1. I have known many leaders since beginning my career in the Coast Guard. The leaders I remembered ranged in rank from junior to senior officer. A few of my influences were successful throughout their careers while others experienced tribulations along the way but always recovered. The leaders who had the most influence were those who had a good balance of positional and personal power. My leadership influences were introduced to me during my first and nineteenth years in the Coast Guard.2. The first influential leader I was introduced to was my first unit after basic training. The Coast Guard Cutter Sedge (WLB-402) was a sea buoy docked in Homer, Alaska in 1995. Boatswain's Mate Third Class at the time, Chad Holm, had an immense responsibility. He was responsible for over thirty members of Deck Force and daily operations, which demanded a lot of a junior service member. At the time, Master Holm displayed a good balance between personal and positional power. Considering that he was the superior master of his division, he occupied a role of power by default. He demonstrated leadership by demonstrating confidence and organization. Most of his subordinates were his age, which presented a challenge due to his supervisory role. As a supervisor, he was motivating and encouraged each of his colleagues to excel in their responsibilities and their career paths. He held competitions to see how well we did buoy operations, deck seamanship, helm and lookout shifts, and port duty drills. The fact that he cared about our performance showed in his interactions with us and it resonated and inspired us to be the best we could be. The Master Holm sought... middle of paper ...... is defined by how I view myself as a leader. I have a leadership ability that I am comfortable with, but I am always refining it as I witness the character traits of leaders who inspire me. My philosophy is that I understand that I have an important duty to them as they do to me. I was given the responsibility to one day step into my shoes and become an enlisted leader. Therefore, I am responsible for teaching them the proper way to conduct Coast Guard operations. This is important because the leadership cycle depends on the quality of guidance that has been instilled in the upcoming generation. If the leadership was poor, expect the result to reflect on the new leader and cause problems that are likely to be repeated. If the quality of leadership was influential, our future leaders would have a solid foundation for their subordinates to build on..