• Briefly describe the experience (What was the background? What triggered the experience? What happened? What was the outcome?) Let this be my experience of success and failure derive from the same experience but focus on its different aspects. As I neared the end of my compulsory military service I was given the opportunity to lead a team of commanders from the training course I was part of. In the last three courses all five squad leaders were very experienced (with 2-4 courses under their belt). I was given the opportunity to lead the next course with a brand new team consisting of two "green" commanders. In addition to severe staff shortages, two complicating factors were added to the mix. First, it was the first course to include female soldiers in a male-dominated course. Secondly, after a few weeks of the course, it was decided that I would leave the course and move to a different department after the three months of the course. I consider this event an important experience because it was the first time I was entrusted with a responsibility of this magnitude and with both short and long-term implications. Although I know that the performance of the course under my leadership was above expectations and considered a success in many respects, I consider this experience as a personal failure because I was not able to sufficiently train the next line of leaders and after me I left, that The department suffered from poor performance (to put it mildly). • Why was this experience challenging for you? As I said above, it was the first time I had been given this type of responsibility and as someone who was considered a "star" in the unit it weighed heavily on my shoulders. In my next role I would have to train commanders and team leaders, so being successful is my... half the job... believing more in the importance of failure and the importance of focusing more on the process and less on the end result. I think if I were put in a leadership position today, I would put a lot more time and effort into creating a better environment that fosters learning and develops my followers' ability to take ownership of the issues at hand, even if the cost is less than poor performance. I also believe that my pursuit of change and creating higher standards is an important part of who I am and my internal motivation for leadership. I understand that there will always be conflict and that I may set very high standards that cannot be maintained after I leave. I'm an optimist and maybe even a romantic, and I think my struggle is still worth it, both for the organization I work for and for my own purpose and fulfillment.