October 2013

So this time I thought we might go back to a little before defined leadership styles.  Because you have to know where you come from in order to know where you are going.  And in addition to this knowledge, you must also know about those who you are in a leadership position over and those whom you work alongside.

Knowing the types of personalities and differences within your organization and the people you work alongside helps to provide a better suited and more appropriate leadership style or type for the situation.  For example, if you are starting a  new organization there needs to be a balance of taking charge and listening to the input of others.  If you are too demanding and overbearing, interested people will not join the organization.  On the other hand, if you do not supply a goal and steps to reach this goal, then the group will limp along and barely function and provide useful benefits for those who joined the organization.

Walking the road between these two extremes can be a perilous practice in the best of times.  Many mistakes are made on the way to finding the right balance.  A part of leading others is realizing when you have stumbled on your path and a willingness to admit your mistake to your peers and take the appropriate steps to rectify the issue.  Knowing when these steps have occurred is an important part of your ability to lead.  You must be willing to take risks and try different styles and practices in order to find the right fit.  If you never take at least some risks, then your position will be stagnant and improvement and change w ill never find their way to your door.

September 2013

So....do you think that leadership is always a neat little list of what to do and when to do it, while looking perfect??  Leadership is not always shining brightly in the spotlight or getting the credit that you think is your due.   Sometimes, we have to get down in the muck and do the hard work no one else is willing to do.

Positions of leadership are not always black and white.  Nope...of course we all know that they are organized into little lists of what needs to be done and when to do it, or how to get it done.  One could hope so, but most of the time, leadership positions come with a lot of rules and little or no instruction.  When elected into a leadership position one must explore new options and find innovative ways of operating within the office.  A lot of the time it feels like if you ever had a map of your plan, it was shredded long ago...like back when you first got off the train for the new job.  Of course, who would worry about this, you're a leader right??...what could possibly go wrong??

The answer:  anything....one of the biggest lessons I have finally learned through experience, is that in order to get it right, you will have to get it wrong more than a few times.  Trying new ways and methods isn't always a clear-cut victory or a perfect solution.  Through trial and error, one finds their way into what will work for their organization.  Sometimes one part of the plan will work...and the other part will be more of a.... better not do that again.  At the end of the day, it comes down to getting down into the process that makes up your position or organization and learning from firsthand experience the ins and outs of its needs for a good operation.

Whether or not this puts you in the spotlight, ...I can't say.  But, eventually, someone will notice what you have done, and when they do it will probably mean more to you than if the entire crowd is cheering and applauding for your name.

Here I Am Now What?

Okay, so leaving it down to the last few days to get in my September  blog.....  My leadership event for September happens to be attending the presentation of Pat Williams in Blackwell.  I hope this counts, but anyways.... 

When I went in to sit down, I was unsure as to whether or not this was going to be one of the speakers that you sit through and survive.  I was actually surprised, because I got the impression of "hey, this guy knows what he is talking about."  Not only did he outline some simple steps to being a good leader, but he followed the points himself in his presentation.  The seven points were: vision, communication, people skills, character, competence, boldness, and a serving heart.  Most of these were easy to see.

      For myself I found a goal that I have had for a while.....but have you know...... swept under the rug and put off working on.  Communication, I hate speaking in front of people....   I mean come on its like being put on a pedestal with a sign hanging around your neck that says....'go on and stare this is a one time embarrassment moment.'  Not my favorite thing; however, I realize that I need to work on actually speaking this year and not just using sarcasm to make people laugh while I am presenting.

Guess what I am trying to say is to be more inspirational and less entertaining.

So, goal  for myself....

Speak with something to say and don't waste listeners when you have them.

April

     As this first year of the program comes to a close, I have accomplished many things.  I would not believe that I would part of student government during my first semester on campus, and now I am preparing to serve my second term as a senator.  Being involved with leadership fellows has given me the opportunity and backing to get involved in activities that I would have never considered before.  So even though it is ironic, I guess one could say that it helped me to become a better leader.  I still have a lot to work on, but I am already seeing results of studying leadership.

     The latest example of leadership that I can report is in a project for my Spanish 115 class.  We have a group video project due, and I stepped up to the plate to organize our group.  Everyone in the group was afraid  to make final decisions on things, such as meeting times, so I started organizing our group.  We have not finished the project, but we all we have left to do is film.  This is a role that I have never had the courage to step up and lead something like this before.  Being in leadership fellows has helped me to gain confidence in my abilities as a person and leader. 

March

Leadership, it is shown through actions and words, but the unnoticed leaders in society are often overlooked because they allow their actions to speak for them.

While on spring break, I was trained for my summer job.  One of the most important things mentioned in our training was the concept of leading through actions.  While we may be there for service, my position is a very visible one at the forefront of the company's interaction with guests.  Though we are not responsible for the actions of other employees, those in my position are expected to be above the required dress and politeness guidelines.  We represent the company and  give a personal feeling to the customer of the direction that the business has taken.

Though a small employee may seem like an insignificant leader, they may in fact leave behind quite an impression on customers.  People notice the little things that set individuals apart oftentimes.  One word, or an extra bit of kindness, can be the difference between an indifferent and favorable impression.  Letting your actions speak above your words can take you a long ways in beginning to lead.

Seeing is Believing

     Many times, people have to see an occurrence before they will acknowledge that it happens.  For myself, I was aware of various forms of leadership, but fortunately, the worse forms, up until now, were learned about in school through books or observed in movies.  Experience calls for one to step up to the plate and acknowledge that an event is taking place in their real everyday lives.  My point is this, I went to my high school's homecoming basketball game over j-term and was amazed by the following occurrence, where I learned what will happen upon the graduation of the current class.

     I know that many types of leadership are in practice, but until this recent act, I was not used to bad leadership hitting so close to home.   The school is a small, "Christian" environment, and yet they seek to deny the valedictorian her right to the title and honor that accompany her position as head of the class.  The hypocrisy and treatment of students in this environment displays a horrible example of leadership and what a good leader should do.  I saw for myself that the school I attended since kindergarten has fallen to awful forms of leadership and how this bad guidance can affect the reaches of opinion and influence of those associated with the school.

    

     Due to the religion of the top student in the class, she is unable to receive the honor of valedictorian.  Even though this rule is not written in any of the agreements and guidelines for attending the school,  she is not to be rewarded for her effort and grades.  Fulfilling every requirement needed according to school policy, the administration will not honor her position.  This is the worst example of leadership to me because the leaders are performing exactly opposite of the values they teach.  Not only has this effected the students at the school, but also those people who are associated with the establishment.  Actions on the leaders of the school affect others in addition to themselves, and their poor leadership has a wide sphere of pollution.

November: Leading By Example

In the month of November, I had various encounters with examples of leadership, but one in particular stood out.  This experience was after the program's trip to Washington D. C. when the groups were working on their projects.  Many of the groups did not have a head start on their project or a goal as to what their final project would be.  This fact made me think about my group and the rest of the students that are in the honors hall in Andrews where I live.

Honestly, I think that our group displayed leadership in the situation because my friends where motivated to get their work done when they saw my group working on our project.  Even the ones that are not prat of the leadership fellows program felt the desire and motivation to start on their assignments and to get involved in campus life.  My group led by example in this situation because by seeing our actions, others were led to follow.

Through this experience last month, I also convinced some of my friends to get involved.  Joining the riding team has allowed me to make more connections and have involvement on campus.  A few of the people that I know have told me that they would like to be more involved and want to join organizations like the riding team.  They have come to this conclusion by watching my actions, not by listening to me preach about leadership.

Leading by example and action builds trust and brotherhood between leaders and those that they lead.  Without this trust, leaders are not as effective when they attempt to accomplish a task.