Leadership in My Field

Zachary Kessinger

Once I graduate from Western Carolina University, I plan on going into the world of

criminal justice. While this interest could lead me down countless paths, I am wanting to focus

more on federal law enforcement. I want to go federal so I can make an attempt to impact the

system at its core and do what I can to get rid of the negative connotations currently surrounding

our justice system. Since the federal aspect of this field is very selective, it could be some time

before I am considered for a job. During this period of time, I may have to take a more local or

state job to gain experience. Recently, I have been pursuing a job within border patrol hoping

that I can eventually make my way to be an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This

type of career path, whether local, state, or federal, requires great leadership skills as employees

are faced with a variety of important decisions every time they go into work. They must be able

to lead others through difficult situations without hesitation and adapt to their superior’s

leadership styles.

I chose the Leadership Minor so that I could go ahead and gain some knowledge of what

exactly leadership is and how I can become a great leader. I now know that leadership cannot be

completely defined by one set definition. Everyone has a different idea of what it is and what

they visualize as an ideal leader. Leadership should be seen as fluid enough to fit the situation at

hand while being strong enough that once you find the style you need, you can complete a given

task. The leadership theory that I think will be the most applicable to my career is situational

leadership. This theory states that there is no one set style of leadership and the one best fit for a

certain time depends on the circumstances. I think this theory best fits the FBI because the
problems they handle often vary in terms of severity and how one must handle a situation. Tasks

they are given cannot all be taken care of in one way and different people will be appointed to

handle these tasks. In more severe cases, where time is more of an issue, there is probably more

directing involved since gathering team input takes up time. On the other hand, there are less

severe issues that can be handled with a more delegating approach since employees can be

trusted to handle them on their own. The utilization of directive and supportive behaviors comes

together to control a group. With the constant changing of duties this seems to be the best fit for

federal leadership. An example would be the Director of the FBI, Christopher Wray, and how he

leads those he manages. He listens to what others have to say which insinuates a more supportive

approach since he takes others opinions into account. At the same time, with a position of such

importance, and since his decisions are always the final word, he must be able to delegate as

well. A job requiring the combination of effective communication, personal accountability, and

being able to be dependent on your employees requires situational leadership. His leadership

style has been deemed quite effective, even by those who frequently critique the FBI, and they

feel as if he is genuinely making a change. By not using a completely autocratic style of

leadership, but still maintaining control, he has changed the FBI for the better. Leaders like him

are what I aspire to be by listening to those around them and combining that knowledge with

their own experiences to hopefully come out with the best outcome in the end.

I think this knowledge will make me a more competitive applicant since I have had a few

years to become a leader and learn specifically about leadership. Now, by the time I hopefully

become an agent, I may not be able to remember exact definitions of theories and styles, but I

will know the gist of them. I will understand that different styles will need to be utilized for the

situations I am put in. When it is asked of me, I will be able to look at circumstances and tasks
with an open mind and approach them from different angles. If I get placed in any form of

leadership position, I can experiment with different theories and find which ones go best with

which scenarios. Knowing what I have learned from my minor classes, I can be more confident

in my decisions. These classes have given me more confidence in leading others and I have been

able to practice these styles through my time in group projects. When it comes to dividing the

work for a project, I have become pretty good at being able to tell which person would be best

suited for a certain section. Then from there, I would be deciding whether parts of the project

require the group working together to complete or if one person is enough to handle it. Also, my

prior knowledge can be useful when dealing with bosses and their management styles. If I notice

that one boss has a more hands on approach, then I can be prepared for them to be watching what

I do and be more prone to following directions. Then if I have a boss with a more supportive

approach, I will know that I will be expected to make decisions on my own and go to them for

guidance if needed. Just having a basic knowledge of leadership styles can make me more

competitive than others. Leadership is very important in my field, so having any prior experience

in it at all can prove to be invaluable once I am out in the field making decisions.

Overall, I feel this minor has prepared me for my future career by giving me a stepping

stone into leadership. It has allowed me to experience different forms of leadership and be able

to differentiate them. These classes have boosted my confidence in being able to lead groups and

helped me decide what form of leadership I utilize the best. I look forward to learning more

throughout my time as an FBI agent and being able to watch my skills change and develop. It has

always been my dream to be a great leader and with the knowledge I have acquired, and will

acquire through time, I still believe I can accomplish this. It is said that practice makes perfect
and the fact I have been practicing leadership skills during my time in college before I even go

into the real world has helped me immensely.