ward0043 said:
1. Does anyone have some practical ways to get leadership experience outside of a manager position at a job? (like coaching, or even the reserves)
2. Does anyone know if they value personal character and motivation over CFAT Scores?
I am of the view of CND Aviator that you should wait for the outcome of your application process because
it is never over till it is over. However, since you want to activate a plan B, I thought my post could be helpful in that regard. I will rely on the info gathered from the web and through my interaction with the CFRC personnel. I will pause here to underscore our obligation to stick to the facts and not overwhelm this wonderful website with speculations, rumors, sarcasm, and other unnecessary posts. Otherwise, the search engine would have no choice but to deliver results according the Garbage In, Garbage Out principle. For the sake of clarity and to prepare the ground for my suggestions, key terms and concepts are defined in accordance to the well established references and pertinent literature. Relevant references are provided below in support of my post.
- The effect of CFAT score
All applicants are assigned a Military Potential rating (between 1 and 90) once the interview is completed. This rating is based on all the information generated during the recruiting process and is the outcome of a mixture of factors/variables, including the CFAT, leadership potential, military potential, education, education and experience. Mathematically speaking, this ranking is computed by means of standard linear model that assigns a weight factor to these factors/variables. For instance, the CFAT, which is not an evaluation of personal character, nor the motivation, is used to assess an applicant’s competitiveness for the military as well as for the chosen trades. Therefore the lower the CFAT, the harder it will be for an applicant to be selected. In addition, a moderate CFAT limits the choice for the trades.
To improve the CFA skills, a good preparation is needed in the Spatial Ability and the Problem Solving areas of the test. Spatial Ability (or spatial reasoning) is defined as “a test that predicts the ability to work with complex plans by mentally rotating two dimensional representations of three dimensional shapes. It is needed in engineering settings, architecture and interior design.” I would suggest the following link to explore similar tests of the types of CFAT: http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/tests/spatialtest.htm
To improve the problem-solving abilities, I would propose to take the GMAT computer-Adaptive Test which is available online (http://www.gmatexampracticetests.com/).
- Leadership potential
Leadership often means different things to different people, and the popular literature dealing with this paradigm is replete of confusion and many contradictory definitions. For instance a generic and value neutral definition of leadership is :
Directly or indirectly influencing others, by means of formal authority or personal attributes, to act in accordance with one’s intent or a shared purpose.
To unravel some of the confusion and to move away from traditional definition, the Canadian Forces Leadership Institute (CFLI) defines an effective CF leadership as:
Directing, motivating, and enabling others to accomplish the mission professionally and ethically, while developing or improving capabilities that contribute to mission success.
More specifically, this definition implies that “Effective CF leaders get the job done, look after their people, think and act in terms of the larger team, anticipate and adapt to change, and exemplify the military ethos in all they do. The CF leadership model is a value-expressive model, one that gives shape to the professional ideal of duty with honor.”
Therefore, an understanding of principles and concepts regarding the military leadership is the key to develop a strong military leadership potential. In this contest, I would suggest:
1. Volunteering for the National Defence Cadets Program in your region (www.cadets.ca);
2. Getting involved with volunteer activities through your alumni association;
3. Volunteering for high schools under the “Adult volunteer tutors” program.
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References
Canadian Forces Leadership Institute (CFLI), http://www.cda.forces.gc.ca/cfli-ilfc/introtoleadership-eng.asp
Manual of the Leadership in the Canadian Forces: Conceptual Foundations.
www.cda-acd.forces.gc.ca/cfli-ilfc/doc/dndcon-eng.pdf