What is the def. of professional and what is unprofessional? Seems to be pretty subjective based on the responses I read on this site.

I am more of a relaxed leader.<div><br></div><div>I enforce the regulations, without complaining to my subordinates, but honestly many of them are "stupid". I follow them not because I believe in them but because I believe in my job as an NCO, if that makes sense.</div><div><br></div><div>A high and tight hair cut, keeping hands out of pockets, logos on sunglasses...none of that stupid crap makes a Soldier better or not.</div><div><br></div><div>I had a Soldier that had a within-regulation haircut, albeit longer, and a very high ranking person (I won't point fingers since I'm still in the unit) threatened to bar him from re-enlisting because of the haircut.</div><div><br></div><div>If I ever find myself as a CSM where that is my biggest priority for the day...and I'm deployed and I call for the CSM and 1SG (that would be me) over the emergency base defense net to get them over there to scream at them for 15 minutes about that hair cut, I'm going to retire or shoot myself.</div><div><br></div><div>The things that people think make someone a good/professional Soldier often baffle me.</div><div><br></div><div>To me professional is respectful, great and dedicated at their job, physically fit, competent, and probably most importantly respectful - not to rank but to other human beings, not just superiors, but treating all Soldiers as human beings and adults.</div><div><br></div><div>You talk to some senior leaders and they think professional is a high and tight, short or non-existant sideburns, 300 APFT, and everything else is secondary. And some of these people are the same people that will scream, belittle, and generally stomp over all of their subordinates while claiming THEY are unprofessional for stupid things. Unprofessional is bullying and screaming in my opinion.</div><div><br></div><div>A little quote from Eisenhower:</div><div><br></div><div><div>You don't lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership.</div><div><br></div></div><div>Hell I had a senior leader tell me "are you satisfied with scoring a 180 on your APFT?!" Of course my answer was "No" because I love lifting weights and fitness. Their reply was "If you don't like barely meeting the standard on the APFT then why are your sideburns barely meeting the standard!?! Cut your sideburns further!!!"</div><div><br></div><div>So my sideburns, which were about 1/8" above the lower opening of the ear (so "exceeding the standard" by 1/8"), were expect to be now cut to the UPPER opening of the ear, to "exceed" the 670-1 standard and therefore show how professional I am/was.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>I can't think of a thought process much more ridiculous than some of those.</div>

We shouldn't confuse the fact that we are using professional in both its meanings. We serve in the profession of arms and as such we are professionals. Who actually falls in that category varies with some saying that SSG and above are professionals and others saying SFC, but it still means we are not members of a trade or simply laborers. We have dedicated our lives to a larger funtion. The second usage of the word is not to say one is not a professional Soldier but rather one has violated the norms we have agreed on as members of a profession. Those don't have to be ethical or legal violations but if they are unethical or illegal they most certainly meet the definition of unprofessional. But we have all also known that young officer or young NCO who is doing his initial entry requirement and is then punching out to take his skills to the civilian world. Now that guy can be a professional for no matter how short the period may be, but I'm talking about the one who is just going through the motions. He is the unprofessional without being illegal or unethical. 

To me professionalism is how you carry yourself and act.
I go to parade rest for anyone that out ranks me and talk to everyone the way I would like to be talked to. I don't think your hands in your pocket is unprofessional. I wear my uniform correctly and with pride, but my pants may be bloused lower than regulation allows but I still look professional by the way I act and converse.