Throughout my career, I have had a number of experiences that have enriched me as a person and as a leader. Webster's New World Dictionary describes an experience as “the act of experiencing one or more events; personal involvement or observation of events as they occur”. Each individual faces such experiences based on their own personality, yet some of them create such profound effects that they transform an individual's sense of identity or the way a person perceives their environment. Now, those events are called crucible experiences and they cause us to reflect on what we have encountered. Therefore, exposure to such affairs within professional situations often defines the future steps to be taken within an organization as a leader at the organizational level. I consider Intermediate Level Education (ILE) at the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) to be a crucial experience, as it will influence my ability to influence people, to implement change within an organization and, above all, to develop a clear leadership philosophy. Although some people will criticize me for writing this essay before the end of the course, and I will probably reflect even more on this time at Fort Leavenworth within two or three years, this experience has already had an intense impact about my life. After seven months, I have observed enough to summarize some initial points of the teaching. With this article I limit myself to the influence that ILE has on my professional development, and not to the experiences I have encountered during my travels or personal contacts. Beyond that, I take it as obvious that I have learned to value the importance of the people and things I appreciate in my home country. The presence in a different cultural environment, far from a trusted environment, surrounded by... middle of paper... ....the College of Command and General Staff. L100 Book of Readings (Fort Leavenworth, KS: USASGSC, August 2011), 125 to 136. Gene Klann, Dr., “The Application of Power and Influence in Organizational Leadership.” Reproduced by and for the Command and General Staff College. L100 Book of Readings (Fort Leavenworth, KS: USASGSC, August 2011), 65 to 68. Yvonne, Doll, and Billy Miller, “Applying the Kotter Model: Making Transformational Change in a Large Organization.” Reproduced from the Command and General Staff College. L100 Book of Readings (Fort Leavenworth, KS: USASGSC, August 2011), 97 to 103. Gerald F. Sewell, LTC (US Army Retired), “Self-Awareness and the Philosophy of Leadership: Why Leaders Need It and because they need to write It's down." Reproduced from the Command and General Staff College. L100 Book of Readings (Fort Leavenworth, KS: USASGSC, August 2011), 409 to 414