Leadership:The Overall Look

How have you been able to apply what you have learned about leadership?

Throughout the course, I’ve come across many different learning aspects that have helped me and my leadership abilities. The book, Exploring Leadership focuses a lot on the relational leadership model and how our leadership actions that we take part in ceases from this model. The model is broken up into five main parts…Ethics, Purposeful, Inclusiveness, Empowering and Process. Out of those five, I have applied the idea of ethics, inclusiveness and purposeful into my daily life as well as towards leadership. I believe that the model helps a person achieve more productivity in leadership roles because it helps define leadership itself….making it easy for others to understand what makes up leadership and how leaders obtain important positional standings based on these fundamentals.  

For example,  an important part of leadership is having a code of ethics. I have realized that if you lead by the values that are truly important to you, you have more success in obtaining followers and authority among others. Ethics is a key part in leadership because it’s a crucial founding to what you believe in or more so, the reason why you are choosing to do what you are doing. I have used this towards leadership to help me set across my goals for a giving project and to let others know what I have in mind for the overall objective of the group. Taking away from the use of the relational model, I have also found that purposeful plays a big part in my actions as a leader. It has helped me understand that every action that is taking place is driven by an overall important goal. Without purposeful, there’s really nothing to work for. I have been able to use the act of “purpose” to help me better understand where I would want to lead a group through my leadership position and what we are striving for. Lastly, they’re inclusiveness. This aspect has helped me to be aware of others and to listen more. I believe that being a leader is having the ability to have an open mind, thus creating better leadership.

How are you more aware of yourself?

That’s actually a good question! By being able to be enrolled in Leadership 270, it has helped me understand what my purpose is when dealing with others and how I can contribute to a setting. By having the opportunity to take a class on leadership, it has helped me understand how leaders are made and what is key in having good leadership. It has driven me to do more for myself and has made me understand the type of person I am more clearly. Leadership 270, has made me more aware of what I should work on and the strengths I possess. Speaking of strengths, taking the strengths test has helped me come to terms with what personality type I have. I can’t quite remember what all of my strengths were, but I recall having harmony at the top of my list. It has made me aware that I am a really humble person who seeks peace versus stirring up issues among others.

Also, with the opportunities that this class has given me, it has made me clearly understand what type of role I possess in the world. This year, I had the honor of being able to attend the Annual Conference on Leadership and Civic Engagement. It was a fun experience and I had a great time going to different activities among the day. By doing group activities and talking to various students that day, it has made me more aware of how I share commonalities among others and how there are others that possess the same qualities as myself. Also, by doing some of the activities, I have come to a realization that I am a huge active listener in certain activities and a active participant in others. It has helped me come to terms with what I feel is comfortable to me and has made me notice that maybe in certain situations I should learn to speak more than just listen. Overall, having the opportunity to take this class has opened a new gateway for me and has pushed me to become more active in leadership/community projects.

                                                             

What things do you now see differently? How are you changing?

While taking this course, I have had the pleasure of being able to be exposed to many walks of life. Also, by having the opportunity to learn new insight on leadership that I would probably never have the chance to learn. This course has made me see things in a new perspective and has made me more knowledgeable on the given subject. For example, I remember the first day of Leadership 270 and we all had to define what makes a leader or what leadership is in general. It was nice getting the insight of so many other students and to see what others had to say. It has made me think differently by helping me understand that the world is based on the contributions of others and how every act tends to affect individuals globally rather than individually. I also remember a male student that day stating that though we may think that so and so about leadership, our overall understanding is the same….making this concept into a melting pot. That quote has helped me understand that yes, we may define leadership in our own way but we understand the overall purpose and knowledge that is holds.  

With this being said, I feel that I have been changing in many ways. I have become more aware of those around me and I have a wider eye for new experiences/people who may bring more to the table than expected. Taking this class has changed my idea of how to approach an issue and has made me think more clearly towards given situations. I feel that with the chapters we read and the in class activities, the effects that each part has played has made me into more aware person. This class has taught me to be open, aware and insightful to other aspects in life that stray away from my social norm. I am seeing that by being more knowledgeable about leadership, it has made me more of a “go-getter” rather than someone that watches the crowd. I see myself changing by being more involved and willing to help in any way I can…mostly, by helping those I know run an orientation group. I have come to an overall realization that I have changed in a positive way, making me more of a well rounded person.

How will you continue your learning about leadership?

With this class coming to an end, I will definitely try to continue learning about leadership by being involved in services within my community as well as on campus. I actually plan to work within FYE and possibly receive a job within the department. I plan to work with FYE to be able to do the success series for incoming freshmen next year. I have also thought a long time about getting the opportunity to become a tour guide for incoming freshmen and transfer students coming to OSU. I feel that by being able to apply and receive the job opportunity to become a tour guide for OSU will help with broadening my abilities in leadership. Being able to properly speak and lead a group of strangers takes a lot of confidence and I believe it was also strengthen my leadership skills because in a way, you are technically “leading” a group.

Besides job opportunities, I feel that by having the chance with others to work on a group project also strengthens a person’s leadership skills. Group work is a vital foundation in creating and sustaining leadership. Working in groups helps individuals learn their strengths and weaknesses and it’s also another form of engagement for those to venture out of their comfort zone. For instance, I’ve worked on numerous projects this past quarter. After awhile, you learn your groups strengths and what each person can contribute effectively. Working in small groups during leadership class also has helped me with leadership. It made me more open to speak and work with others that I didn’t know very well. Nonetheless, I plan to read books that discusses the importance of leadership and justifies what makes a leader. I believe reading is a great way to help boost leadership but sometimes it’s often overlooked.

Below are high rated leadership books:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0787984922/ref=asc_df_07879849221920882?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=0787984922 

http://www.amazon.com/Developing-Leader-Within-John-Maxwell/dp/0785281126/ref=cm_lmf_tit_1

What is your own philosophy of leadership?

Leadership is the principles and values a leader possesses in his/her life that affects the way he/she leads a group of individuals. I believe leadership is based on morals and a set of rules that are deeply ingrained in a person, which in fact, dictates effectively how well an individual can lead a team. Leadership is more intended to be an act of reaching out, versus selfishness for one’s own needs. Leadership is only effective with an individual that is self driven and is able to put him/herself in a powerful position with the help of others supporting the latter to leadership. Also, leadership is a quality that many of us possess regardless is a person’s doubts his/herself. For some, leadership may be a given and “extraverted” trait that is clear amongst others to see. For others, leadership is held in lower social positions, however, leadership is leadership.

Nonetheless, the book speaks about the aspects of leadership and how those aspects are rooted in the way we lead. On page 4 of Exploring Leadership, the author explains that “leadership is a concern of all of us” and “as individuals and groups, we have a responsibility to contribute effectively as members of organizations….”. The author is in fact true. I believe that the concern  of wanting to lead and form leadership for others is a natural drive that humans possess. We strive to help others and to have others follow along our path. To know that you have others looking up to you for advice or looking to seek knowledge from your actions is a great feeling. Also, leadership is something that comes from within, it’s a natural feeling of holding a high standing over others (in a positive way). Overall, leadership is a set of rules and morals that leaders follow in order to effectively lead a group of individuals in a positive direction, thus producing more leaders. The cycle of leadership is never endless, it’s a cycle that gradually continues and moves from one person to the next.

Leadership Quotes

Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.
Colin Powell


It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.
Nelson Mandela

Drive

Drive, a motivation book written by Daniel Pink elaborates on the fundamental concepts that “drive” us to do what we do and how we do it. Pink thoroughly explains that our ability to perform tasks effectively are driven by our inner needs (what will we get in the end). Pink builds the book on three main concepts:  autonomy, mastery & purpose. He explains that without these fundamentals, humans have no need to work, prosper or achieve any form of reward. In the end, autonomy, mastery & purpose are what drives us to be who we are, it forms the basis of businesses but most importantly it’s the motivational pieces that form our leadership roles.  

            As a whole, I really enjoyed reading the sections where Pink addresses the three main elements. Below are the key points that Pink makes while explaining each element and how they hold a role in any leadership/work environment-----

            The first element that Pink addresses is autonomy. Autonomy is having a sense of independence or in other words, it’s the large scope of having freedom. Pink gives numerous examples of how autonomy is incorporated not only in our own lives but more importantly along the lines of the business spectrum. For instance, in chapter 4, he gives an example of a man named Gunther who launched an autonomy based experiment at one of his companies, Meddius. Gunther incorporated into the work environment “ROWE” which stands for results only work environment. ROWE gives employees the freedom to work without a schedule. I feel like this is conventional because it offers a sense of freedom from the norm of the workforce. From my personal experience with working in groups, I’ve noticed that this idea does function effectively. It allows members of a group to achieve more because it takes the thought of stress off the table. Great idea in my opinion!

            Secondly, the book addresses the element, mastery. Mastery is the ability to grasp a certain ability, for instance, the mastery of Spanish. Mastery is what helps drive us to compete and what helps us acknowledge what we are good at and how far we can push ourselves. Within the chapter, the author points out that the concept of “Flow” is an important  aspect of mastery. Flow is the idea that goals are meant to be clear and in reach. Most importantly, the relational abilities of what a person can and cannot do was perfect. Flow is the state where a person’s ability is just right to do the job. No task is out of hand because a person is not qualified to obtain it. While I was reading this, I felt that Pink does make a good point. As a leader, you have to find out what are the strengths and weaknesses of others let alone yourself so you can judge where to place people in certain situations, making them feel that their talents are well utilized. This is what I think is key in having good leadership skills.

            Lastly, there’s purpose. Purpose is the central thought behind everything (Why are we here? What’s our goal? What’s the world to me?). Stated on page 132, the book says, “ From the moment that human beings first stared into the sky, contemplated their place in the universe, and tried to create something that bettered the world and outlasted their lives, we have been purpose seekers.” Purpose is what truly motivates each and every one of us to do the things that we do on a daily basis. Whether it’s from going to work, school or working on an art piece, our inner drive to do it is what pushes us to great lengths. With purpose, comes goals and the impact it has on our lives. With the goals we set for ourselves, we can see how it will affect us in the long run. Evidently, the meaning of purpose is to help people understand that life is govern by what you make of it what drives you to be the person that you are and how you get there. This concept, I feel is strongly present in the whole leadership spectrum.

            As I look back to the key elements of the book, I’ve realized that the majority of what Pink is saying corresponds to the aspects of leadership. If you take a look, leadership is having the ability to lead others but nonetheless, be aware of other social aspects that people may bring to the table. Pink formerly introduces the thought of autonomy and how CEO’s of companies are utilizing the idea to produce more productivity, the same thing goes for leadership. If the leader of a group gives his/her followers more room to be independent, more creative and productive thoughts would come out of the mix. Autonomy plays a major part in leadership, by addressing the need to have freedom and the ability to be able to grow. In a way, I think it’s a good part in the process of forming new leaders.

            Also, when I read the sections on mastery and purpose, it helped me understand leadership more clearly. To be a leader, one has to be driven, motivated and possess the ability to help others in a positive way. However, in order to achieve this glorified act, one has to have a purpose and set of mastery skills in order to lead. Mastery is basically self explanatory, it’s the act of doing a task perfectly with no hassles along the way. Purpose, is knowing what role a person possesses. As pink explains, these are two of the three elements that helps people understand themselves more clearly. I believe after reading this book that leaders, let alone leadership, are based on a set of mastery skills that serve a purpose in helping the lives of others.  

            Another thing also comes to mind when I think about the books concepts. All of the three are aspects that I experience in my own life, leadership wise or not. As I think about autonomy coming from a leadership standpoint, I see the importance it plays for giving others the room to grow and follow their own path in a positive way. From my personal standpoint, I see autonomy being essential  because people are driven by independence and having the choice to be given the right to make their own decisions versus following a set of govern rules. Also, I use mastery and purpose in certain leadership positions to more effectively help others. No one wants a leader or person in charge who doesn’t have a clue what he/she is doing. I’ve come to a realization that mastery is important because you can only lead by what you know very well and what you are good at, and that’s the overall purpose you’re trying to achieve when striving to help others.

            Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book because it has helped me realize that leadership is built on core concepts and will always remain this way. Also, we may not agree that many of us are leaders, but if you think about it, we are. Some individuals are big leaders while others target a smaller group. This book has really helped me understand what goes into leadership/high power roles in society and has made me understand what it takes to achieve those positions.

Again, overall great book!

Tuckman's Model

When I think about Tuckman's model I immediately think about being apart of The National Honor Society back in high school. I know I'm in college now but that was the first thought that popped into my mind....

If you think closely, being apart of The National Honor Society does follow the Tuckman Model.

Forming

• The book centers that the meaning of forming is the initial stage of putting a group together, which is true. 

For instance, The National Honor Society was formed on the merits of good academics. Students who accumulated above a 3.0 for all four years in high school were given the privilege to join. Letters of requirements were passed to all students who qualified and thus, this way the first step in the formation of NHS. Also, once admitted, roles such as President, Secretary...etc were to be assigned(cast by votes). Each position played an important role in how NHS would run. Year after year, NHS used this method to form a group based on new members.

Storming 
In NHS, we came to a lot of standstills when it came to this certain stage. Matters of opinion differed from one individual to the next, making it hard for many of us to agree on the same subject. For starts, we did a lot of blood drives, food drives, and charity work through my high school. The NHS was in charge of all of it but the trouble was having everyone agree on how to run about putting all aspects together. Our main issues always came to working the blood drives, specifically with "who can work". We eventually solved the issue with giving those with more flexible schedules to work longer and those with limited time to carry out the little duties such as, stocking the snack table, passing out booklets and cleanup.

Norming  

• The book explains that norming follows storming in the attempt to make readers understand that "norming" is how a group functions on a regular basis after learning how the group typically interacts.

When I used to be in NHS, the group did have a distinct pattern. We always held meetings every Tuesday, our head chairman always started out with a greeting and a brief synopsis of the meeting. Also, during these meetings, members always knew to volunteer for upcoming projects around the school. 

Performing

When it comes to this part of the model, NHS was definitely an 'Ongoing Group'. We had many projects in line for the whole school year, however, each event gave room/time to plan. In order to plan out and work out certain events we always held a sign up sheet outside of the meeting room door. Making it easy for those who are interested in working on a project to sign up. Also, the weekly meetings makes it easy to keep tasks in order and refreshed. 

Adjourning

• The book points out that the last step of the model is based on a group's ability to be recognized and participate in a celebration of their work. 

I totally agree with this statement because that was exactly how I ended my time in The National Honor Society. With the hard work that the members of the group and myself put towards blood drives and food drives we were greatly recognized for it. We all received badges of recognition and I received a stole to wear during graduation as well as other selected members. I believe that all groups want to be praised when they reach this point of the journey. 

                                        

                                                     

What's Your Type?

After taking the Jung Typology Test, I ended up getting ENTJ.


ENTJ Stands for the following:
Extraverted
Intuitive
Thinking
Judging


I wasn't really surprised by my results, especially the extraverted part. Being extraverted means surrounding yourself with the outside world versus being condemned to inner sanctions. I know there may be times where I may not feel comfortable in a social setting but overall, I am very outgoing and expressive person. 


As for Intuitive, I define it as having the ability to be instinctive and perceptive to things/aspects that surrounds us. In a way, I can relate because I often find myself thinking of different viewpoints on a given subject and I feel I have the mindset to see where others are often coming from. 


Thinking, in my terms, basically means having logic to reason and be rational. Overall, aren't we all thinking animals? I feel that this term not only suites me but it falls for everyone. We all are always going through a thinking process on a daily basis. Whether it's considering what to wear or how to solve a problem on a math exam, the process/word of thinking is always continuous. 


Lastly, there's Judging. Judging means to act upon in order to make a logical decision on a certain matter. In a way, I kind of see myself doing this. I hate it when things are out of order or when certain aspects of my life aren't resolved. Maybe this is the reason why I always tend to be the mediator for certain situations in my personal life. The ability to judge and think clearly does solve issues. 


My Daily Life Examples
Extraverted: Being social....Speaking up in class, voicing opinions, interacting with friends


Intuitive: Knowing the outcome of my friends' grades by the way they study lol. 


Thinking: Working on hw, deciding logically to go out or study, debating if a person is cool to hang out with or a pain in the a**...etc


Judging: Working on deadlines, resolving conflicts(friendships)....(this one was hard, this is all I have) 

:D

Let's talk Model

Out of the five, I would have to say that ethics and purposeful were the categories that that I felt most comfortable with.

When it comes to ethics, it’s pretty self explanatory. Each and every one of us lives by a set of rules or shall I say, “Principles”. As I see it, ethics makes up who we are, it defines the morals in which we stand by and influences the way we act and live our lives….In my opinion, talking about the topic of ethics is most comfortable because you’re basically explaining yourself (your beliefs, feelings, and values that justifies your lifestyle).

Moving along….purposeful also caught my attention. This really touches home because I always find myself determined to do something, whether it’s big or small. I like helping others and the feeling of being wanted or given a task to complete is what drives me to be the person that I am. When you think about it, everyone can relate to being purposeful. We are social creatures that tend to rely on each other for help and often, goals or “having a purpose” to do something comes from the needs of those we know or more so, from others around us.

As for the other three, (process, inclusiveness, and empowering) I can’t really speak much about. I’ve never really had much experience/occurrences with these aspects. Yes I’ve realized I’ve experienced being empowered, or going through a process of results, but each of these topics are limited to an extent. I feel I still need to learn more about what it really means to be empowering (beyond the general scope of the term). The same goes for process and inclusiveness. I need to experience more and learn the basis in which leadership is formed upon.

Overall, I see the relationship that these aspects play in part to one another when it comes to leadership. Leadership is based on a relationship of fundamentals and overall knowledge that enables people to lead others.   

The Fundamentals

Part One

Currently at Ohio State I am not involved in any leadership communities; however, I have been volunteering for consecutive years in the past to help the community around my high school (Marion-Franklin) and the local elementary school (Watkins Elementary) with mostly tutoring and other academic related jobs. I and a few other Marion-Franklin alumni help tutor students at the high school who are in need of an academic boost and in a way; the students tend to be more engaged in learning from a tutor who can be seen as an actual peer.

The people that I work with can be seen as optimistic, joyful, and overall go-getters. With such positivity within the group there is never a pessimistic feeling. As I think about it, the people in the group empower others in many ways. For instance, not only do they help tutor kids, but they also give personal “pep talks” surrounding outside circumstances. Many of them encourage students to go beyond their limits and though many of the students that the group tutors feel insecure, they still show faith in their pursuit of change. When it comes to decision making and eliciting feedback, the members in the group are not hesitant to speak. As a prime example, there’s a girl named Vivian in the group that not only encourages others but she goes beyond her ways to help. I’ve known numerous times where Vivian has made rash but important decisions to help those in need. She gives money to help those who are less fortunate and as I’ve noticed before, many people run to her for her knowledgeable insight and commentary. Also, when it comes to shared power and authority, we all play our own role and know the positions we stand. There may be times where one of us knows more than the other but we only hint suggestions of what we would do in a certain circumstance…rather than take complete charge.

Overall, the small community of people I work with introduces change by providing positive outlooks for students in the education system with a way to help improve their current standing. Not only are we helping students perform academically stronger, but we are empowering them to realize that they are capable of doing more with the help of guidance. With the work that we do, we are implementing change by doing tasks that other people wouldn’t do if asked. As a group, we are here to help and encourage the roots from where we came from.

Part Two

The ability to help others is different from one individual to the next. One person might have a stronger approach and one may be more subtle. However, we all reach the same goal of impacting someone else’s life. As I think about the attempt to nurture hope and optimism in those around me, well, that can be a hard task. However, my ability to help others conquers that doubt. I’m a very optimistic person to begin with, so the attempt to show others that life is more important than a few mistakes isn’t that hard. I’ve caught myself telling others that though things may be horrible now, life gets better after you learn to forget. I guess my way to spread optimism is by expressing words and a sense of caring for others, and when it comes to nurturing hope, my positive attitude helps strengthen those around me. When you think about it, nurturing hope and optimism is important to leadership because these are the foundations to what makes a good leader. The ability to have a heart, positivity, and compassion for others is what leadership strives for and this is the reason why I think they are very important J