.
 Use past lessons to build future experiences.
 Make careful choices and turn dreams into reality.
 Accept challenges and stretch innovative imagination.
 Learn and grow from the contributions of others.
 Appreciate the love and support of a community.