April 2012 Archives

Last Week's Leadership Definition:

Leadership is innate, it is a summary of someone's immediate actions that come natural to them, that have an affect on others. It is something that can be developed, and can be learned intentionally, but it is going to have to shine through in a way that is innate and natural to each individual. Culture helps shape this, but culture can also present problems such as racism. I believe leaders should be fair and morally right, and to me this does not include being racist.

New Leadership Definition:

Regardless of all other factors, people are motivated by unique things that they might not share with other people. Leaders in one way or another pick up on this, and communicate and work with them effectively to influence them, whether that is intentional or not.

Analysis:

I am sad to say that my leadership definition is not what I thought it would be when I started this blog. I learned so much this semester, and I'm not sure how to put it into words. I have a much stronger definition of what leadership is, but just as all of the resources we used this semester influenced my definition in different ways, I will have a different view of it in every situation, just like everyone else in the world. This is something that makes leadership so hard to define, it depends on so many factors. The context and the people involved will be extremely diverse in every single life situation, so it's hard to bind leadership to a set of rules or laws as to what it is. It is changing, fluid, and it is something that I plan on molding for the rest of my life. I feel like I have a better idea of what it is, but I haven't found the words to describe it yet.

Bibliography:

Kegan, R., & Lahey, L. L. (2009). Immunity to change: How to overcome it and unlock the potential in yourself and your organization (pp. 63-67). Boston: Harvard Business Press

Last Week's Leadership Definition:

Leadership is a lot of things, but most importantly it is defined by the culture you were raised in or spent a lot of time in.

New Leadership Definition:

Leadership is innate, it is a summary of someone's immediate actions that come natural to them, that have an affect on others. It is something that can be developed, and can be learned intentionally, but it is going to have to shine through in a way that is innate and natural to each individual. Culture helps shape this, but culture can also present problems such as racism. I believe leaders should be fair and morally right, and to me this does not include being racist.

Analysis:

There are so many factors that affect leadership, and in turn so many things that leaders have to deal with. When coaching or working with someone in the sense that you get to know them as a person, there are many things that they are thinking and feeling about themselves, you, your communication, and the world around these interactions. It's super important to be able to spot and understand these things to be able to relate to anyone you need to lead.

Bibliography:
Gladwell, M. (2005). "The Warren Harding Error: Why we fall for tall, dark, and handsome men. " Blink: The power of thinking without thinking (pp. 72 98). New York, Pushkin Enterprises.

Tatum, B. D. (1997). "Defining Racism: Can we talk?" Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? )pp. 3 - 17). New York: Basic Books